al-Mawardi
al-Mawardi Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muḥammad ibn Habib al-Basri al-Mawardi أبو الحسن علي بن محمد بن حبيب البصري الماوردي | |
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Abbasid Chief Judge | |
In office 1000s–1058 | |
Abbasid official and Diplomat | |
In office 1031, 1037, 1042, 1043 | |
Personal | |
Born | Ali c. 972 Political Science |
Notable work(s) |
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Known for | Works on Religion, Government, the Caliphate, and Public and constitutional law during a time of political turmoil. |
Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
Influenced |
Part of a series on |
Ash'arism |
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Background |
Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habib (
Name
As the son of a person who sold rose water, the terms "maa" (water) and "Wardah" (rose) are combined to form the name "Al-Mawardi." The title "Al-Mawardi" was given to him because of his brilliance, eloquence, and great analytical abilities in debate, discussions, and oratory. He was also eager in evaluating a variety of situations that he came across.[6]
Political climate
Al-Mawardi lived at the
The Abbasid dynasty was going through a difficult time when al-Mawardi was born. A characteristic of the crisis was a progressive deterioration of social and political disintegration. The rise of several dynasties that broke away from Abbasid power and founded their own mini-kingdoms outside of its purview was a glaring example of this. It is important to note, nevertheless, that even while the Abbasid dynasty's political influence declined, political, philosophical, and scientific advancements persisted throughout its rule. During this time, a number of well-known individuals appeared, such as al-Mawardi, al-Farabi, al-Ghazali, and others. It resulted from political leaders' intense interest in information acquisition.[7]
Moreover, at that time, the idea that a nation's strength and grandeur originated from its knowledge base gained widespread acceptance. Therefore, political leaders and tyrants made great attempts to value and advance intellectual endeavours. Additionally, their way of thinking was influenced by the
Early life
Birth
He was born in the year 364 AH/974 CE in Basra, Iraq. Some authors make the claim that his family was Kurdish,[8] a claim which is unsubstantiated.[9]
Education
When Baghdad was a centre and hub of civilization, learning, and knowledge, that is when al-Mawardi pursued his education there. Along with his companions, he started his studies at a very young age, concentrating on religious sciences and specifically the study of Hadith. Based on chronicles of his early schooling, al-Mawardi pursued his study in his native Basra region. He received instruction in the field of Hadith from a number of well-known hadith scholars. It is confirmed by his pupil Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi that al-Mawardi was regarded in Hadith as having a solid memory, being reliable and being trustworthy. Al-Mawardi left his village to complete his education before moving to Baghdad and settling in Darb az-Za'farani. There, he pursued his education in Hadith and Fiqh and joined the renowned Abu Hamid al-Isfarayini's halaqah (study circle). Al-Mawardi set out on a journey to various regions to disseminate and put his knowledge to use after completing his education in Baghdad. He travelled for a while before coming back to Baghdad to share the immense knowledge he had gained.[6]
Teachers
Al-Mawardi studied under prominent and leading figures of his time. He studied Kalam under Abu Ishaq al-Isfarayini. He studied Fiqh under Abu Hamid al-Isfarayini. He studied Hadith under Abubakr al-Barqani. He studied Arabic language under Muhammad Bin al-Mu'ally al-Azdy. His other notables who were renowned in Baghdad include al-Manqiri, al-Shumayri, al-Jabali, Ja'far bin Muhammad al-fadal bin abdulla Abu Qasim al-Dara and Ali Abu Isfarayini.[7][10]
Scholarly life
After gaining knowledge from his mentors, al-Mawardi started teaching in Baghdad, where many eminent scholars were his students. In addition, al-Mawardi is known for having outstanding character, patience, humility, and charm. Even though they had never met him in person, his classmates and coworkers who had the chance to get to know him attested to his qualities. These attributes also add to his great reputation and the respect he was regarded in.[7]
Between the late tenth and mid-eleventh centuries, when al-Mawardi lived, the Muslim political landscape was marked by instability and collapse. Compared to earlier times, the circumstances were far more worrisome. The monarch
The leaders of the Sunni Abbasid and Shia Buwayhid dynasties nonetheless favoured al-Mawardi even though he was
Death
Al-Mawardi passed away on the 30th of Rabi'ul Awwal in 450 Hijri which is equivalent to May 27, 1058 CE at the age of 86. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi attended and led the funeral prayer for him. Numerous rulers and scholars attended the funeral of al-Mawardi. His body was buried in Mansur, Baghdad's Bab Harb Cemetery. His death came just 11 days after the passing of Qadi Abu al-Tayyib.[6]
Legacy and contribution to political science & sociology
