Pluriel

University platform for research on Islam

Initiated by
the Federation
of European
Catholic
Universities

Supported by
the International
Federation
of Catholic
Universities

Publisher : Vrin -

French

2022
280

Heterodox and non-Muslim in the thought of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ġazālī

This study addresses the question of how to view and understand religious otherness from a Muslim perspective, in the light of one of its greatest thinkers. Starting from a questioning of the status of non-Muslims, the author shows that it is necessary to start from the divisions that marked the first Muslim community, particularly after the death of the Messenger of Islam. The phenomenon of fragmentation, divergence, ikhtilāf that crossed the centuries was far from satisfying the Muslims because the unity of the community remained the ideal to be achieved. However, at the time of al-Ġazālī (d. 505/1111), divisions increased, with their train of formidable social and political consequences. Anxious to overcome the conflicts between the legal and theological schools, al-Ġazālī was to develop an original and inclusive synthesis that neutralised the communitarian and exclusivist cut-off of certain Islamic schools and made it possible to integrate his co-religionists into the great project of Sunni Islam. The study shows that his approach is not without consequences in the status and the way he looks at non-Muslims, whether they are Jews, Christians, Buddhists, etc. Moreover, his thought allows the foundation of an Islamic theology of the other and of dialogue.

Cette étude aborde la question du regard et de la compréhension de l’altérité religieuse d’un point de vue musulman, à la lumière de l’un de ses plus grands penseurs. À partir d’un questionnement sur le statut des non musulmans, l’auteur montre qu’il est nécessaire de partir des divisions qui ont marqué la première communauté musulmane, particulièrement après la mort du Messager de l’islam. Le phénomène de fragmentation, de divergence, d’ikhtilāf qui traverse les siècles est loin de satisfaire les musulmans car l’unité de la communauté reste l’idéal à atteindre. Cependant, à l’époque d’al-Ġazālī (m. 505/1111), les divisions s’amplifient, avec leurs cortèges de conséquences sociales et politiques redoutables. Soucieux de dépasser les conflits entre les écoles juridiques et théologiques, al-Ġazālī va développer une synthèse originale et inclusiviste qui neutralise le couperet communautariste et exclusiviste de certaines écoles islamiques et permet d’intégrer ses coreligionnaires au grand projet de l’islam sunnite. L’étude montre que son approche n’est pas sans conséquence dans le statut et le regard qu’il porte sur les non musulmans, qu’ils soient juifs, chrétiens, bouddhistes, etc. Plus encore, sa pensée permet de fonder une théologie islamique de l’autre et du dialogue.

تتناولُ هذه الدراسة مسألة النظر إلى الإختلاف الديني وفهمه من وجهة نظر المسلمين، على ضوء واحدٍ من أكبر مفكريها. واستناداً إلى التفكير في وضع غير المسلمين، يبيّن المؤلف أنه من الضروري البدء من الانقسامات التي اتّسم بها المجتمع الإسلامي الأول، لا سيّما بعد وفاة رسول الإسلام. ولم تكن ظاهرة التفتت والاختلاف التي اجتاحت القرون مقبولة عند المسلمين، لأنّ وحدة المجتمع ظلّت هي النموذج الأعلى التي ينبغي تحقيقها. غير أنه في عهد الغزالي (ت 505 /1111)، ازدادت الانقسامات، وما صاحبها من عواقب اجتماعية وسياسية مروعة. ومن منطلق حرصه على التغلّب على الصراعات بين المذاهب الفقهية، سعى الغزالي إلى وضع تصورٍ تركيبي أصلي وشامل يعمل على نبذ النزعة الجماعويَّة والاقصائيّة لبعض المذاهب الإسلامية والسماح لإخوانه في الدين بالإندماج في المشروع الكبير للإسلام السني. الدراسة تظهر أن نهجه لا يخلو من العواقب فيما يتعلّق بالوضع والطريقة التي ينظر بها إلى غير المسلمين، سواءً كانوا يهوداً أو مسيحيين أو بوذيين، إلخ. فضلاً عن ذلك فإنّ توجهه هذا يسمح بتأسيس عقيدة الآخر في الإسلام وهيكل جديد للحوار.

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