Hanābilites
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Hanābilites (sg., Hanbālī) are adherents to the theology of Ahmad ibn Hanbal (164-241 AH/780-855 BC). One of the fours islamic law schools. ibn Hanbal and Abu 'Abd Allah ash-Shafi'i were both leaders of the traditionalist movement, which fought against the rationalist Mu‘tazilī school.
Ibn Hanbal was a leader or imam of the Sunnis. The following theological positions are attributed to Ibn Hanbal in the work Risalat fi al-radd `ala al-zanadiqah.
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[edit] God's attributes
Hanbal refuted and rejected the Jahmites' and the Mu`tazilites' views of God. For Hanbal, both the Jahmites and the Mu`tazilites erred in conceiving of God without eternal attributes. Hanbal believed that God has many attributes and names as mentioned in the Koran and the Prophetic Traditions and that God is One. Hanbal asserted that God's Oneness was not understood by the Jahmites and the Mu`tazilites. Hanbal stated that the ahl al-sunnah wa-al-jama`ah, or Sunnis, believe that God is eternal with His power and light and that He speaks, knows, and creates eternally.
[edit] Annihilation of the eternals
Hanbal disagreed with the Jahmites' and the Mu`tazilites' view that that no other eternals exist except God because the eternal is God and God is One. Hanbal believed that Hell and Paradise are eternal because God made them eternal.
[edit] The beatific vision
Hanbal believed that the people or the inhabitants of Paradise are able to see God and that God will make them see Him as their highest reward. He did not allow a beatific vision in this world - only in the Hereafter will this vision be bestowed upon the beloved of God. The Mu`tazilites and the Jahmites totally reject the beatific vision of God even in Paradise.
[edit] God's word
Hanbal believed that God's word is eternal, that God Himself spoke to Moses the prophet and Moses heard His words, and that God did not create His words when He communicated with Moses. Since the speech of God is an Attribute, and God is eternal, all of God's Attributes are eternal as well. The Jahmites and the Mu`tazilites believe that God created His words to make Moses able to understand His words.
[edit] The Koran
Hanbal believed that the Koran is uncreated because the Koran is the word of God and the word of God is not created, and thus the Koran is God's word or speech and His revelation. The Mu`taziltes and the Jahmites believe that the Koran, which is readable and touchable, is created like other created creatures and beings. Ibn Hanbal maintained that the Koran is indeed a thing, but that it is not created like other created things. Hanbal refused to include the Koran in the category of the created creatures of God like the earth and the heavens. There are other existing things not mentioned by God that they are created by God. Among those things are the Chair, the Throne and the Guarded Tablet (Lawh-i-Mahfuz).[1] They are not among the created creatures like the earth and the heavens. Hence Hanbal asserted that the Koran is uncreated.
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources
- Abd al-Halim al-Jundi, Ahmad bin Hanbal Imam Ahl al-Sunnah, published in Cairo by Dar al-Ma`arif
- Dr. `Ali Sami al-Nashshar, Nash`ah al-fikr al-falsafi fi al-islam, vol. 1, published by Dar al-Ma`arif, seventh edition, 1977
- Makdisi, George. "Hanābilah." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. Vol. 6. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 3759-3769. 15 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Thomson Gale. (Accessed December 14, 2005)
- Vishanoff, David. "Nazzām, Al-." Ibid.
- Iqbal, Muzzafar. Chapter 1, "The Beginning", Islam and Science, Ashgate Press, 2002.
- Leaman, Oliver, "Islamic Philosophy". Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, v. 5, p. 13-16.
- ^ Al-Ghazali, The Alchemy of Happiness, Chapter 2. Retrieved on 2006-04-09.
