One Manuscript, Many Books: The Manuscript and Editing History of Aḥkām ahl al-dhimma

Abstract

Aḥkām ahl al-dhimma is a book of regulations about Christian and Jewish subjects of Islamic rule, written by the Ḥanbalī jurist and theologian Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751/1350). It is an important resource for historical studies of non-Muslim minorities in the Mamluk period and is often cited as a normative text in present-day Muslim discussions about Muslim-non-Muslim relations. This article gives an insight into the history of the only surviving manuscript of Aḥkām ahl al-dhimma and the unusual process by which the first printed edition was compiled. It shows that the movement of the manuscript was largely a result of Ibn Taymiyya’s and Ibn al-Qayyim’s more general popularity in specific geographic regions than the authority of the text itself, and that individuals’ religious-intellectual interests were decisive for the publication of a printed edition in 1961. It also shows that the unusual editing process impacted on the reliability of the printed editions available today, the majority of which are financed by Saudi institutions.

Ordered Relationships. The Regulation of Jewish-Christian Marriages and Children in Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s Legal Works

“…Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751/1350), also referred to as Ibn al-Qayyim, 1 has long been [1] known for his close relationship to the more famous Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328). However, in recent decades he has also received attention as an author in his own right (Bosanquet 2021). Critical editions of his works, popular reprints and academic studies reflect his rising significance in contemporary Islamic thought and in research on this subject (Brinkmann 2015;Mustafa 2013;Ovadia 2018).…”

<i>Ḥadīth</i> and Ethics through the Lens of Interdisciplinarity

“…This made many forgotten manuscripts see the light of day as printed texts, often with an agenda of "purification" of the Islamic tradition according to Taymiyyan standards. Both early reformist and later puritan Salafīs were keen to make use of printing to advance their causes (Khan 2016, 54-55;El Shamsy 2020, 182-191;Bosanquet 2021). Islamic reform movements in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century cared deeply about promoting virtues ( faḍāʾil), morality (akhlāq), and refinement (tahdhīb), as part of their "civilisation" (tamaddun) programs (Kateman 2019, 96-115).…”