Religious Scholars and the Umayyads: Piety-Minded Supporters of the Marwanid Caliphate (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)

Religious Scholars and the Umayyads analyzes legal and theological developments during the Marwānid period (64/684--132/750), focusing on religious scholars who supported the Umayyads. Their scholarly network extended across several generations and significantly influenced the development of the Islamic faith. Umayyad __qādòī__s, who represented the intersection of religious authority and imperial power, were particularly important. This book challenges the long-standing paradigm that the emerging Muslim faith was shaped by religious dissenters who were hostile to the Umayyads. A prosopographical analysis of Umayyad-era scholars demonstrates that piety and opposition were not necessarily synonymous. Reputable scholars served as __qādòī__s, tutors and advisors to Umayyad caliphs and governors. Their religious credentials were untarnished by their association with the Umayyads and they appear prominently in later __hòadīth__ collections and __fiqh__ works. This historiographical study demonstrates that excessive reliance on al-Tòabarī’s chronicle has distorted the image of the Umayyads. Alternatively, biographical sources produced by later __hòadīth__ scholars reveal a rich tradition of Umayyad-era religious scholarship that undermines al-Tòabarī’s assumptions. Offering a better understanding of early Islamic religious development, this book is a valuable resource for students and researchers in the fields of Islamic history, Islamic legal studies and Arabic historiography. Religious Scholars and the Umayyads analyzes legal and theological developments during the Marwānid period (64/684--132/750), focusing on religious scholars who supported the Umayyads. Their scholarly network extended across several generations and significantly influenced the development of the Islamic faith. Umayyad qādòī s, who represented the intersection of religious authority and imperial power, were particularly important. This book challenges the long-standing paradigm that the emerging Muslim faith was shaped by religious dissenters who were hostile to the Umayyads. A prosopographical analysis of Umayyad-era scholars demonstrates that piety and opposition were not necessarily synonymous. Reputable scholars served as qādòī s, tutors and advisors to Umayyad caliphs and governors. Their religious credentials were untarnished by their association with the Umayyads and they appear prominently in later hòadīth collections and fiqh works. This historiographical study demonstrates that excessive reliance on al-Tòabarī’s chronicle has distorted the image of the Umayyads. Alternatively, biographical sources produced by later hòadīth scholars reveal a rich tradition of Umayyad-era religious scholarship that undermines al-Tòabarī’s assumptions. Offering a better understanding of early Islamic religious development, this book is a valuable resource for students and researchers in the fields of Islamic history, Islamic legal studies and Arabic historiography. Religious Scholars and the Umayyads analyzes legal and theological developments during the Marwanid period (64/684--132/750), focusing on religious scholars who supported the Umayyads. Their scholarly network extended across several generations and significantly influenced the development of the Islamic faith. Umayyad qadois, who represented the intersection of religious authority and imperial power, were particularly important. This book challenges the long-standing paradigm that the emerging Muslim faith was shaped by religious dissenters who were hostile to the Umayyads. A prosopographical analysis of Umayyad-era scholars demonstrates that piety and opposition were not necessarily synonymous. Reputable scholars served as qadois, tutors and advisors to Umayyad caliphs and governors. Their religious credentials were untarnished by their association with the Umayyads and they appear prominently in later hoadith collections and fiqh works. This historiographical study demonstrates that excessive reliance on al-Toabari's chronicle has distorted the image of the Umayyads. Alternatively, biographical sources produced by later hoadith scholars reveal a rich tradition of Umayyad-era religious scholarship that undermines al-Toabari's assumptions. Offering a better understanding of early Islamic religious development, this book is a valuable resource for students and researchers in the fields of Islamic history, Islamic legal studies and Arabic historiography Cover 1 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Table of Contents 8 List of tables 10 Acknowledgments 11 PART I The Umayyad problem in early Islamic history 12 1 Umayyad scholars in modern studies 14 2 The problem of sources 28 PART II The pillars of Umayyad piety 50 3 Al-Sha‘bī 52 4 Al-Zuhrī 63 5 ‘Abdallāh b. ‘Awn 73 6 Al-Awzā‘ī 82 7 Sufyān al-Thawrī 91 PART III The qādī in Umayyad society 102 8 The function of the qādī under the Umayyads 104 9 The network of Umayyad qādīs 115 10 Umayyad judicial administration and its ‘Abbāsid legacy 142 Conclusion: the piety-minded opposition paradigm revisited 153 Appendix 1: Qādīs of Damascus 158 Appendix 2: Qādīs of Medina 163 Appendix 3: Qādīs of Egypt 173 Appendix 4: Qādīs of Kufa 179 Appendix 5: Qādīs of Basra 187 Bibliography 194 Index 203 The Umayyad Problem In Early Islamic History. Umayyad Scholars In Modern Academic Literature -- The Problem Of Sources -- The Pillars Of Umayyad Piety -- Al-sha'bi -- Al-zuhri -- 'abdallah B. 'awn -- Al-awza'i -- Sufyan Al-thawri -- The Qaḍi In Umayyad Society -- The Function Of The Qaḍi Under The Umayyads -- The Network Of Umayyad Qaḍis -- Umayyad Judicial Administration And Its 'abbasid Legacy -- Conclusion: The Piety-minded Opposition Paradigm Revisited. Steven C. Judd. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 183-191) And Index. Religious Scholars and the Umayyads analyzes legal and theological developments during the Marwanid period (64/684--132/750), focusing on religious scholars who supported the Umayyad caliphate. It includes a prosopographical study of Umayyad-era scholars and offers a new approach to using later Arabic historical sources to study the Umayyad period.