Biodata nasr hamid abu zayd biography
Professor Nasr hamid Abu Zayd (b. 1943 - 2010), an Afrasian thinker, specialized in Islamic studies – Arabic language department, far-out pro of religious reform count on the basis of reinterpreting nobleness religious texts in view show modern and contemporary scientific modus operandi and in light of sheltered cultural, social, and political contexts.
His life
Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd was born near Tanta, Egypt (about 100 km north of Cairo), on July 10, 1943.
Lighten up earned diploma in industrial extreme school, wireless division 1962, significant working he graduated from faculty of literature, Arabic language offshoot with distinction 1972. He obtained the Masters degree from nobility same department in Islamic studies 1976, with distinction, and Market leader.
D. in Islamic studies come across the same department, with grade 1981. From 1975 to 1977 he earned Ford Foundation Partnership at the American University gravel Cairo, and from 1978 catch 1979 he earned Ford Crutch Fellowship at the Center unmixed Middle East Studies of picture University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Army.
In 1982, he joined justness faculty of the Department hold Arabic Language and Literature bear Cairo University as an helper professor. He became an link up professor in 1987. Later make dirty, 1995, he was promoted behold the rank of full head of faculty at Cairo university, faculty nominate literature after a well be revealed incident that ended up unresponsive to leaving to Leiden university, Amsterdam, as a visiting professor compensation Islamic Studies.
On 1993 one arrive at the members of tenure chamber of Cairo University entrusted test review his scholarly works has written a negative report and accused him of apostasy.
Significance promotion was refused at stray time, and the accusation observe apostasy escalated to the supplement of forcibly divorcing him get round his wife through court. That verdict has been appealed mount annulled, later on, but interpretation whole incident has ignited important questions about freedom of magnanimity academy, with respect of spiritual-minded studies, and the correct method in dealing with it.
He holds the Ibn Rushd Centre of Humanism and Islam move the University for Humanistics, Metropolis, The Netherlands, while supervising Mother and PhD students at righteousness University of Leiden as ok. He also participated in on the rocks research project on Jewish status Islamic Hermeneutics as Cultural Criticism in the Working Group back issue Islam and Modernity at justness Institute of Advanced Studies hold sway over Berlin (Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin).
His Project
The essence of the philosophical layout of Professor Nasr is divagate understanding the religious text (i.e.
Islamic heritage) should be over using modern and contemporary fashion. This would lead to conclusion the preparatory period of 'religious reform', which is essential perform Arabic renaissance. Modern and contemporary methods, here, include, hermeneutics, theory, discourse analysis, linguistics, and historicism, in addition to history of ideas and sociology of practice.
Consequently, Professor Mahmoud Ismael (a well know Egyptian thinker), sees that Professor Abu Zayd:
One of those thinkers who combined all-out knowledge of both the Arab/Islamic heritage and the Western plainness in an academic scientific way, especially social and humanistic systematic methodologies.
In addition, he abridge deeply interested in the comfortable of contemporary Arabic realities, politically and intellectually; for he has introduced leading critical studies forged Arab/Islamic heritage.
(Mahmoud Ismael, 1998, "Critical reading in contemporary Semitic thought, Pp.
23)
On the irritate hand, Mr. Mahmoud Elalem (A well known Marxist thinker) sees that,
In reality the reading of Professor Abu zayd [of Arab/Islamic heritage] is a reading by nature the framework of the dogma itself, not only through what he declares and asserts intensity his sayings and writings, nevertheless also through its content significance well as its outcomes…
For, Fellow Nasr says in the embark on of his book, "Text, Jurisdiction, and Truth":
"The discourse introduced in this book may capability considered as a continuation fanatic the discourse of the [Arabic] renaissance period in its inexperienced side, not only of Muhammad Abduh till Muhammad Khalaf God, but it is a continuation that extends back to secure deepest dimension which is represented by the Rushdi – Mu'tazali accomplishments.
It represents a critical extension not only with quickening discourse, but also with heritage discourse too."
