The Legacy of Al-Shawkani
Princeton’s Professor Bernard Haykel joined us on afikra conversations to discuss contemporary Saudi Arabia, MBS’s Vision 2030 and football. But during the conversation, we briefly touched on his initial area of interest: Islamic jurisprudence in Yemen. Inevitably, Muhammad Al-Shawkani was mentioned. So we wanted to learn more about this prominent figure and his legacy.
Who Was Al-Shawkani?
Muhammad al-Shawkani (1759 - 1834) was a prominent Yemeni Sunni Islamic scholar, jurist, theologian and reformer. He’s often referred to as one of the “founding fathers of modern Islamic reformism” and is immensely influential in Islamic intellectual history. His legacy and influence continues to this day in contemporary Yemen where he is still considered the country’s “great religious reformer”. Al-Shawkani was one of the leading advocates and practitioners of ijtihad and a chief judge in the Zaidi Imamate also known as the Yemeni Zaidi State.
He was particularly influential in thinking about the nature of Islamic law and of religious authority, and is remembered for his radical transformation, and indeed rejection of the religious traditions and scholarly structures that he was born into. In essence, he was an opponent of what is known as “taqlid” (we explain this in more depth below).
Al-Shawkani argued that the Islamic scholastic tradition had become weighed down by generations of opinions that had obscured the original arguments and base texts. For this reason, he called for a return to the core textual sources (namely, the Quran and hadith).
What is Taqlid?
In Islamic law, “Taqlīd” refers to the adoption and blind acceptance of legal decisions made by others without necessarily understanding or knowing the reasoning behind that decision.
Athari Theology
Atharism, also known as traditionalist theology or scripturalist theology, is a main Sunni school of Islamic theology, and Al-Shawkani played a big role in the emergence of this school.
This school is characterized by its strict adherence to the Quran and Sunnah. In fact, in Athari theology, the literal meanings of the Quran and hadith are taken as authority, andadherents wholly reject “kalam” (speculative theology that involves reasoning and rationalization).
Salafi Movement
Al-Shawkani’s teachings greatly influenced the Salafi movement. Salafism is a Sunni revivalist movement that posits that the “most authentic and true Islam is found in the lived example of the early, righteous generations of Muslims.” It emerged as a form of socio-religious resistance in response to 19th century European imperialism. Crucially, Salafis advocate the use of the Qur’an and Sunnah as the original and most reliable sources of Islamic law.
If you missed our conversation with Professor Haykel, watch it now!
