Analytical Examination of Neo-Mu'tazilite Theories: Insights from the Thought of Muhammad Abed Al-Jabri and Implications for Religious Education

Document Type : پژوهشی

Authors

• Hossein Abdullahzadeh Homirani ¹
• Babak Shamshiri ²
• Saeed Rahimian ²
• Mohammad Jafar Mahalati ³

¹ PhD Student, University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran

² Professor, University of Shiraz, Shiraz, , Iran

³ Professor, University of Oberlin, USA

10.22067/fedu.2024.78894.1207

Abstract

The present study focuses on Neo-mu'tazila theories with an emphasis on the thoughts of Mohammad Abed Al-Jaberi and its implications for religious education.
The Neo-Mu'tazila movement, especially Abed al-Jaberi, by passing through the
traditional religious discourse and presenting a new and critical reading of religion,
tried to reconstruct the tradition of the Islamic past in order to build its own modern world and to adapt religion to the new era. By examining Jaberi's thoughts in relation to Islamic thought and education, a new plan can be established in religious education.originality, humanity and modernity are among the most important intellectual components of Jaberi in the field of religious education, which has distinguished him from other Neo-Mutzalis. Basics derived from Jaberi's opinions and thoughts at both meta-religious and intrareligious levels can open the way for the challenges of religious education in the new era. The present study with a descriptive-analytical method aims to extract the implications of religious education by analyzing the opinions and thoughts of Jaberi. The results proved that the religious education emphasized by Jaberi are: emphasis on religious rationality, ethics-oriented, critical thinking, free thinking, skepticism, justice-oriented, goal-oriented religious text, Muslim life in the modern era, use of rational-human content, idealistic-critical content and finally emphasis on independent and non-ideological educational system in religious education.
Keywords: neo-mu'tazila, Abed Al-Jaberi, religious education.
 
Synopsis
After several decades of establishment of the Islamic system and despite the efforts made in the field of religious education, one of the important challenges facing the educational system is the efficiency of religious education in the society. Incorrect standards of education in policies and evaluation of Quranic and religious subjects, lack of attention to the psychological structure of adolescence and the use of incorrect methods in Islamic education are damaging factors in religious education in schools (Hamid & Daman Pak Moghadam, 2009).Religious traditionalists have created the causes of this inefficiency by adopting a task-oriented, top-down, prescriptive view, and on the one hand, eliminating man as a dynamic and active factor in the definition of religion (shamshiri, 2016). The dominance of such an interpretation of religion causes religion to lose its real and field function in human life, so it is necessary to revise the definitions, foundations and components of religious education from a philosophical point of view.
The  Neo-mu'tazila movement, based on the old Mu'tazila, and using intellectual-philosophical elements and modern western methods (valve, Ahmed, Sarasht, Moghadam, & Mohammad, 2017). tries to rebuild Islamic civilization and has an effective entry into the new world. According to the large number of researches about Non-Mutzaleh, it indicates that the researches in this field have focused on the analysis of their opinions, but less research has focused on the religious education of  Neo-mu'tazila. Therefore, the lack of such a research in this field is strongly felt. In this way, one of the influential figures of the  Neo-mu'tazila in the current period is Muhammad Abed al-Jabri, who by examining and exploring his intellectual components about revelation, Quran, human, philosophy and society, a new plan in the field of religious education can be deduced.
The present research with a descriptive-analytical method aims to extract the implications of religious education by analyzing the opinions and thoughts of Jabri. For this purpose, the philosophical foundations of Abed al-Jabari were first examined, then from these foundations, prescriptive propositions for religious education were extracted.
Conclusion
In examining the thoughts and works of Neo-mu'tazila, their thoughts can be classified in two general - global level and Islamic societies. In the meantime, some ideas of Neo-mu'tazila have been raised within the Islamic thought circle, so they have been specific to Islamic societies and culture. According to Jabri, in religious education, it is necessary to pay attention to the fundamental fact that the field of religion and philosophy have separate fields, and the different field of intellectual sciences should not be mixed with theoretical sciences. According to his belief, the minimal agreement and consensus of the society's elites in delineating the foundations and goals of the religious system has prepared the ground for cross-group and national religious education, and by attracting the ethnic-religious majority, it can bring maximum citizenship education.
The most significant components of Jaberi's thought in the field of religious education, which distinguishes him from other modern thinkers, can be divided into three areas: authenticity (Diarbigi, 2017), Islamism (Hanafi & al-Jabari, 1990) and modernity (al-Jabari, 1991). The results showed that the components of religious education from Jabri's point of view emphasize religious rationality, ethics-oriented, critical thinking, free thinking, skepticism, justice-oriented, goal-oriented religious text, Muslim life in the modern era, use of human-rational content, The content is idealistic-critical and finally the emphasis is on an independent and non-ideological educational system in religious education.

