Ovamir Anjum - Politics, Law, and Community in Islamic Thought: The Taymiyyan Moment

In a revisionist account of the history of Islamic political thought from the early to the late medieval period, this book focuses on the thought of Ibn Taymiyya, one of the most brilliant theologians of his day. The standard accounts of Sunni political history typically end with the classical period and thereby leave out Ibn Taymiyyas contribution. This original study demonstrates how his influence shed new light on the entire trajectory of Islamic political thought. Although he did not reject the Caliphate ideal, as is commonly believed, he nevertheless radically redefined it by turning it into a rational political institution intended to serve the community (umma). Through creative reinterpretation, he deployed the Quranic concept of fitra (divinely endowed human nature) to center the community of believers and its commonsense reading of revelation as the highest epistemic authority. In this way, he subverted the elitism that had become ensconced in classical theological, legal, and spiritual doctrines, and tried to revive the ethico-political, rather than strictly legal, dimension of Islam. In its reassessment of Ibn Taymiyyas work, this book marks a major departure from traditional interpretations of medieval Islamic thought.

Ovamir Anjum holds the Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Toledo.

David O. Morgan Shahab Ahmed Virginia Aksan Michael Cook Peter Jackson Chase F. Robinson

Ovamir Anjum 2012

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2012

Printed in the United States of America

Anjum, Ovamir, 1976

Politics, law, and community in Islamic thought : the Taymiyyan moment / Ovamir Anjum.

p. cm. (Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-107-01406-0 (hardback)

1. Islam and state History. 2. Political science Islamic Empire History.

3. Ibn Taymiyah, Ahmad ibn Abd al-Halim, 12631328 Political and social views.