Portal: Islamic Scriptures: Difference between revisions

Islam has been defined by its scholars since the 8th century (the second Islamic century). The Arabic word عالم 'aalim means simply "one who knows" and it is also used in Arabic to refer to scientists and specialists in many fields of knowledge. In Islamic discourse the word usually refers to scholars of [[fiqh]] or Islamic law, although the word is also used to refer to the early scholars who gathered the stories of [[maghazi]] (raids) and [[hadith]] of the prophet. In classical times ulemaa such as [[Tabari]] were also knowledgeable in other fields such as philosophy, medicine, and world history, but as with most other fields modernity has forced the concentration of efforts, and modern Islamic scholars tend not to be polymaths. Included in this portal are modern scholars working inside the Islamic tradition, such as [[Yasir Qadhi]], but also modern scholar-preachers such as [[Zakir Naik]]. The scholars of the Shi'i tradition, although fulfilling many of the same roles as their Sunni counterparts, also have a more systematized, organized role in the context of the Shi'ite religious hierarchy, particularly in Iran where the state is currently fused to the Shi'ite clerical establishment.

The scholars of the classical or pre-modern period played a tremendous role in defining what Islam would be for later generations. Many questions that Muslim scholars take for granted, such as the nature of the [[Quran]] vis-a-vis [[Allah]] or the place of reason or philosophy vis-a-vis revelation were settled in this period and remain more or less uncontested today.  

{{PortalArticle|image=Gazali_1.jpg|title=Al-Ghazali|summary= Al-Ghazali was a 9th century Islamic scholar who championed the "Islamic sciences" against the philosophy of the Greeks; in theology he was a famous Ash'ari and in fiqh he was a famous Shafi'i jurist|description=}} {{PortalArticle|image=Suyuti.jpg|title=Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti|summary= Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti was a 13th century Islamic scholar and jurist of the Shafi'i madhab, famous for his extremely influential tafsir. He also wrote on a wide variety of subjects and is sometimes called the most prolific writer of the Islamic tradition|description=}} {{PortalArticle|image=Ibn kathir.png|title=Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi|summary= Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi was a 12th century Islamic scholar of hadith. His tafsir is considered to be one of the most influential in modern Islamic theology and jurisprudence. He also wrote a work called the Israi'iliyaat about the biblical stories of the Jews.|description=}} {{PortalArticle|image=ibn taymiyyah.jpg|title=Ibn Taymiyyah|summary= Ibn Taymiyyah was an 11th and 12th century Islamic scholar known for his fierce defense of Sunni orthodoxy. Along with Ghazali he helped turn the intellectual tide against Greek philosophy in the Muslim wolrd and also called for [[jihad]] against the Mongols|description=}} {{PortalArticle|image=Tabari.PNG|title=Ibn Taymiyyah|summary= Tabari is one of the greatest scholars of the Islamic tradition; his tafsir and his sira of the prophet have a status of or close to scripture in the Islamic tradition. In addition to his historical works, he was jurist in the Shafi'i tradition.|description=}}