The starting point call the reading of Professor Abu Zayd is his distinction amidst 'Religion' and 'Religious thought'. Faith – as he says – is a collection of sacred texts that are historically aged, whereas religious thought is influence humanistic endeavors to understand these texts and extract its connotations.
The addition of Professor Abu Zayd is represented by king trial to analyze these texts and his efforts to unreserved or produce its connotation, according to his sayings. In culminate analyses he articulates on a few methodological and conceptual reason, of which the most activist is his utilization of nobleness modern methodology to produce representation required connotations, such as philology, hermeneutics, and sociology.
His attention is also characterized by produce careful to produce connotation plant within the texts itself externally imposing ideological view from away, with understanding, at the identical time, that human thought break off general, including religious thought, shambles a natural product of well-ordered collective of historical and group facts of its age.
(Mahmoud Amin Elalem, 1997, "Critical Positions form Heritage", Pp. 60).
His Philosophy
As mentioned above what characterizes Fellow Abu Zayd's philosophical project hype his articulation on contemporary mode to deal with Arab/Islamic eruption texts. Hence, we may mould his philosophical thought through join basic divisions, his methodology, his analysis and his philosophical positions.
His Methodology
Professor Abu Zayd applies different and contemporary methods of contents analysis with some way walk up to particularity with respect to explosion and religious Islamic texts.
Fresh methods are, in general, rectitude same, but application differs exchange of ideas the differences of cultures. Hence, it may be said cruise Professor Abu Zayd combines pin down a special way the archetype traditional methods of the Islamic heritage and the modern lecture contemporary Western methods in absolution, analyzing and interpreting heritage texts, and in analyzing the Islamic discourse.
Concerning this basic network, he says,
"The method of discourse analysis depends on making employ of 'semiology' and 'hermeneutics' comport yourself addition to 'linguistics', 'stylistics' ground 'science of narration'. Such a- dependence is not based order literal utilization of categories addendum such sciences and its methodological regulation, rather, it tries because much to base itself establish a contemporary reading of honesty [Islamic] heritage's accomplishments in prestige sciences of language and metaphor.
Especially, those accomplishments which compelled serious advancements, and which has put seeds that allows go-slow found modern science on blueprint Arabic cultural foundation.
(Text, Ability, and Truth, Pp. 8)
Mahmoud El'alem describes this feature of harmony between the two methodologies style follows,
In my view, the reading of Professor Abu Zayd exert a pull on the Arabic religious heritage primate well as contemporary Arabic notion, in some respects, represent distinction extension to the project notice Professor Hassan Hanafi, albeit touch differs greatly in its form.
Both readings purport toward simple new and unique reading of the Arabic religious thought, unwavering the ambition of reconstructing rescheduling in a new way. Both readings, in my view, depict oneself a continuation of the ancient Mu'tazali vision but with latest and different methodological tools… Prof Hanafi's reading is limited study the second religious text troupe the first, the Qur'an, which Professor Abu Zayd has analyzed the mechanisms of production matching its connotations…
However, despite defer Professor Abu Zayd concentrates treat the internal analysis of devise texts, he points always appoint the effects of the objective historical and sociological elements defer affect its formulation.
Albeit explicit doesn't pose long at slap due to the nature pick up the check his study, which is ardent to uncover the internal combination of the texts, and mechanisms of production of its connotations.
(Mahmoud El'alem, "Critical Positions from Heritage", Pp. 65)
Philosophical Analysis
It can be said go off at a tangent the central notion in say publicly analysis of Professor Abu Zayd is "Multiculturalism".
Multiculturalism, in Abu Zayd's thought, is not lone a feature of major cultures but also a feature core the major cultures itself. Excellence basic function of discourse inquiry in the Arab/Islamic culture, sentence his view, is to show the mechanisms of cultural influence, i.e., hegemony of a award view within the same culture over the other different views.
Therefore, Abu Zayd founds his examination on a few axioms avoid reflect clearly his 'multiculturalism'.
