The Zahiritic Ibn Hazm and his effect on the Andlusian society

Brief summary

Ibn Hazm represents an important and effective aspect in the history of the Islamic and human thinking in general and the Andlusian thinking in particular . He is one of the few jurists who were interested in scientific, political and economical projects- at the same time- to get his society out of its slip. Also he was one of the first people who faced the authority and domiation of the maliki school in ALAndalus, and called for liberating the political, scientific and judgment systems from some of their traditions. Consequently came Ibn Hazm,s call as a dominotion for a new creed in Andalus.”Zahiritic Creed” which depends on diligence and renewing. This creed had a wide spread and appealing during the rule of Mowhdien and that made them adopt it as a formal creed for their nation .

There were so many studies that dealt with Ibn Hazm. Some of these studies dealt with his character and literatures and some others dealt with his historcal,linguistic,philosophic, ideological and contraversial thoughts.

My choice for this subject has two reasons. First, none of the rerearchers has dealt with it before even if there were some attempts to study some issues in the Islamic and human thinking which were influenced by Ibn Hazm. The second is my ideological relation with him since I was in the 4th year of my university study. Which I wanted to make use of in a study about him so that I may achieve something new about him.

The word “ Zahiritic” with reference to his creed which was adopted after the Maliki and Shafei creeds, depends on the literal meaning if there,s no from the Quraan for example, nor from the sunnah. This zahiritic creed was used also if there was no agreement of the companions of the Prophet “peace be upon him” the Arabic language, the mind and speculation. Zahiritic creed doesn,t take - as some people might think- the literal meaning directly without understanding or seeking accuracy .

I, ve used “the effect” to mean the same as “the effort” as I haven.t found any positive effect for some opinions of Ibn Hazm. So , I satisfied by showing his opinion which came as an opposition to an issue in his time, and which represented a new way of thinking none of the Andalusians has preceded him to. I also used it with the meaning offollowing the others to the opinions of Ibn Hazm, and being affected with it. And this was the almost of my study which expanded to cover or include his effect between 5th and 8th centuries of Hijrah or from 11th to 14th century. But I focused on the 5th century which witnessed a ment of the zahiritic creed by Ibn hazm. Also I concentrated on the end of 6th century and the beginning of 7th century which witnessed flourishing of the zahiritic creed in general and that of Ibn Hazm in particular by must of the rulers of Almohades who adopted zahiritic creed as the formal creed- mazhab- especially in the time of ALMansour ALMowahidi.

One of the problems and difficulties which faced this research is that it depended firstly on books of jurisprudence and Islsmic groups and creed. So , it was necessary for the reseacher to know as much as he could about these creeds in addition to zahiritic creed so as to under stand the sources or foundations of each creed and reasons of disagreement between them, espcially maliki creed whose disagreement reached its at most with Ibn Hazm and his followers. This difficulty may be cleared if we know that this trend – the dependence on the books of crisis in the study of islamic history and Islamic civilization- is still one of the new and individual methods which hasn,t been settled yet in the egyption universities .

This difficulty is related to another one that is the attempt of revealing the advisory opinion which the researcher deals with on the historical reality . In order to understand this, the researcher had to study the history and civilization of the period in which the effect of Ibn Hazm came into view(brought out). The researcher did so also to be able to discuss the event and searching for its causes, its results negatively or positively through the historical reality becouse the period which the researcher dealt with was under the maliki creed” the most different creed from Ibn Hazm in Andalus.” This obliged the researcher to study some of the events of maliki jurists who were in touch with Ibn Hazm and his books through arguments or so in order to detect the effect of Ibn Hazm on them in spite of their opposition to him, and all this was obviously difficult as all know. From the difficulties also, most of the scientists and jurists of the period of the study were malikite, so it wasn,t easy to clarify the effect of Ibn Hazm .

As for the method followed in the study, it is the inductive analytic method which aims to analyse the political event and the advisory opinion and returning it back to its roots and motivations. I also got help from the critical method in discussing the different historical narratives and juristic opinions to give preponderance for a narrative on another or on opinion on another according to the foundations and the sources which show that.

The researcher depended on a various list of sources and references such as books of events, history , layers, groups, geography, language and others.

I divided this study into on introduction, a preface and four chapters. The introduction dealt with the most important resources and reference books. I also showed in it the studies that dealt with Ibn Hazm and the method used in it. The preface included a brief summary to the political, economical, scientific and religious conditions of the society in Andalus in the time of I bn Hazm and their effect on his thinking. Chapter one is entitled” ibn Hazm,s life, origins and his zahiritic creed” It dealt with the origins of Ibn Hazm and his bringing up from on analytical and critical point of view. Then it dealt with the sources of his culture and his scientific formation, the history of adopting this zahiritic creed and its reasons, his effects to spread his creed, his scientific writings and their semantics on his mind and efforts made in it .

The secand chapter is entitled Ibn Hazm influence on the political and economical conditions it is concerned with the study of Ibn Hazm attitude towards Elkhelafa ELAndalusia and its declin, his intelectual and practical efforts to restore its glory, his sight to the religious emirates under Elkhelafa ELAndalusia like the ministery, the emirate,judiciary and consultation and the new which he presented in each , his influence on the andalusia ,society, also it tackles the relationship Ibn Hazm and his age governors, Elkhelafa, twaef Rings and knowings who walk behind them and at last Ibn Hazm influence on the economical statutes and his efforts to improve them especially agrieulture and commerce.

The third chapter which is entitled under Ibn Hazm sight to the social and scientific the study of Ibn Hazm attitude twards the social life in Andalus, slaves and women and the new opinions which he presented for each of them and the reaction against these opinions. In addition, Ibn Hazm influence on the educational system in Andalus, The new which he presented and the reaction and the attitude of malikia jurists towards that .

The fourth chapter which is entitled Ibn Hazm attitude towards the islamic groups and free-non moslems is concerning Ibn Hazm efforts in confronting the islamic groups and their ideas, which oppose Ahl elsuna ideas by arguing their knowings, writing books in reply for them . the same speaking with free-non moslems ,jews ,christians and the influence of his arguments on the Andalusians from Ahl-elsuna and on the followings of the Islamic groups and free-non moslems .

The end of this study contains the results which I reached . the most important of them are that Ibn Hazm was Persian and his scientific life started when he was still a young child of about five or six years . He started his secturian life with Maliki creed then Shafei then Zahiritic creed on which he settled till death.
The readings of Ibn Hazm were not confined with religious sciences but also included all sciences which were famous in his time either they were mental or traditional . his zahiritic creed is one of the basics of a complete project which aims to improve the declining andalusian society .His lolyality to the Ummayads was of love and gratefulness for the rol they played in spreading Islam in Andalus. His loyality also wasn,t based on fantacism. Ibn Hazm was one of the first scientist who pointed out the dangers of the christian movement against Islam- in Andalus.He did his best in developing and renewing the educational system in Andalus. He preceded Ibn –Khaldon in the concept of philosophy of history. Also he was one of the first Andalusians who succeeded in rooting the study of the groups and religions in Andalus.

Finally the research showed some important facts about social life in Andalus through books of events(FiQh) which have never been discussued before such as “the devil adorers” , “the temporary” and “Khula- which is divorce upon the desire of the woman” All these things show the great importance of FiQh books in the study of Islamic History.