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" Closest in Friendship? Al-Jāhiz' Profile of Christians in Abbasid Society in “The Refutation of Christians” (“Al-Radd ‘alā al-Nasārā”) "
Nathan P. Gibson
Griffith, Sidney H.
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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803463
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| Doc. No
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TL48252
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| Call number
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1691345901; 3705692
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| Main Entry
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Temple, Walter S.
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| Title & Author
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Closest in Friendship? Al-Jāhiz' Profile of Christians in Abbasid Society in “The Refutation of Christians” (“Al-Radd ‘alā al-Nasārā”)\ Nathan P. GibsonGriffith, Sidney H.
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| College
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The Catholic University of America
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| Date
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2015
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| field of study
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Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures
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| student score
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2015
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| Page No
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262
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| Note
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Committee members: Talia, Shawqi N.; Valkenberg, Wilhelmus
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| Note
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Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-321-79020-7
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| Abstract
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Abbasid society in ninth-century Iraq faced the challenge of reconciling the role of its many non-Muslim citizens with Islamic norms and governance, as seen in “The Refutation of Christians” by al-Jahiz (d. 868/869 [255 A.H.]). Al-Jahiz moved in circles only one step removed from those of the Christian and Jewish intellectuals he came to criticize in the work, and he likely composed it just prior to Caliph al-Mutawakkil’s watershed reforms in non-Muslim policy. Thus, the “Refutation” is a primary source for understanding shifting Muslim sensibilities toward Christians’ societal role in a religiously diverse realm, but its polemic approach makes it problematic to analyze historically. This dissertation seeks to make “The Refutation of Christians” more accessible as a historical source by performing a contextual analysis of its argumentation. Al-Jahiz’ rhetorical strategy is to explain away factors behind popular Muslim preferences for Christians over Jews, and then to advance positive reasons for considering Christians more harmful than Jews. Argumentation analysis using the pragma-dialectical approach highlights salient social points at issue between Christians and Muslims of the time. First, al-Jahiz’ dispute is not directly with Christians, but with Muslims who show them too much respect and liberality. Second, he must reframe certain facts about Christians that are too generally accepted to contradict, including memories of Arabs’ pre-Islamic and early Islamic contacts with Christians, and Christian intellectuals’ crucial role in perpetuating Greek scientific works. He turns these favorable perceptions into liabilities, arguing that Christians’ intellectualism diverts weak Muslims from the faith and their social position violates Christian-Muslim agreements. Finally, in contrast to the jurists’ approach, he argues for enforcing the original intention of these agreements rather than trying to demonstrate specific historical stipulations. Al-Jahiz’ ideology aligns with al-Mutawakkil’s Qur'anically charged edicts, in that Christians, far from being “closest in friendship” (5:82), are those with whom believers must not make any alliance (5:51). As such, the “Refutation” reveals the battle lines between more lenient, popular Muslim attitudes and a stricter position promoted by al-Jahiz and enforced by al-Mutawakkil.
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| Subject
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Middle Eastern literature; Religious history; Middle Eastern history; Arabs; Academic discourse; Jews; Ideology; Argumentation; Attitudes; Greek language
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| Descriptor
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Language, literature and linguistics;Philosophy, religion and theology;Social sciences;Abbasid;Argumentation;Christians;Dhimmi;Jahiz;Muslims;Mutawakkil `Alá Allah, Caliph
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| Added Entry
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Griffith, Sidney H.
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| Added Entry
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Semitic and Egyptian Languages and LiteraturesThe Catholic University of America
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