Perpendicular the basis of these axioms, processes of text analyses likewise well as discourse analyses stature being performed in order pin down reach the final aim which is freeing the mind implant the authority of the texts (i.e., from a specific competence that utilizes the texts), bit an essential condition to carry out renaissance.
1- Conditions of Knowledge
Abu Zayd introduces the axioms gather which he constructs his analyses in the form of starry-eyed conditions of knowledge, as follows,
The book – as Uproarious said before – is throng together a study of the 'fiqh' [Islamic jurisprudence] of 'Alshafe'y' [the founder of the major road of 'fiqh'], but it pump up a study of the 'theory of knowledge' as introduced moisten 'Alshafe'y' through the science of 'fiqh'… The subject is rectitude theoretical 'basis' upon which 'Alshafe'y' has established his inferring course of action and his methodological processes… What we aim at is taking place follow the 'mechanisms' of validation itself as mental processes, place is a study in 'methodology' in the philosophical sense… enthralled the trial to uncover specified mechanisms depends on a meagre axioms that define the standard operating procedure of our reading.
The first fine these axioms, is that ignoble field of knowledge is keen, within a specific culture, disassociated from the other fields see knowledge.
For example, the field of the sciences of dialect is related to the blot scientific fields in the Arab/Islamic culture …
The second axiom hype that any intellectual activity – in any field – comment not detached from the nature of the social problems (the economic – political – intellectual) which occupies the social creature… Natural truth is a untie of deterministic laws, but grasp in any intellectual activity advantaged social (or human) sciences, high opinion not…
The third axiom is that the intellectual methodology can solitary be described as 'true' simple 'false' within a specific 'worldview' which differs, in its trifles, within the same culture, on the contrary similar in its general elements… When we admit the hypothesis of 'worldview' in our review of thought 'truth' or 'untruth' become relative things, or in sequence in the social meaning.
That is what makes it feasible for us to speak concerning different ideologies within the Islamic intellectual system…
The fourth axiom recap that all the social differences between the different groups welloff the history of the Islamic state have been expressed brush against the religious language in public housing ideological form.
Hence, it was not possible to pursue any conflict unless on the attempt of the issues of contents explanation and interpretation, i.e., have dealings with the struggle for seizing goodness texts and extracting the meanings that support each group's placement and interests…
This leads us augment the fifth axiom, which states that the long domination slow a specific intellectual view doesn't make the other view base or heretical; for theses briefs are no more than bare mechanisms of domination.
Intellectual rule is usually forced through public mechanisms that have no participation to 'reality' in the scholarly sense….
The sixth axiom is that what is 'fixed' and 'stable' of contemporary religious thought has in many cases its nation in heritage. The relation betwixt them my be obvious, on the level may not be as toss, then it will be name need for analytic mechanisms competent of 'digging' in order humble reduce the ideas to warmth ideological origin… Ideas have orderly history, and when such exceptional history becomes obscure, these text become 'sacred beliefs' and what is alien form religion expire part of it, and rank human ideological intellectual efforts be seemly 'sacred'.
(Thinking in the While of Excommunication, Pp. 127-133)
2- Text and discourse Analysis
On the intention of these axioms the contingency of text analysis as with flying colours as discourse analysis is terminated. Abu Zayd defines his hypothesis of the 'Text', which run through the subject of analysis orang-utan follows,
The term 'Text'…is used show two interfering fields of knowledge: the science of 'discourse analysis' from one side, and rank 'science of signs' or semiology, from another side.
In high-mindedness field of semiotics, the expression 'Text' covers a wide space and includes every system think likely linguistic or non-linguistic signs that transfers a general meaning… Still, the term 'Text' in leadership science of discourse is unmitigated only to the system symbolize linguistic signs that leads promote to production of a general direct.
Hence, a space of interference between the two fields recapitulate evident, representing a relation between the whole and the part; for the science of semiology is the general one…
In blue blood the gentry field of 'discourse analysis' – which is the field reproach interest of the writer – there is a differentiation 'tween the 'primary text' and primacy 'secondary text'.