Keywords

• neo-mu'tazila
• Abed Al-Jaberi
• religious education

Main Subjects

• Foundations of Education

---

References

References

Abdullah, l. (2020). Educational thought and its role in reviving the Renaissance in the Arab world "Refaa Al-Tahtawi as a model". Djoussour El-maaréfa, 6, 190-201. https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/downArticle/136/6/4/136651

Al-Jabari. (1991). Heritage and modernity. Beirut: Arabic Unity Studies Center.

al-Jabari, M. A. (1991). alturath walhadatha. Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies.

Al-Jabri. (1977). For a progressive vision of some of our intellectual and educational problems. bayda: dar alnashr almaghribia.

Al-Jabri. (1985). Lights on the problem of education in Morocco: dar alnashr almaghribia.

Al-Jabri. (1991). alturath walhadatha: Center for Arab Unity Studies.

Al-Jabri. (1994). Democracy and human rights. Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies.

Al-Jabri. (1998). Ibn Rushd biography and thought. Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies.

Al-Jabri. (2006). Introduction to the Holy Qur'an. Beirut: Al-Wahda Al-Arabi Studies Center.

Al-Jabri. (2019). debocracy, human rights and law in islamic thought. tehran: Murwarid.

Amara, M. (2018). Eternal miracle (Y. Abdi, Trans.). Tehran: Ehsan publication.(In persian)

Amin, A. (2012). dohaal isalam. Cairo: Hindawi Foundation for Education and Culture.

Armin, M. (2019). An approach to the Qur'an. Tehran: nashreney. (In persian)

Bohoosh, G. (2020). The Experience of Mohammad Abid Al-Jabari in Dealing with the Holy Qur'an - Definitions, Understandings, and Interpretations - A Critical Study. Institute of Islamic Sciences, 6. https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/downArticle/391/6/3/127580

Buanani, S. (2021). An article about the anthropological thought of the Mu'tazilites

The religious and linguistic side -a model-. Journal of Anthropology of El-Edyan, 17. https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/142357

Dariabigi, M. (2017). The method of facing the problem of tradition in Jabri's thought. tehran: Surah Mehr. (In persian)

Diarbigi, M. (2014). A Review Of The Jaberi's Thought On Shiism. A Quarterly for Shi‘ite Studies, 12. https://www.shiitestudies.com/article_18717.html

Ebrahimipour, Q. (2012). The Critique of the Arab Mind. Socio-cultural knowledge, 2, 123-152. http://marefatefarhangi.nashriyat.ir/node/52

Fakhizadeh, A. H., Afkar, A. D., & Rahqi, M. T. Q. (2021). A Critical Analysis of Mohammed Abed al-Jaberi's Viewpoint on the Meaning of the of the Holy Prophet’s (p.b.u.h.) Being Ommi (Unlettered). pazhouhesh dini, 28. http://pdmag.ir/article-1-685-fa.html

Gharavi, S. (2008). Introducing the contemporary Mu'tazili. Miskat al-noor magazine, 24-25. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/30209

Goli, J., & Yousefian, H. (2010). Main Streaming New Mu'tazila. Journal of theological knowledge, 115-142. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/835869

Hanafi, H., & Al-Jaberi, M. A. (1990). East and West dialogue. Beirut: Arab Institute for Studies and Publishing.

