Collection Individu et société dans le monde méditerranéen musulman Individual and Society in the Mediterranean Muslim World Directrice de la collection : Randi DEGUILHEM Directeur du programme de recherche : Robert ILBERT Déja paru Parvles d'Istam Individus, sociétés et discours dans islam européen con emporain Islamic Words Individuals, Societies and Discaurse in Contemporary Etropean Islam Dirige parirected by Felice Dasseto Note, ‘Les points de vue présentés dans ect ouvrage n’engagent gue leis auteurs, Authors are solely responsible for the points of view presented their articles, Conversions islamiques Identités religieuses en Islam méditerranéen Islamic Conversions Religious Identities in Mediterranean Islam irigé par / directed by Mercedes Garefa-Arenal Maisonneuve et Larose European Science Foundation 220Camilla ADANG From Malikism to Shafi'ism to Zahirism: the “conversions” of Ibn Hazm' Although Thhave yet to uncover a source, primary or secondary, which unequivocally says s0,'it is proibiy correct to say that every Muslim is born into the madhhab (school of law) to whieh his father belongs which, in tum, is often geographically determined ~ and that i is according tothe practices of this maavab that he will be raised. Most “Muslims remain loyal t0 the madlhhab in which they grew up. Occasionally, however, ‘one reals of inviduas, mostly legal scholars who exchange thelr “native” mada for another school of law.” This type of transition, which may be termed as “intraIslamic conversion”, forms the topic of this study. Although a move from one madhhab to 1. Resear fr the xy 98 cred out nthe Departamento de Fstaion Arahes ofthe Consejo Spero de Investigacones Clete ta Mali within the franewark of «project cored [MIT Per. Tthank my olengues a the Conse and he pacpante athe worse conversion or thee commen, 2°The allen” by Kamal (198) provides ile fal ifm abo the means hy which fone acules membership in «adh. Tees, there sno ey the Eeyore of lam or mi "This change, nig nin maa ld mada, ob tingid ro iar whieh be oh teoroming of views fom aot legal schol. Betwen the four "erthodon” reo, ete Hana [I SRA a Hanbal, hs ter practi, perhaps grodgingly. lowedm4 (Con /eRSIONS IsLAMQUES another isnot, sticty speaking, a conversion in the formal ser, i seems thatthe mechanisms tht are at workin an internal conversion are sina to those operative in conversion from one religion to another, for example, from Christianity to Islan, although there are apparently no formulae or ites of passage narking the wanton between madhhabs andthe “convert” remains within the fld of Islam. In both cases, that i of intereigous and inareligions conversion, the mative can be “pute” (le conversion out of conviction thatthe newly chosen way is ete tn he one adhered previously) or “ulterior” (Le. prompted by external factors suc a8 social pressure, expectations of economic or political advancement, tc). And ju as there Were Jews and Cuisans who sought to improve their lot by convertig 0 t3e dominant religion, Muslims belonging toa madhhab which dd not enjoy any put ar pivileges could be seen transferring to another madlhab tat did enjoy the favour othe rle or the local establishment “The biographical dictionaries of classical Islam whic document such cases of inrafslamie conversion rarely speciy the reasons for this tation, n some cases, though, one lars that the motives for this step wete ulterior: someone might move fromm Shaf'ism to Malikism in order to qualify for the judgestip of certain city AAn example ofthis és Wajih alin al-WAsi (4612/1213), inkally a Hanbal jurist who fist converted to Hanafism and then moved to SMA sn a8 1 be eligible or 4 postion athe exclusively Shif'! Nizdmiyya college in Bs ghdad. His repeated switching of mada was ertcsed by one of hi students fn a pect which, in George Makdis's translation, reads 38 follows: ‘Who'll take this message to Wajih Even if it does no good? First you're Hanbali, then you're Hanafi, Is it because you have no food? ‘Then you're a Shaft, not from piety, Simply to get that vacancy ‘And there's no doubt that