The theory of the unity of God in al-Juwaynī's al-Irshād

Yazarlar

Özet

The conception of the unity of God in al-Juwayni, one of the latest thinkers in the early Islamic kalam, is the subject of this thesis. Al-Juwayni, though an Ash'arite thinker was quite often open to Mu'tazilite thought, particularly that of Abu Hashim al-Jubba'i. He was also influenced by the philosophers. With al-Juwayni the kalam's theory of the unity of God reached its ultimate resolution. That is to say, the theory of the unity of God was based on specific epistemological grounds, in the early period of the kalam. It had assumed its shape, and was therefore open to the possibility for establishing a new approach to the unity of God in the ontological sense. The first chapter deals with the long historical debate about the unity of God. It introduces many aspects of al-Juwayni's thought, and touches on how al-Juwayni proceeding from an Ash'arite background adopted many of the Mu'tazilite's themes, in its Basrian branch. The second chapter analyzes the theory of al-Juwayni on these issues and shows his contribution to the notion of the unity of God in his book al-Irshad. The third is a conclusion which throws light on the possibilities opened by al-Juwayni to approaching the unity of God from different ontological angles. Such possibilities had, infact, emerged in al-Juwaynis thinking when he began to use different concepts, particularly in his book al-'Aqidah al-Nizamiyah. Thus after he provided in al-Irshad that God is existence itself, he generally avoided using the terms atoms and accidents. Instead, he viewed the universe as two kinds, necessary Being and possible beings. In this context the attributes of God as aspects of His essence would play a different ontological role, comprehended in the term al-takhsid s.