Kadivar, M. (2008). islam and human rights. tehran: kavir. (In persian)

Karimian, A. J. (2016). Philosophy in the East of the Islamic world. Review of the book of history, 3. http://htybr.faslnameh.org/article-1-190-fa.html

Karmi, M. T. (2002). Exploring the meaning of Arabic wisdom in Jabri's thought. Journal of political science, 22, 231-254. (In persian) https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/13816

Karmi, M. T. (2003). Reflections on religion and thought in a conversation with Mohammad Abed Al-Jabari. Journal of Philosophy & Theology, 17. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/13816

Khaled, A. D. (2013). Philosophical and educational readings in the thought of Taha Hussein. Education and Science Magazine, 20.

Khalji, M. M. (1990). The conversation between two cultures in the conversation between a thinker from the Arab East and a thinker from the Western Maghreb. Journal of Philosophy & Theology, 9, 222-247. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/13888

Khsheim, A. F. (1976). Mental tendency in Mu'tazila thinking. Misrata: General Company for Publishing and Distribution.

Kilishmi, E. B., Sharaft, N., & . (2019). An introduction to the history of education and upbringing of an Arab Maghreb with confirmation of the opinions of Abed al-Jabri. Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization, 52. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1598142/

Mahmoud, Z. N. (2018). Renewal of Arabic thought. Egypt: Hindawi Foundation.

Moeinifar, M. (2013). A brief overview of the components of Jabri's intellectual system. Marifat, 195, 107-121. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1033095

Motaghi, S. A. (1999). Al-Jabri's project in criticizing contemporary Arabic thought. political science, 3, 109-120. (In persian)

Mousavi, S. N. (2017). Explaining and evaluating the comparative education of religions in religious education. Bi-Quarterly Research Scientific Journal Educational Jurisprudence studies. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/magazine/number/68307

Negaresh, H., & Moghadam, N. D. P. (2009). Injuries of religious education in Qom middle schools and management strategies for its treatment. Journal of Cultural

Management(fifth issue). https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1095913

Osmani, M. (2022). Minority thinking in Islamic political thought. Journal of political thought, 6, 293. (In persian)

Shahidi, S. S. (2004). The factors of the emergence of the Mu'tazila. Avicennian Philosophy, 36. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/30187/

shamshiri, B. (2016). A new project in contemporary anthropology. tehran: negahe moaser. (In persian)

Sheikh, A. I. (2012). The issue of freedom in Islamic thought. Damascus: The Syrian General Organization for Books.

Shirvani, A., Shamshiri, B., & Zarei, L. (2021). The Pathology of Religious Education of High School Students. (From the Viewpoints of Educators, Teachers and Students). Islamic education, 29. (In persian)

valve, P., Ahmed, D., Sarasht, J. P., Moghadam, M. S., & Hosseinzadeh, M. (2017). Thoughts of neo-mutzaleh and education. foundations of education, 1, 84-102. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1257519

Wasfi, M. R. (1997). Rationality and identity. Farhang magazine, 28, 122-127. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/322491

Wasfi, M. R. (2017). Neo-Motzalians. tehran: Negahe Moaser. (In persian)

yasin, a. (1987). Originality and contemporary. Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies.

Za'bah, K. b., & Mohammad, W. (2021). The Possible Impossibility: Research into the Problem of Modernity and the Islamic State according to Wael Hallaq. Wisdom Journal for Philosophical Studies, 9(2), 1000-1021. https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/165126

Zina, H. (1978). The mind of the Mu'tazilites. Beirut: dar alafaq aljadidah.