Degrees of Excellence: A Fatimid Treatise on Leadership in Islam Contributor(s): Lalani, Arzina R. (Author) |
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ISBN: 1845111451 ISBN-13: 9781845111458 Publisher: I. B. Tauris & Company
Binding Type: Hardcover Language: Arabic Published: December 2009 Annotation: Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Naysaburi (996-1021) lived at the pinnacle of Fatimid rule in Egypt. One of the most distinguished scholars of his time, several important works are accredited to him. However, it is his major treatise - the Kitab Ithbat al-imama - which is of seminal importance in the philosophical development of medieval Muslim thought. It is in this work - which is here presented in a completely fresh edition and a new translation - that al-Naysaburi daringly uses rational tools to explain and expound his theology, rather than base his assertions exclusively on the authority of the Qur'an and Hadith. Seeking to affirm the imamate from a philosophical perspective, he uses numerous devices to bolster his thesis, ranging from the so-called ten categories of the philosophers to several biological metaphors from plants and trees to animals and minerals. His foremost device is the theory of 'degrees of excellence'. Accepting that there are differences and disparities within each genus and species, he gives paradigms of perfect examples in each variety, and demonstrates in a parallel manner that it is the Imam who stands at the apex of humanity. Click for more in this series: Ismaili Texts and Translations (Hardcover) |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Religion | Islam - History |
Dewey: 297.61 |
Series: Ismaili Texts and Translations (Hardcover) |
Physical Information: 1.2" H x 5.6" W x 8.6" L (1.15 lbs) 272 pages |
Themes: - Religious Orientation - Islamic |
Features: Bibliography, Dust Cover, Index, Table of Contents |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: One of the most distinguished scholars of his time, Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Naysaburi lived during the height of Fatimid rule in Egypt. He came from Nishapur, the centre of the Ismaili da'wa in Khurasan, a thriving centre of learning particularly noted for its use of rationalistic philosophy. Several important works are accredited to him, but it is the Kitab ithbat al-imama which is of particular significance for the development of philosophy in medieval Islamic thought. In this work, presented here in a new edition and translation, al-Naysaburi allows us to understand not only the significance of his own thought, but also the beliefs of his age. Rather than basing his assertions exclusively on the authority of the Qur'an and hadith, he applies rational tools to explain his theology, providing a philosophical affirmation of the imamate by presenting a range of arguments, foremost amongst which is the theory of the 'degrees of excellence'. Degrees of Excellence offers the first book-length study of this hitherto unknown scholar of the early 5th/11th century. |
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