soon you'l be, Mark well my words, a Maliki However, there were also cases in which conversion wa. clearly a matter of ‘conviction or in which it was discontent with the practice and teachings of one’s “native” madhhab that motivated the change. As an illustration, we shall use the 4. Asa Palacios, 1927. pp. 13ST: “Eat wast de wn ec juries 4a mo tee en ella a trscendenla de una convesin dogmdtis cambio de onfesrelgie: texans as son ‘onsieradas po los musoimanes como vaiedaes aceidetnes dentro cela ertedoua [1 Tost Imai dbidament rearado para formar prs i andado en matt a dit merales es, ann ire de nop una eae joe S"eeovit,n his book (108) acces examples of SRI turning towards the MA, Han of nat mai: pp 27,44, 80 1,102, 199.738; of « Half the tna schol pp 8,105 fan of ¢ MUL who Ica a HSI: p71, Only Tate later case wane meee mt metoned By ‘sonal ambien {© Maks 1990p. SK Maki ale ves am example ofthe Hanal clelUkPor (61/1219) he anon refed to change mae when approached hy repent ves fe Niemi.“ Pro ter a ares wit his view when she states tha on Har’ sdoton of Zaron set he ‘seen as a reaction against the situation in al-Andalus." [As we have sen, the seeds of Zhiism may have been Sown in Ibn Hem’ tind at relatively early age by his teacher, Ton Mac Tec, known f Tbe Hosa had any otber Zahn maces besides him. The two either ep Intouch hago the years or renewed their contact when Ibm Harm became intereved ta jtspradence, tn any case, someuhere inthe period SIBI027-025/103T te ae teaching side by side Inthe Gremt Mosgue of Cordoba whore they apprcnly atacted a great many cager listeners. For Ibn Hazm tis was an oops to propagate Zahirsm and to stemp to gin “converts the machheb te he sel tad chosen over Malikism and Shifiom, Justa In his dsputitons with ews nod Christians where he sought to convince them of the tnth Islam sce he Considered it be the one te religion for ll mankind ard el tha it was de to cal people to accep its message likewise, in it pitations wih elo Muslims, Ibn Hazm atempted to persuade them of be siperirty of 2a Meats over Mlikism and other systems, of text-based pthc over mre tg ‘The greatest issue which seems, moe than anything ee to have set the fais apart from the Maliki, a well the Sha" Tor that mater was appten he Che 1 fee mck $9 hl oh 88, Simm pfs 52 At times, had even ed ht to diapree withthe views of he nao te ZAM mad, ‘io afin. See fbn Klin, 14131995, 9334 From MALakisi 10 1 M4 To ZANE 8 “Zahins’ total rejection of giys." Ton Hazm had even writen a tact entitled Toga al-Qivds, in which he denies the validity of analogical reasoning. Needless to say, the Zahiis' different choice of and approach to the ws al-igh had consequences in the ‘development of furi’, Le. positive law. A full comparison of Iba Hazm's views with those of the Malikis will show to what extent his concems differed from those of his milieu and wil help assess the challenge that his views constituted.” Some Cordoban Milikis were so woried that they complained to the municipal authorities. Asa result ‘of these complaints, Ibn Muflit and Ibn Hazm were banned from the mosque and several of their disciples were imprisoned or tortured. Not satisfied with these measures, one Cordoban fagih persuaded Caliph Hishim TI al-Mu'tadd (reigned 418/1027-422/1031) to intervene. The caliph forbade Tha Mufit and Ibn Hazm to teach Zahirism, which virally forced thet to retreat from public ie.” ‘A new period of wanderings now began. In 430/1038, Ton Hazm found refuge on the fale of Majorca where be was warmly welcomed by the governor, Ibn Rashi (d. after 4440/1048), himself an intellectual." Apparently, Ibn Rashiq gave him free rein to [ropagate Zahirism, possibly after Tha Hazm had impressed him in a disputation in which the defeated his Maliki opponent, Abii "Walid b,al-Barya.” He soems to have been quite successful not only in gaining new Zahirs," but also in defeating his Maliki {nerlociors and putting them to shame. The Malkis perceived thelr own position a $0 desperate that they appealed to a formidable Maliki scholar, Aba “Walid al-Baji, to come tothe rescue.” A