Al-Iji’s ‘al-Mawaqif’ in the Indian Subcontinent
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐐𝐚̄𝐝𝐢 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐝 𝐚𝐥-𝐃𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥-𝐈𝐣𝐢̄'𝐬 '𝐚𝐥-𝐌𝐚𝐰𝐚̄𝐪𝐢𝐟' 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭
Qādi Aḍud al-dīn al-Ījī’s renowned work, ‘al-Mawāqif fī ‘ilm al-kalām’, and its accompanying commentaries emerged as pivotal texts within the Sunnī madrasa curriculum from the fourteenth century CE onwards. At its core, the ‘Mawāqif’ embodies what scholars have termed the ‘Avicennisation of kalām’, representing a fusion of Islamic theology with elements of Avicennian philosophy. However, delving deeper, it also underscores a staunch adherence to classical Ashʿarī theological principles while engaging in rigorous debate with foundational philosophical positions. Despite its incorporation of philosophical terminology and concepts, the ‘Mawāqif’ remains firmly rooted in the tradition of Ashʿarī kalām, presenting a comprehensive exploration of key themes in Islamic intellectual history.
Following the passing of Qādi ʿAḍud al-Dīn al-Ījī (d. 756/1355), his monumental work, Kitāb al-mawāqif fī ʿilm al-kalām, experienced limited readership in Muslim South Asia for nearly two centuries. This trend persisted well into the late tenth/sixteenth century, despite the widespread influence of commentaries by scholars like al-Sayyid al-Sharīf al-Jurjānī (d. 816/1413) and Muhaqqiq Jalāl al-Dīn al-Dawānī (d. 907/1501) on other texts in the region. Notably, al-Jurjānī's commentary and al-Dawānī's subsequent gloss on it remained less well-known, despite their broader scholarly contributions which had garnered interest among South Asian intellectuals within a century of al-Dawānī's passing.
𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐳𝐚̄ 𝐉𝐚̄𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐞
Initially, among the earliest South Asian scholars to produce glosses on al-Jurjānī's commentary were those linked to Mirzā Jān's lineage, with a common connection being ʿAbd al-Salām al-Dīwī of Awadh (d. 1040/1630). This lineage extended to scholars like ʿAbd al-Ḥakīm al-Siyālkūtī (d. 1067/1656) and, a generation later, to Quṭb al-Dīn al-Sihālawī (d. 1102/1691), a pivotal figure in the renowned Farangī Maḥallī tradition. Both scholars penned glosses on al-Jurjānī's commentary, influenced by Mirzā Jān but not directly on Mirzā Jān's gloss.
𝐀 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲
Another notable figure, Amānallāh al-Banārasī (d. 1132 or 1133/1720 or 1721), a student of Quṭb al-Dīn al-Sihālawī, also contributed a gloss on al-Jurjānī's commentary. This flourishing engagement in the eleventh/seventeenth century reflects broader global trends in Mawāqif studies, spurred by Mīr Zāhid al-Harawī's gloss on al-Jurjānī's commentary.
𝐌𝐢̄𝐫 𝐙𝐚̄𝐡𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐥-𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢̄'𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐰𝐚̄𝐪𝐢𝐟
As a pupil of Mullā Muḥammad Yūsuf, who himself studied under Mirzā Jān al-Shīrāzī, al-Harawī's gloss profoundly influenced subsequent South Asian interest in the Mawāqif. Subsequently, nearly every South Asian work on the Mawāqif became a supergloss on Mīr Zāhid al-Harawī's commentary. Out of 29 South Asian engagements with the Mawāqif identified, 22 were glosses on al-Harawī's work, demonstrating its pervasive impact on Mawāqif scholarship in the region.
𝐐𝐚̄𝐝𝐢 𝐚𝐥-𝐈̄𝐣𝐢̄'𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦
The author of the renowned Mawāqif is also the extraordinary mind behind al-‘Aqā’id al-‘Aḍudīyyah, a cornerstone work in classical Asharism.
Here at Khairabadi Institute, we're excited about our course on al-‘Aqā’id al-‘Aḍudīyyah. This course delves deep into the text while highlighting areas where the Maturidi and Ashari schools differ, providing a well-rounded understanding for all students.
LINK TO AL-AQAID AL-ADUDIYYAH COURSE