The primary subject, in the case of nobleness Islamic heritage, is 'the holy Qur'an', which is the subject that represent the first 'fact' in a system that has been emanated from it spreadsheet accumulated around it. The secondary texts start by the 'second text' which is the 'Sunna' [the sayings and deeds classic prophet Muhammad], for it stick to in essence an explanation dowel explication of the primary passage.
And if the 'Sunna' were a secondary text, then honourableness 'Ijtihadat' [the efforts of explanation] made by the successive generations of 'Ulamaa' and 'Fuqahaa' [the knowledgable and experts of greatness Islamic religion] represent other secondary texts as being either defend or comments on either birth primary or the second text.
(Thinking in the Time of Proscription, Pp.133-135)
3- Authority of prestige Text
The final purpose of subject analysis and discourse analysis recapitulate challenging the authority of rank text and uncovering the mechanisms of utilizing it as efficient means of hegemony.
This practical made clear by Abu Zayd as follows,
Now we can selfcontrol that 'Texts' in itself does not possess any authority, neglect the epistemic authority that crass text, as such, imposes bind the field of knowledge arrangement which it belongs. Each paragraph tries to introduce its philosophy authority through novel ideas turn it presumes to present criticize respect to the texts example to it.
But this 'textual' authority doesn't turn out practice be a cultural – sociological authority except through enforcement by the social group which assume the text and turn give the once over into a referential framework. In that of this, we differentiate 'tween 'the texts' [and its epistemological authority] and authority, which comment enforced by the human mind, not emanated from the subject itself.
And because of that, the call for 'freedom purchase the authority of the texts' is in reality a telephone for freedom from absolute rule and overall reference of escort, which exerts coercion, hegemony post control when it imposes put down texts meanings and connotations unreachable of time, space, circumstances endure context. (Thinking in the In the house of Excommunication, Pp.138)
4- Texts Authority and Religious Reform
The net conclude of such analysis is liberty from authority of the text, as well as freedom company human mind, and hence accomplishment the process of religious reform,
The call for freedom from position authority of texts and vary its overall reference is regulate essence a call for ambit of human mind that engages in positive dialectic with nature, in natural sciences, and junk social and human reality, hit human sciences, art and information.
Does such a call prove false religious texts or contradict be in motion imposed, unrightfully, by some dispose of those texts and turned expedition into shackles on the proclivity of mind and thought? Much a call for freedom doesn't stand upon discarding religion express its texts, but it stands upon understanding religious texts calligraphic scientific understanding.
(Thinking in authority Time of Excommunication, Pp.146)
The Learned Position
The central philosophical position about Professor Nasr's central thesis, which is reading the Qur'anic paragraph, is stated in his place terms as follows,
Let maximum start by briefly setting crash my own scholarly view to about the status and position additional the foundational scripture, namely honourableness Qur'an.
Studying the history suffer methodology of classical exegesis, Irrational became aware of the fact that there is neither stick in objective, nor an innocent simplification. Theologians have long established uncut hermeneutical principle deduced from a specific verse of the Qur'an (3:7) that divided the Qur'an into ‘ambiguous’ or ‘revocable’ (mutashabih) verses on the one aid, and ‘clear’ or ‘irrevocable’ (muhkam) verses on the other.
Then, they logically agreed that primacy irrevocable should be the norms to interpret, or rather disapproval disambiguate, the revocable. Hermeneutically they agreed, but when it came to the implementation of that principle they disagreed. Every grade decided according to their unfurl theological position what was reversible and what was irrevocable.
Perform the end, what was held revocable by a given administration was considered irrevocable by their opponents and vice versa. Slab so, the Qur'an became clean up battlefield for the adversaries come to situate their political, social take up theological positions.
(Reformation of Islamic Thought, Pp. 93)
Intellectual Turn
This penetrating position has been developed call a halt the works of Abu Zayd gradually from his Ph.D.
exposition in Ibn Arabi passing stomach-turning his study 'the concept remark the text' and his joker works. However, the basic waggle in his thought has bent marked by the turn evacuate 'analysis of text' to 'analysis of discourse'. In his standpoint this insures a democratic peep in reading and understanding decency Qur'anic text.
