The Place of Ash’arite Kalām in the Scholarly Life of Hadith Scholars in the Western Islamic Region: The 5th and 6th Century of Hijra

Ayşe Nur Yamanus

Article Details

The Place of Ash’arite Kalām in the Scholarly Life of Hadith Scholars in the Western Islamic Region: The 5th and 6th Century of Hijra

Authors:

Ayşe Nur Yamanus

Publisher:

Kocaeli University

Main Topics:

Hadis

Journal:

Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.7 Issue 2, pp.275-305

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001306750

pISSN:

2564-677X

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Asharism, which emerged in the first quarter of the fourth century of Hijra, is a theological sect that has been accepted by the majority of hadith scholars throughout Islamic history. This fact, which has important consequences for the history of hadith, raises the question of the extent to which the hadith scholars belonging to the Asharite sect were interested in theology. This is because theology, which is considered an heretical innovation according to the traditional understanding of Ahl al-hadīth, was severely criticised by hadith scholars representing Salafī thought and positioned as the opposite pole of hadith. Accordingly, Asharism could not escape from being the target of the anti-theological Ahl al-hadīth. However, this did not prevent the adoption of the Asharite sect by hadith scholars and the emergence of a group of Asharite hadith scholars who engaged in theology. Thus, from the fourth century of Hijra, Asharite theology, like other Islamic sciences, became a natural part of education and teaching activities. Andalusia and the Maghrib, one of the regions where the Asharite sect was widespread, provide a favourable ground for determining the place of theology in the scholarly life of the hadith scholars. The famous hadith scholars who lived in this region in the fifth and sixth centuries of Hijra are analysed in this study in terms of their affiliation with Asharism and their interest in the science of kalām. By analysing the education and training lives of the hadith scholars subject to the research, the details that highlight their Asharite identities were determined. Issues such as how the Asharite tradition was inherited by hadith scholars in the Western Islamic region, what roles hadith scholars played in the spread of the Asharite sect in this region, which books were most widely used by hadith scholars in the study of kalām, and which methods were used to read and transmit theological texts are clarified within the framework of available data. As a result, it was revealed that in the Western Islamic world of the fifth and sixth centuries of Hijra, the science of kalām was in great demand among the Asharite hadith scholars and that important texts of Asharite theology remained in circulation among hadith scholars through reading and transmission.

 Asharism, which emerged in the first quarter of the fourth century of Hijra, is a theological sect that has been accepted by the majority of hadith scholars throughout Islamic history. This fact, which has important consequences for the history of hadith, raises the question of the extent to which the hadith scholars belonging to the Asharite sect were interested in theology. This is because theology, which is considered an heretical innovation according to the traditional understanding of Ahl al-hadīth, was severely criticised by hadith scholars representing Salafī thought and positioned as the opposite pole of hadith. Accordingly, Asharism could not escape from being the target of the anti-theological Ahl al-hadīth. However, this did not prevent the adoption of the Asharite sect by hadith scholars and the emergence of a group of Asharite hadith scholars who engaged in theology. Thus, from the fourth century of Hijra, Asharite theology, like other Islamic sciences, became a natural part of education and teaching activities. Andalusia and the Maghrib, one of the regions where the Asharite sect was widespread, provide a favourable ground for determining the place of theology in the scholarly life of the hadith scholars. The famous hadith scholars who lived in this region in the fifth and sixth centuries of Hijra are analysed in this study in terms of their affiliation with Asharism and their interest in the science of kalām. By analysing the education and training lives of the hadith scholars subject to the research, the details that highlight their Asharite identities were determined. Issues such as how the Asharite tradition was inherited by hadith scholars in the Western Islamic region, what roles hadith scholars played in the spread of the Asharite sect in this region, which books were most widely used by hadith scholars in the study of kalām, and which methods were used to read and transmit theological texts are clarified within the framework of available data. As a result, it was revealed that in the Western Islamic world of the fifth and sixth centuries of Hijra, the science of kalām was in great demand among the Asharite hadith scholars and that important texts of Asharite theology remained in circulation among hadith scholars through reading and transmission.

