Comprised of primary sources assembled from a broad chronological and geographic spectrum, Islamic Theological Themes is a comprehensive anthology of primary Islamic sacred texts in translation. The volume includes rare and never before translated selections, all freshly situated and introduced with a view to opening doors into the larger world of Islamic life, belief, and culture. From pre-theological material on the scriptural end of the spectrum, to the more practical material at the other, John Renard broadens our concepts of what counts as Islamic theology,” situating Islamic theological literature within the context of the emerging sub-discipline of Relational/Comparative Theology. Divided into five parts, students and scholars will find this collection to be an indispensible tool.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part One. The Science of Interpretation: Reading the Sacred Sources
Chapter 1. Qur?an and Hadith
Theological Themes in the Qur?an
Transcendence: Divine Throne and Footstool
Immanence: The Verse of Light and God's Anthropomorphic Features
Revelation in Creation and Through Prophets
Divine Freedom and Human Responsibility
Theological Themes in the Hadith
Exegetical Hadiths
Hermeneutical Hints in the Hadith
Chapter 2. Interpreting the Sacred Sources
Varieties of Exegesis (tafsir) on the Throne Verse
Interpreting the Verse of Light
Avicenna on Metaphorical Meanings of the Verse of Light
Ghazali on the Similitudes in the Verse of Light
?abrisi on the Verse of Light
Abu 'l-?Ala 'l-Mawdudi on the Verse of Light
Theological Principles in Hermeneutics:
Ibn al-Jawzi on Exegetical Method
Suyu?i on the Occasions of Revelation
?Abd al-Jabbar on Rational Interpretation of Scripture
Shah Wali Allah on the Causes of Abrogation
Ayatollah Khu?i on the Divine Miracle of the Qur?an
Part Two. The Science of Community: Mapping the Boundaries of True Belief
Chapter 3. Muslim Awareness of Other Religious Communities
Identifying and Evaluating the Beliefs of Others
?Ali ibn Rabban a?-?abari on Interpreting the Stories of Other Faiths
Shahrastani's Heresiography on Non-Muslim Communities
Ibn al-Jawzi on the Devil's Deception of Jews and Christians
Ibn Taymiya on Christian Alteration of Scripture
Chapter 4. Creed and Polemic
Creed
?anbali Traditionalist Creed
Ghazali's Ash?ari Creed
Nasafi's Maturidi Creed
?illi's Twelver Shi?i/Mu?tazili Creed
Sayyid A?mad Khan's Modern Sunni Creed
Intra-Muslim Polemics in Practice
?Ali ibn Abi ?alib on Heresy
Iba?i Views on Associating with Muslims of Deficient Faith
Part Three. The Science of Divine Unity: Schools and Themes in Systematic Theology
Chapter 5. Theological Schools and Principles
Divergent Schools of Thought
Shahrastani's Doxography of Muslim Schools
Salim ibn Dhakwan on the Murji?a
Methodological Overviews
Al-Ash?ari's Vindication of Kalam
?Abd al-Jabbar's Mu?tazili "Five Principles"
Theology's Foundation: Prophetic Revelation
Avicenna on Assessing Claims to Prophetic Revelation
Baqillani on Prophetic Miracle and Veracity
?usi's Isma?ili Views on Post-prophetic Authority
Chapter 6. Major Themes in Systematic Theology
God Creating: Transcendent Unity, Ongoing Involvement with Creation
Ibn al-?Arabi on Divine Majesty and Beauty
Ibn Taymiya on God's Perpetual Creativity
Javanese "Admonitions of Seh Bari" on God's Perpetual Creativity
God Revealing
Ibn Qudama on the Divine Voice
Jami on God's Voice
Mulla ?adra on Divine Speech and Attributes
Experiencing God Hereafter
Baqillani on the Vision of God in the Next Life
?Ali on the Vision of God
?Abd al-Jabbar on God and Humanity in the Hereafter
Theological Bookends: Cosmogony and Eschatology
Wang Daiyu on Translating Taw?id into Chinese Traditional Terms
Nu?mani on the Greater Occultation of the Twelfth Imam
Part Four. The Science of Hearts: Spirituality and Literature
Chapter 7. Knowledge and the Spiritual Quest
Ways of Knowing: Acquired and Experiential
?Ali on Knowledge and the Spiritual Life
Hujwiri on Experiential Knowledge
Theological Dimensions of the Spiritual Quest
Ibn al-?Arabi on What is Indispensable for the Spiritual Seeker
Na?ir ad-Din ?usi on the Spiritual Quest
Kemas Fakhr ad-Din on the Quest for Self and God's Oneness
Chapter 8. Poetic, Pastoral, and Narrrative Theology
Poetic Theology and Theological Poetry
Sana?i on God's Attributes, Unity, and Anthropomorphisms
?A??ar on the Valley of Experiential Knowledge
Mu?ammad Iqbal on "Secrets of the Self"
Pastoral Theology: Talking and Teaching About God
Rumi on the Many Languages of God-Talk
Ibn ?Abbad on Relating to God's Attributes and Names
Narrative Approaches to Major Theological Themes
Ibn ?ufayl on Acquiring Knowledge of Divine Names and Attributes
Najm ad-Din Daya Razi on Mu?ammad's Spiritual Finality
A Shi?i Narrative on the Spiritual Status of Fa?ima Az-Zahra?
Part Five. The Science of Character and Comportment: Ethics and Governance
Chapter 9. Ethics in Theory
Divine Omnipotence, Human Freedom
?asan al-Ba?ri on Moral Responsibility
Shaykh al-Mufid on Divine Predetermination and the Battle of ?iffin
Theories of Moral Capacity and Responsibility
Baqillani's Ash?ari Perspective on Human Acquisition of Divinely Created Acts
Bazdawi's Maturidi Perspective on Moral Capacity
Brethren of Purity on Divine Initiative, Human Responsibility, and Law
?Abd al-Jabbar's Mu?tazili View of Ethical Principles and Theodicy
Classical and Modern Views of the Devil, Destiny, and Fate
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziya on God's Wisdom in Creating Iblis
?Abduh and Afghani on Destiny and Fate
Chapter 10. Ethics in Practice
The Foundation of Ethics in Practice
Juwayni on Commanding the Good and Forbidding the Reprehensible
Theologies of History: Contending Narratives of Early Muslim Governance
Nawbakhti on Divergent Views of the Imamate
Baqillani on Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Imamate
Theologies of Governance: Holding up a Mirror to Kings and Sultans
Ghazali on the Larger Context of Islamic Governance
Mu?ammad Baqir Najm-i Thani on Justice and Discipline
Social and Personal Ethical Guidance
Ibn ?azm on Anxiety, Self-knowledge and Virtue
Ghazali on Contentment with Divine Destiny
Shah Wali Allah on the Ranks of Sin
Mulla ?adra on Forgiveness
Synoptic/Comparative Table of Texts (Following order in Table of Contents)
Index of Qur?anic Citations
Index of Names (Individuals and Groups)
Index of Concepts, Themes, Places, Works