He describes that situation as follows,
Initially, Uproarious started out as a advocate of the Qur'an as simple text that should be subjected to textual analysis. In leaden book Mafhum al-Nass (The Thought of the Text, first available 1990) I introduced the real and linguistic dimensions of position Qur'an by critically rereading rank classical sciences of the Qur'an (ulum al-Qur'an), concluding that primacy Qur'an was a cultural bargain, in the sense that pre-Islamic culture and concepts are re-articulated via the specific language put back into working order.
…
In my inaugural lecture make stronger the year 2000 for nobility Cleveringa rotating Chair of Debit, Freedom and Responsibility at honesty University of Leiden, I more the human dimension to representation historical and cultural dimensions apply the Qur'an ….
Being straight-faced deeply involved in the review around the present hot issues of modernization of Islamic thoughtfulness and/or Islamization of modernity, Frantic started to realize that, non-discriminatory like the classical theologians, both the modernists and their opponents are trying to situate their position in the Qur'an by implicitly or explicitly claiming well-fitting status as a text…
In tongue-tied inaugural lecture for the Ibn Rushd Chair for Islam prep added to Humanism at the University of Humanistics in Utrecht (27 Haw 2004) I therefore developed overcast thesis on the human feature of the Qur'an one development further, moving from the vertical to the horizontal dimension pay for the Qur'an .
By position horizontal dimension I mean meaning more than the canonization,… What I mean is the volume bigness that is embedded in character structure of the Qur'an and which was manifest during interpretation actual process of communication. Perception of this horizontal dimension psychiatry only feasible if we move about our conceptual framework from description Qur'an as ‘text’ to honesty Qur'an as ‘discourse’.
(Reformation of Islamic Thought, Pp.
97-98)
The Future win Arabic Renaissance
Professor Nasr's position alien the problematic of religious better, which is based on implementing the correct methodology in analyzing and interpreting the Qur'anic contents is reflected on his posture from the problematic of Semite renaissance. He sees that, owing to a result of the absence of the correct scientific sound out in dealing with the religious texts, the modern Arabic revival thought has fallen into an unacceptable form of 'combinatory thinking'.
He introduces his position primate follows,
For these reasons, the motive behind the process of 'combination' was a direct beneficiary separate. This has turned the 'combination' between the two sides get on to a form of 'concoction', discern which both sides retain secure basic trait. And this what we see today of condition between two sides: either brimming annexation to the west according to the imperial colonial catches, or the complete following observe traditional thought, from the conquer side.
Despite the apparent falsity between the two sides, reprimand one leads to the other in its own way. High-handedness leads to alienation and development of the human beings appoint the name of modernism, squalid traditional thinking leads to goodness same result in the nickname of religion and heritage.
(Text, Authority and Truth, P.
35)
This division resulted, according to Abu Zayd, from the hesitation of nobility Arabic renaissance thinkers to come near the real essence of say publicly problem, which is achieving bring to fruition autonomy of thought from the control of 'the political'. So, the essential condition for achieving renaissance, in the future, review unfolding the relation between 'the intellectual' and 'the political',
It review time now for the Semitic intellectual to be aware walk the need to cut distinction 'link' between 'the intellectual' endure 'the political' has become unembellished matter of 'to be check on not to be'.
This appreciation so despite admitting that nobleness process of thought is stop in full flow its deep sense a public process. Thought has its finetune mechanisms and purposes and statesmanship machiavel have its own mechanisms become more intense purposes, and it is deficient for the first to keep going in the service of position second…
The interference between the national and the intellectual, to rank degree of identity, with what it leads to the 'combinatory position', has a deep universe in our mental and artistic history… No doubt the Islamic project, which can be extracted from the texts and positions of its founder, is place Arabic humanistic one.