Al-Mawardi was the founder of the political science in the Islamic World and first writer on political theory in the history of Islam. He is therefore considered one of the most renowned pioneers and thinkers of the political science in Islamic history. His original work influenced the development of this subject, together with the science of sociology, which was further developed and expanded later on by Ibn Khaldun.[4]
Al Mawardi's contribution impacted heavily to the two fields through a number of monumental of great books authored by him, his most famous were Kitab al-Ahkam al-Sultania, Qanun al Wazarah, and Kitab Nasihat al-Mulk. These books discuss the principles of political science with special reference and ministers, relationships between the populace and the administration, as well as calculations to strengthen the government and secure a victory in conflict.[4]
The first Islamic jurisprudence work devoted solely to political application and governance is was his book Al-Ahkām As-Ṣulṭāniyyah. Al-Mawardi was "the first Muslim scholar to bother to collect all the ordinances relating to public law and arrange them in one volume." Al-Ahkām, since then has been the primary standard source in both contemporary studies of Islamic mediaeval political theory and conventional Sunni political thinking.[13]
Al Mawardi was an author and advocator of the doctrine necessity in political science. He was in favour of a strong government and spoke out against unlimited powers given to the governors which he postulated would create disorder and chaos on the other hand, he has brought forth clear principles for elections of the Caliph rulers and standards of the voters among which the most important achievement of a degree of intellectual capacity and also morality of the character. On the subject of "Ethics", he wrote his book Kitaab adaab al-dunya wa al-din, which became widely a famous book on this topic and is still read in many Islamic countries of today.[4]
Works
Al-Mawardi was a prolific writer who created a large body of written material. His judicial actions did not lessen his love of writing. Despite having to relocate frequently due to his judicial duties, al-Mawardi persisted in teaching and mentoring his pupils while writing a book. Since much of his writings were hidden in books that have never been found, they have not been well known throughout history. Based on the papers he described, only a small percentage of his works have been located and shared among his students. Al-Mawardi is remembered as a meticulous and sincere scholar in which he manifests it into his works.[11]
Fiqh
- Al-Hawi al-Kabir fi Fiqh al-Shafi'i, a comprehensive encyclopedia of Shafi'i jurisprudential doctrine (22 volumes).[14]
- Al-Iqna
- Adab al-Qadhi
- Alam an-Nubuwwah
Political science
- al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya w'al-Wilayat al-Diniyya (The Ordinances of Government)
- Qanun al-Wazarah (Laws regarding the Ministers)
- Kitab Nasihat al-Muluk (The Book of Sincere Advice to Rulers)
Qur'an
- Al-Nukat wa’l-ʿuyūn fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān popularly Tafsir al-Mawardi (6 volumes)
- Tafsiru al-Qur'an al-Karim
- Al Amtsaku wa Ak-Hikamu
Other
- Kitab Aadab al-Dunya w'al-Din (The Ethics of Religion and of this World)
- Personas of the Prophethood
See also
- List of Ash'aris
- Islamic scholars
- Nasîhatnâme
Appendix
References
- ^ IslamKotob. "Actions are by Intentions - إنما الأعمال بالنيات)". p. 32.
- ISBN 9789004104587.
- ^ Josef W. Meri (2006). Medieval Islamic Civilization: L-Z, index. Routledge. p. 486.
- ^ Gibril Fouad Haddad (2 May 2015). "Shaykh Abu al-Hassan al-Mawardi (362 AH - 448 AH, age 86 years old)". The Biographies of the Elite Lives of the Scholars, Imams & Hadith Masters. Zulfiqar Ayub. p. 200.
- ^ "About The Author". kitaabun.com.
- ^ a b c ICIMS 2023, p. 300
- ^ a b c d e ICIMS 2023, p. 301
- ^ Abul-Fazl Ezzati, The Spread of Islam: The Contributing Factors, ICAS Press (2002), p. 384
- ^ Library of Congress: Rules for Governing. accessed September 2016.
- ISBN 9789047420347.
- ^ a b c ICIMS 2023, p. 302
- ^ "Chapter 36: Al-Mawardi - A. Life And Works". al-islam.org.
- ^ Wan Naim Wan Mansor (2 November 2015). Abu Hasan Al-Mawardi: The First Islamic Political Scientist (PDF). p. 3.
- ^ "Hawi al-Kabir fi Fiqh al-Shafi'i 1/22 (from Lebanon)". amazon.com.
Bibliography
- Firman Dwi Alamsya; Muh. Nurrochim Maksum; Mohammad Zakki Azaki (2023). Triono Ali Mustofa; Syamsul Hidayat; Mohammad Zakki Azani; Muhammad Wildan Shohib (eds.). Implementation of Leadership According to Al-Marwadi's Perspective (Biography of Al-Marwadi). Proceedings of the International Conference on Islamic and Muhammadiyah Studies (ICIMS 2023). Atlantis Press SARL. pp. 300–302. ISBN 9782384761029.
- Mujahidin, Mujahidin (2017). "Konsep Iqtha' Pemberian Tanah Kepada Masyarakat Dalam Pemikiran Ekonomi Al-Mawardi (Studi Kitab Al-Ahkam Alsultaniyyah)" [Iqtha Concept of Giving Land to the Communityh in Economic Thinking of Al-Mawardi (Study of the Kitab Al-Ahkam Alsultaniyyah)]. Al Amwal Journal of Islamic Economic Law. 2 (1): 1–17. . Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ISBN 9786022508892. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
External links
- ABU AL-HASAN AL-MAWARDI
- Review of al-Ahkam as-Sultanniyah
- Works by or about Al-Mawardi at Internet Archive
- Kitab adab al-dunya wa-al-din, 1882, by Mward, Al ibn Muammad, 974?-1058
- Works by Al-Mawardi at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)