 Asharism, which emerged in the first quarter of the fourth century of Hijra, is a theological sect that has been accepted by the majority of hadith scholars throughout Islamic history. This fact, which has important consequences for the history of hadith, raises the question of the extent to which the hadith scholars belonging to the Asharite sect were interested in theology. This is because theology, which is considered an heretical innovation according to the traditional understanding of Ahl al-hadīth, was severely criticised by hadith scholars representing Salafī thought and positioned as the opposite pole of hadith. Accordingly, Asharism could not escape from being the target of the anti-theological Ahl al-hadīth. However, this did not prevent the adoption of the Asharite sect by hadith scholars and the emergence of a group of Asharite hadith scholars who engaged in theology. Thus, from the fourth century of Hijra, Asharite theology, like other Islamic sciences, became a natural part of education and teaching activities. Andalusia and the Maghrib, one of the regions where the Asharite sect was widespread, provide a favourable ground for determining the place of theology in the scholarly life of the hadith scholars. The famous hadith scholars who lived in this region in the fifth and sixth centuries of Hijra are analysed in this study in terms of their affiliation with Asharism and their interest in the science of kalām. By analysing the education and training lives of the hadith scholars subject to the research, the details that highlight their Asharite identities were determined. Issues such as how the Asharite tradition was inherited by hadith scholars in the Western Islamic region, what roles hadith scholars played in the spread of the Asharite sect in this region, which books were most widely used by hadith scholars in the study of kalām, and which methods were used to read and transmit theological texts are clarified within the framework of available data. As a result, it was revealed that in the Western Islamic world of the fifth and sixth centuries of Hijra, the science of kalām was in great demand among the Asharite hadith scholars and that important texts of Asharite theology remained in circulation among hadith scholars through reading and transmission.

 Hicrî dördüncü asrın ilk çeyreğinde ortaya çıkan Eşarîlik, İslâm tarihi boyunca hadis ulemasının büyük çoğunluğu tarafından kabul görmüş bir kelâm mezhebidir. Hadis tarihi açısından mühim sonuçlar doğuran bu vakıa, Eşarî mezhebine müntesip muhaddislerin kelâm ilmiyle olan alakasının hangi boyutlara ulaştığı sorusunu gündeme getirmektedir. Zira geleneksel ashâb-ı hadîs anlayışına göre bidat sayılan kelâm, Selef çizgisini temsil eden hadis âlimleri tarafından en ağır şekilde yerilmiş ve hadisin zıt kutbu olarak konumlandırılmıştır. Bu doğrultuda Eşarîlik de kelâm karşıtı ashâb-ı hadîs çevrelerinin hedefi olmaktan kurtulamamıştır. Fakat bu durum, Eşarî mezhebinin hadisçiler tarafından benimsenmesini ve kelâmla iştigal eden bir Eşarî hadisçiler zümresinin ortaya çıkmasını engelleyememiştir. Böylece hicrî dördüncü asırdan itibaren Eşarî kelâmı, tıpkı diğer İslâmî ilimler gibi, tahsil ve tedris faaliyetlerinin doğal bir parçası hâlini almaya başlamıştır. Eşarî mezhebinin en güçlü şekilde temsil edildiği bölgelerden olan Endülüs ve Mağrib coğrafyası, kelâmın hadis ulemasının ilmî hayatında ne şekilde yer edindiğinin tespiti için elverişli bir zemin sunmaktadır. Tarih boyunca hadis ilminde otorite sayılabilecek çok sayıda muhaddisin yetiştiği söz konusu coğrafyada hicrî beşinci ve altıncı asırda hayat süren meşhur hadis âlimleri, Eşarîliğe yönelik aidiyetleri ve kelâm ilmiyle ilgileri bakımından bu çalışmada ele alınmıştır. Araştırmaya konu edilen hadis âlimlerinin tahsil ve tedris hayatları incelenerek, onların Eşarî kimliklerini ön plana çıkartan ayrıntılar saptanmıştır. Eşarî geleneğin Batı İslâm coğrafyasındaki hadis âlimleri tarafından nasıl sahiplenildiği, Eşarî mezhebinin bu bölgede yayılması noktasında hadisçilerin ne gibi roller üstlendiği, kelâm tedrisinde hadis uleması tarafından en yaygın şekilde kullanılan kitapların neler olduğu ve kelâm eserlerinin hangi metotlarla okunup aktarıldığı gibi hususlara mevcut veriler çerçevesinde açıklık getirilmiştir. Neticede hicrî beşinci ve altıncı asrın Batı ilim havzasında, kelâm ilminin Eşarî hadisçilerden büyük bir rağbet gördüğü ve Eşarî kelâmına dair önemli metinlerin okunup okutulmak suretiyle muhaddisler arasında tedavülde kalmayı sürdürdüğü ortaya konulmuştur.

Article Details

The Place of Ash’arite Kalām in the Scholarly Life of Hadith Scholars in the Western Islamic Region: The 5th and 6th Century of Hijra

Authors:

Ayşe Nur Yamanus

Publisher:

Kocaeli University

Main Topics:

Hadis

Journal:

Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.7 Issue 2, pp.275-305

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001306750

pISSN:

2564-677X

Hadith

Ash'arite Theology

Teaching

Andalusia

MaghribHadis

Eş'arî Kelâmı

Tedris

Endülüs

Mağrib

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Ayşe Nur Yamanus

Publisher: Kocaeli University

Main Topics: Hadis

Journal: Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.7 Issue 2, pp.275-305

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001306750

pISSN: 2564-677X

Issues

Authors:

Ayşe Nur Yamanus

Publisher:

Kocaeli University

Main Topics:

Hadis

Journal:

Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.7 Issue 2, pp.275-305

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001306750

pISSN:

2564-677X