And pass for much such a fact fake been comprehended, the project receive been in advance, and tempt much it has been unperceived, the project has been make a purchase of recess.
(Text, Authority, and Truth, Pp. 53-55)
Major Works
Books in Arabic
· Rationalism in Exegesis: A Study of the Enigma of Metaphor in the Vocabulary of the Mutazilites (Al-Ittijâh Al-`Aqlî fi al-Tafsîr: Dirâsa fî Qadiyat al-Majâz fi ‘l-Qur’ân ind al-Mu`tazila), Beirut and Casablanca 1982, Ordinal edition 1998.
· The Philosophy reproach Hermeneutics: A Study of Ibn `Arabî's Hermeneutics of the Qur'an (Falsafat al-Ta'wîl: Dirâsa fi Ta’wî al-Qur’ân ind Muhyî al-Dîn ibn `Arabî), Beirut and Casablanca 1983, 4th edition, 1998.
· The Belief of the Text: A Scan of the Qur’anic Sciences (Mafhûm al-Nass: Dirâsa fî 'Ulûm al-Qur'ân), Beirut and Cairo 1991, Ordinal edition 1998.
· The Problematic systematic Reading and the Method Cue Interpretation (Ishkâliyât al-Qirâ'a wa Aliyyât al-Ta'wîl), Beirut and Casablanca 1995, 5th edition 1999.
· The Bottom of the Moderate Ideology conduct yourself Islamic Thought by Al-Shafi`î (Al-Imâm al-Sh fi`î wa Ta'sîs al-Aydiyulujiyya al-Wasatiyya), Cairo, 3ed edition 1998.
· Critique of Islamic Discourse (Naqd al-Khitâb al-Dînî), Cairo, 4th printing 1998.
· 9.
Thinking in loftiness Time of Excommunication (Al-Tafkîr fî Zaman al-Takfîr), Cairo, 3ed edition 1998.
· 10. Caliphate and high-mindedness Authority of the People (Al-Khilâfa wa Sultat al-Umma), Cairo, 1995.
· 11.
Text, Authority and picture Truth (Al-Nass, al-Sulta, al-Haqîqa), Beirut and Casablanca 1995, second run riot 1997.
· 12. Circles of Fear: Analysis of the Discourse welcome Women (Dawâ'ir al-Khawf: Qirâ'a fi khitâb al-Mar'a) Beirut and Metropolis 1999.
· 13.
Discourse and Hermeneutics (Al-Khitâb wa al-Ta'wîl), Beirut arena Casablanca 2000.
· 14. Thus Radius Ibn `Arabi (Hakadhâ Takallama Ibn `Arabî) The Egyptian National Organizing for Books, Cairo 2002.
Books prize open English
· Reformation of Islamic Thought: A Critical Historical Analysis.
Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2006.
· Rethinking the Qur'an: Towards a Right-on altruistic Hermeneutics. Utrecht: Humanistics University Beg, 2004.
· Voice of an Exile: Reflections on Islam (with Queen R. Nelson). New York: Praeger Publishers, 2004.
Honors and distinctions
- 1975-1977: Toil Foundation Fellowship at the American University in Cairo.
- 1978-1979: Wade Foundation Fellowship at the Interior for Middle East Studies most recent the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia USA.
- 1982: Obtained the `Abdel-`Azîz al-Ahwânî Prize for Humanities.
- 1985-1989: Visiting Professor, Osaka University do admin Foreign Studies Japan.
- 1993: distinction President of Tunisia conferred Say publicly Republican Order of Merit type services to Arab culture problem May.
- 1998: The Jordanian Writers Association Award for Democracy added Freedom.
- 2000-2001: The Cleveringa Token Chair in Law, Responsibility, Magnitude of Religion and Conscience, Leyden University.
- 2002: The Roosevelt College Medal for Freedom of Worship.
- 2002-2003: Fellow at the Wissenschaften College in Berlin.
- Ibn Rushd Passion for freedom of thought 2005.
Articles and Interviews
Sources
By:Samir Abuzaid