Religion and Politics Under the Early 'Abbasids: The Emergence of the Proto-Sunni Elite (Islamic History and Civilization. Studies and Texts, V. 16)

The main concern of this book is the religious policies of the early ‘Abbāsid caliphs. It focuses on the religious trends which went into the making of Sunnī Islam, and traces the emergence of the nascent Sunnī elite in relation to the ‘Abbāsids. Various aspects of the caliphs' evolving relationship with the religious scholars are studied and the nature of caliphal patronage and its impact on the scholars, and ultimately on the evolution of early Sunnism, is explored. What emerges is a picture of close collaboration between the caliphs and the ‘ulama’, with the caliphs playing an active and multifaceted role in religious life. This book challenges the prevailing interpretations of the separation of religion and politics in early Islam, and offers new insights into the social and religious history of Islam's formative centuries. "The main concern of this book is the religious policies of the early 'Abbasid caliphs. It focuses on the religious trends which went into the making of Sunni Islam, and traces the emergence of the nascent Sunni elite in relation to the 'Abbasids. Various aspects of the caliphs' evolving relationship with the religious scholars are studied and the nature of caliphal patronage and its impact on the scholars, and ultimately on the evolution of early Sunnism, is explored. What emerges is a picture of close collaboration between the caliphs and the 'ulama', with the caliphs playing an active and multifaceted role in religious life. This book challenges the prevailing interpretations of the separation of religion and politics in early Islam, and offers new insights into the social and religious history of Islam's formative centuries."--BOOK JACKET Image CONTENTS 4 PREFACE 5 ABBREVIATIONS 6 CHAPTER ONE: HISTORIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION 7 CHAPTER TWO: RELIGIOUS TRENDS IN EARLY 'ABBASID SOCIETY 23 Shf'ism and the 'Abbasids 23 Towards Proto-Sunnism 31 Zandaqa and the Zanadiqa 38 CHAPTER THREETHE CALIPHS AND THE 'ULAMA': DEFINING A RELATIONSHIP 42 CHAPTER FOUR: EARLY 'ABBASID PATRONAGE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE 66 CHAPTER FIVE: THE RHETORIC OF RELIGIOUS POLICIES 90 CONCLUSION 111 BIBLIOGRAPHY 114 Primary Sources 114 Secondary Sources 115 INDEX 120 A study of the religious policies of the early ‘Abbāsids. It describes the caliphs' patronage of the nascent Sunni religious elite and offers a new interpretation of the relationship of religion and politics in Islam's first centuries. A study of the religious policies of the early 'Abbasids. It describes the caliphs' patronage of the nascent Sunni religious elite and offers a new interpretation of the relationship of religion and politics in Islam's first centuries. By Muhammad Qasim Zaman. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.