Abu’l Husayn al-Basri
Encyclopedia
Abu'l-Husayn al-Basri was a Mu'tazili
te faqih
(expert in Islamic jurisprudence). He wrote al-Mu'tamid fi usul l-fiqh, a major source of influence in the field of usul
until Razi's Mahsul.
He was a physician
as well as a disciple of the Qadi Abd al-Jabbar in Rey
. He challenged some of his master’s teaching and eventually compiled a huge (two volumes; 1500 pages) critical review of the arguments and proofs used in Islamic Scholastic Theology
. This he summarised in al Mu'tamad "The Reliable". He including a critique of the qualifications a scholar of Islamic law needed to practice. His theological
works were generally handed down among students of medicine
and it was a century before his teaching was revived and espoused by the Mu'tazili
scholar Mahmud b. al-Malahimi in Khorezm in Central Asia
where they gained recognition as a school of Mu'tazili
theology
.
Mu'tazili
' is an Islamic school of speculative theology that flourished in the cities of Basra and Baghdad, both in present-day Iraq, during the 8th–10th centuries. The adherents of the Mu'tazili school are best known for their having asserted that, because of the perfect unity and eternal nature of God,...
te faqih
Faqih
A Faqīh is an expert in fiqh, or, Islamic jurisprudence.A faqih is an expert in Islamic Law, and, as such, the word Faqih can literally be generally translated as Jurist.- The definition of Fiqh and its relation to the Faqih:...
(expert in Islamic jurisprudence). He wrote al-Mu'tamid fi usul l-fiqh, a major source of influence in the field of usul
Usul
In Ottoman classical music, usul is an underlying rhythmic cycle that complements the melodic rhythm and sometimes helps shape the overall structure of a composition. An usul can be as short as two beats or as long as 128 beats. Usul is often translated as "meter", but usul and meter are not...
until Razi's Mahsul.
He was a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
as well as a disciple of the Qadi Abd al-Jabbar in Rey
Rey, Iran
Rey or Ray , also known as Rhages and formerly as Arsacia, is the capital of Rey County, Tehran Province, Iran, and is the oldest existing city in the province....
. He challenged some of his master’s teaching and eventually compiled a huge (two volumes; 1500 pages) critical review of the arguments and proofs used in Islamic Scholastic Theology
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
. This he summarised in al Mu'tamad "The Reliable". He including a critique of the qualifications a scholar of Islamic law needed to practice. His theological
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
works were generally handed down among students of medicine
Islamic medicine
In the history of medicine, Islamic medicine, Arabic medicine or Arabian medicine refers to medicine developed in the Islamic Golden Age, and written in Arabic, the lingua franca of Islamic civilization....
and it was a century before his teaching was revived and espoused by the Mu'tazili
Mu'tazili
' is an Islamic school of speculative theology that flourished in the cities of Basra and Baghdad, both in present-day Iraq, during the 8th–10th centuries. The adherents of the Mu'tazili school are best known for their having asserted that, because of the perfect unity and eternal nature of God,...
scholar Mahmud b. al-Malahimi in Khorezm in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
where they gained recognition as a school of Mu'tazili
Mu'tazili
' is an Islamic school of speculative theology that flourished in the cities of Basra and Baghdad, both in present-day Iraq, during the 8th–10th centuries. The adherents of the Mu'tazili school are best known for their having asserted that, because of the perfect unity and eternal nature of God,...
theology
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
.
Sources
- Madelung, W and Schmidtke, S (eds) Abu-I-Husayn al-Basri's Mu'tazili Theology among the Karaites in the Fatimid Age BRILL Amsterdam September 2006 ISBN 900415177X