Journal of Al-Mustafa International University
Volume:2 Issue: 1, Summer 2019

This paper explores the epistemological and sociological background of postmodern oriental studies and its consequences using an empirical-analytical method that concentrates on the epistemological dimensions of the discourse of oriental studies in analyzing its various evolutionary phases as they relate to the evolutionary phases of science and the acquisition of human knowledge. While it is true that the changes that science and human knowledge have gone through in the past few centuries have had an effect on the techniques, concepts and general discourse of oriental studies, and that these have had a moderating effect, but it nevertheless seems that the West is still intent on rekindling the spirit of classical orientalism, which marginalized the East and looked upon it as an object of exploitation and colonization, in the postmodern period also, albeit in a more subtle and covert fashion. In this paper, in addition to the above considerations, we shall also point to some of the positions and findings of thinkers such as Edward Sa‘īd, Zīauddīn Sardar, and Leela Gandhi with respect to new approaches to oriental studies.

Islamic civilization has gone through many changes of fortune. In the early years of Islam, Moslems were able to create societies which were unified and stable by relying on their faith and their political and scientific efforts. But the Mongol Invasion and the Chris tian Crusades provided the Islamic civilization with serious challenges, and a renewed blooming of the civilizations in Iran, India and under the Ottomans was nipped in the bud with the colonial policies of the Wes t. It was in the context of these challenges that Islamic movements began to take shape in the territories of Islam. This paper aims to provide an analysis of these movements as they have developed in the seedbed of Islamic civilization. We begin with a summary overview of the progress of Islamic civilization, and follow this with an analysis of the Islamic Awakening movement, which we treat under its four waves. The Islamic Awakening initially began with the intelligentsia within the Islamic world, each of which had a different view as how best to dislodge the Islamic world from the rut in which it found itself. After this first phase, the people entered the fray and the Islamic Awakening took on the characteristics of a people’s movement, and was able to score some victories in certain regions.

The belief in Mahdism, or the Islamic form of the belief in the divine promise and imminent coming of a universal savior, is a tenet which all Moslems believe in, in one form or another. Like other sects within Islam, the Wahhābi sect also accepts the principle of Mahdism based on hadith reports which they consider to be moterwāter,3 as well as believing in the advent of the Mahdi at the end of time for the purposes of bringing about universal jus tice in the world. As one of the important figures in contemporary Wahhābi thought, Abdol-Azīz Ben-Bāz has also proffered some views concerning the issue of Mahdism, although [these are] scattered [throughout his work]. The present paper is a descriptive and analytical work that examines the position of the Wahhābis on the issue of the promised universal savior, with a particular emphasis on the position of Abdol-Azīz Ben-Bāz. Ben-Bāzconsiders the hadith reports which are the basis for the belief in the principle of Mahdism to be motewāter, and also considers anyone who denies this principle to be an unbeliever (kāfir). Ben-Bāz believes the Mahdi (universal savior) who is promised to appear at the end of time will have the following attributes: the Mahdi’s father will have the same name as the Apos tle of God [i.e. Mohammad] (may God’s peace and blessings be upon him and upon the purified and immaculate members of his House); the Mahdi will be a descendent of the Prophet and thus be a member of his household; the Mahdi will be a descendant of the Prophet through the Hasanid line; the Mahdi’s advent will be for the purpose of bringing about universal peace and jus tice; the Mahdi will rule in accordance with the sacred law of Islam; the Mahdi’s advent will be accompanied by the advent of the Chris t Jesus, the son of Lady Mary; and so on. [All of these views are in accord with the consensus view of the Moslem community], but [nevertheless] there are some serious criticisms concerning his views and position, which we have striven to point out and refute mainly on the basis of sources which are acceptable to the Wahhābis themselves.

Given the fact that the ins titution of prophethood is central to the religion of Islam and is its second creedal principle, using a method that is descriptive and analytical, this paper sets out to examine the reasons that are used for the proof of prophethood by the Maturidi and Imāmīya schools, which are two of the great schools of Islamic creedal theology and prophetology within Islam. An examination of the proofs proffered by the two theological schools yields the conclusion that the institution of prophethood is a phenomenon whose reality is undeniable both on rational and scriptural grounds. The two schools prove the principle of the commissioning of prophets [by God] by use of various principles and axioms. It will also be seen that both schools are in agreement that mankind can attain to an understanding of certain matters by putting his rational faculty of understanding to use, but that the understanding of many other matters are outside the ability of this faculty. The Imāmīya consider the principle of grace to be the best reason for the commissioning of prophets on the part of God, but they do not consider man’s faculty of rational intellection (‘aql) on its own to be a sufficient authority (hojjat) that can be used to justify punishment [in the hereafter]. Contrarily, the Maturida consider reason to be a sufficient authority (hojjat) for the justification of such punishment, and consider the commissioning of prophets as a necessary component in ensuring that the duty of care is properly provided and executed (e’temām-e hojjat). The Noble Quran emphasizes the role of the prophets as being one of immaculate persons who have been commissioned from on high in order to solve the various problems which mankind faces which have arisen in the absence of prophets, and for the purposes of resolving these differences. The Noble Quran also characterizes the role of prophets as being divine agents who channel God’s will and convey His message and ordinances and divine dispensation to mankind, and then act in the capacity of unimpeachable authorities (hojjat); thereby completing the duty of care and thus completing the argument in the case that is being prepared for use on the Day of Judgement (e’temām-e hojjat) against anyone who fails to abide by God’s revealed will, ordinances and divine dispensation which were conveyed to mankind by God’s prophets.

Most theologians (motekallemān) consider immaculacy (‘esmat) to be a [form of] divine grace (mohebbat-e elāhī) which is bestowed on those who are immaculate (ma’sūm), and they believe that those who are not granted this benefit do not have the ability to attain to this station. Some have considered immaculacy to be a result of [the attainment of] a clear and indubitable knowledge, while others have likened it to an angel which [acts to] preclude the committing of sin. This group of positions concerning immaculacy are subject to serious criticisms: issues such as the relationship between immaculacy and free will, the value of the station of immaculacy, and the differences which obtain between those who have attained to this station and ordinary people, all entail questions which none of the current positions concerning immaculacy is able to provide satisfactory answers to. This article posits that refraining from sin (esmat azgonāh) is a volitive phenomenon and that everyone has the ability [in potentia] to reach this station; but that inerrancy, i.e. the avoidance of error (esmat az khatā va eshtebāh) is an involuntary phenomenon which is a precondition for the station of prophethood and/ or of the station of the imamate. [Thus, this paper posits that] having chosen a given person for the station of prophethood and/ or for the station of the imamate, Almighty God immunizes him from the committing of any and all error in order [to guarantee] that he will not commit [any] error in the explication [and promulgation] of His religion. It is the view of the authors that this is the only position that [is capable of providing] lucid answers to the above-mentioned objections.