Islam Seen through the Work of Aziz al-Azmeh
Abstract
Published in Arabic in issue 50 (2024) of Islamochristiana (PISAI, released in April 2025), this essay by Wasim Salman, president of PISAI and director of the journal, examines the relationship between political power and Islam in the work of the Syrian historian and sociologist Aziz al-Azmeh, professor emeritus at Central European University.
From Islams and Modernities (1993) to The Emergence of Islam in Late Antiquity (2014), al-Azmeh has developed a resolutely non-essentialist reading of Islam: in his view, Islam is neither a monolithic bloc nor a fixed essence dictating the conduct of Muslims once and for all, but a set of diverse historical traditions in constant evolution, shaped by relations of power and by successive imperial configurations. He offers a symmetrical critique of Islamist discourse (which treats Islam as an absolute political programme) and of Western culturalism (which reduces Arab societies to an alleged religious backwardness).
Salman gives an account of this approach and asks what it implies for a contemporary Muslim theology capable of distinguishing religion from power, and for Christian-Muslim dialogue, by highlighting the way Islam has been articulated, from its very origins, with changing political frameworks.
Issue 50 (2024) of Islamochristiana, co-edited by Wasim Salman and David Marshall, is devoted to Jerusalem (an eleven-essay file) and gathers, in addition, several free studies including the present one.
Further details on the PISAI journal page.
Résumé
Publié en arabe dans le numéro 50 (2024) de la revue Islamochristiana (PISAI, paru en avril 2025), cet essai de Wasim Salman, président du PISAI et directeur de la revue, examine la relation entre pouvoir politique et islam dans l’œuvre de l’historien et sociologue syrien Aziz al-Azmeh, professeur émérite à la Central European University.
Depuis Islams and Modernities (1993) jusqu’à The Emergence of Islam in Late Antiquity (2014), al-Azmeh a construit une lecture non essentialiste de l’islam : à ses yeux, l’islam n’est ni un bloc monolithique ni une essence figée dictant de tout temps les conduites des musulmans, mais un ensemble de traditions historiques diverses en évolution constante, façonnées par les rapports de pouvoir et les configurations impériales successives. Il critique symétriquement le discours des islamistes (qui font de l’islam un programme politique absolu) et celui des culturalistes occidentaux (qui réduisent les sociétés arabes à une prétendue arriération religieuse).
Salman rend compte de cette démarche et en interroge les enjeux pour une théologie musulmane contemporaine capable de distinguer religion et pouvoir, ainsi que pour le dialogue islamo-chrétien, en éclairant la manière dont l’islam a été historiquement articulé, dès ses origines, à des cadres politiques changeants.
Le numéro 50 (2024) d’Islamochristiana, codirigé par Wasim Salman et David Marshall, est consacré à Jérusalem (dossier de onze essais) et rassemble en outre plusieurs études libres, dont celle-ci.
Pour en savoir plus, voir la page de la revue sur le site du PISAI.
ملخّص
يظهر هذا المقال، المكتوبُ بالعربية أصلًا، في العدد 50 (2024) من مجلّة Islamochristiana (المعهد البابويّ للدراسات العربية والإسلامية، PISAI، صدر في أبريل/نيسان 2025). فيه يتناول وسيم سلمان، رئيسُ المعهد ومديرُ المجلّة، العلاقةَ بين السلطة السياسية والإسلام في أعمال المؤرّخ وعالم الاجتماع السوريّ عزيز العظمة، الأستاذ الفخريّ في جامعة أوروبا الوسطى.
منذ كتاب Islams and Modernities (1993) وصولًا إلى The Emergence of Islam in Late Antiquity (2014)، شيّد العظمة قراءةً غيرَ ماهويّة للإسلام: فالإسلام في نظره ليس كتلةً واحدة ولا جوهرًا ثابتًا يُملي على المسلمين سلوكَهم في كلّ زمانٍ ومكان، بل هو مجموعةٌ من التقاليد التاريخية المتنوّعة والمتغيّرة باستمرار، تصوغها موازينُ القوى والتشكيلاتُ الإمبراطورية المتعاقبة. ويوجّه المؤلّف نقدًا متوازيًا لخطاب الإسلاميين، الذين يجعلون من الإسلام برنامجًا سياسيًّا مطلقًا، ولخطاب الثقافويّين الغربيين الذين يختزلون المجتمعات العربية في تخلّفٍ دينيّ مزعوم.
يعرض سلمان هذه المقاربة ويتساءل عن آفاقها: بالنسبة إلى لاهوتٍ إسلاميّ معاصر قادرٍ على التمييز بين الدين والسلطة من جهة، وبالنسبة إلى الحوار الإسلاميّ المسيحيّ من جهة أخرى، من خلال إبراز الطريقة التي انتظم بها الإسلامُ منذ نشأته الأولى في أطرٍ سياسيةٍ متبدّلة.
يشترك وسيم سلمان مع ديفيد مارشال في إدارة العدد 50 (2024) من Islamochristiana المكرَّس للقدس (ملفّ من أحد عشر بحثًا)، والذي يتضمّن كذلك عددًا من الدراسات المستقلّة، ومنها هذا المقال.
لمزيد من المعلومات، انظر صفحة المجلّة على موقع PISAI.
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