series of disputations took place between the two men, While the local Maliki had been no match for Ibn Hazm, this time he could not prevail over bis ‘opponent, a skilled dalectician who had studied law and theology inthe East, Asa result, ln Hazm left or was forced to leave the island. He retured 1 the estate of his family near Huelva in southwestern al-Andalus where, in isolation, he continved to defend his “ahirt views in numerous writings. Ton Hayy states that Tn Hazm's books were bumed at the orders ofthe king of Seville. Iti almost certain tha this was not so much for their Contents ~ although they must have been objectionable enough to any Maliki ~ but rather {or personal and political reasons, He died in 456/1064, lamented only by his family and the few converts whom he himself had been able to make, 53. Ths may ao be onl om fr in wc ha Rs a 521125 sth wie ‘wally hove espeable an pos man who profess Zab cies md eject he tae of gd al ‘cumstances eanot be aceped asa wie Sic be comple rection fai i trenmont a bids {enaceptale movation) Se Ton Rush, 140771987 Il pp. 1435-442. Alea see Fiero, 1996, P-A1¥ “La exoelnZahit ho sido cote sxpecoea de Hetero pr strech de un de Ine Fundamenos el dre Stam coment aonying a's mj fa work, Ks alah. 58 Thee cre we led in an onpublied marwerp emtly abe to QS yi ined in ‘sina, 1927p. 1 56 Ont Rac oe LDS, 'REIRRS, 40.166 5. Sct al Abbi. 187, o. 46, $28 no. 2027p. 17; QS yd, MOINS, VIN pS, 5. Tn aL Ae entiont ceain Absa Al, Mia wh a steno on Hart's ad who ‘ws he mre craig fan fhan mic, Ante let wat At Haan “A aA ser 41/107) seme hemi of on Tam ise a It Ma fort Aa Fas Se ‘Nowsinaol iser Palen, 19159, 27,198, 5 Seema A, 4, 43, pT QTY. MOOR, VI pp. 117 (4. QU, a8, IT, 123 fore a a 8 a yh oe ail iu a a in cm wri ‘on Meigen trent the cnt fh spose on eam ‘2B maybe ound Tah 197. Tas weed yea ass a or A ae kr an B's al fn oT ln ces eee wrk a Bi 986).a Con versions IsLanngus Concluding remarks iczraphical detonaries provide much information about hit activites as ¢ sore Fotuican and polemicist. The fact that he was a controvesia gue helps explo {he interest on the part ofthe compilers. Nevertheless, the nur ierous soutees oe Alsposal do not give a clear picture of the events which ‘madhhabs twice. The only thing that is clear and beyond pre atszm’s “conversions” was prompted by a deste for s0°ial advancement op Since it was the Maliki madhhab that was favoun d by the rulers of al nie the Shif's and the Zahirs were at best toler ed, First defending magAm and, subsequently, Zahittsm, in his notoriously aguressive way. eoared thn Hazm nothing but trouble. One should therefore look for ther expansions, 4 Ser ce ttelletual stimulation deliberate rebellion against 1m oppressive system nor a conviction thatthe madhhabs chosen were indeed serio to Maliens™ ‘Tie case study presented inthis research ralses a numberof questions with e seve general relevance, What are the boundaries of a madhlia? Hew docs one cone ra fe A member of one particular school? What act or expressiors mark the uanetiog {rom one madhhab to another? As Giovanna Calasso puts i In her convenient {Rt ook: “La conversion Gqulvaut au franchissement une fiomtire (-), Mats on {es frontires se placent-elles et comment ls franchiton ™" -" How eas tach Trenton perceived by the ouside community and how did tis community tact? irarengmgatlons are best addressed ina separate study based or a broader surple of eae, Uy (197. 484) wei tne de edema er cts pet een ations de x debe dptcnc de Male gare arias sata a Zac (bt wo poids {2Cat yp IF PRoM MAtaxisM To SHAR‘ To ZAniIsM 85 Bibliography ‘ABO Zanita M., bn Hazm. Haydtuh wa-‘asruh wa drduh wa-fighuh, Cairo, Dar al Fikr al’Arabi, n.d ALARCON M, and A. GonzALez PALENCIA, “Apéndice a la edicién Codera de la “Teemila’ de Aben cl-Abbar", Miscelénea de Estudios y Textos Arabes, Madrid, ImprentaThérica/E. Maste, 1915, pp. 147-650 ARNALDEZ R...Grammaire et théologie chez Ibn Harm de Cordoue. 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Nazrinat ama wa moni l-babih, Arman, -Ma'had a Alan ILE alam, Lay ae