Religion as a Pillar for Establishing a Civilization: Al-Māwardī’s Perspective
This study examines religion in terms of establishing and maintaining a civilization based on Abū al-Ḥasan al-Māwardī’s (d. 1058) contribution, “Kitāb adab al-dunyā wa-al-dīn.” In this paper, the central argument is that religion is a pillar for establishing and maintaining civilization. There ar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Management and Technology
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.umt.edu.pk/index.php/JITC/article/view/1169 |
| Summary: | This study examines religion in terms of establishing and maintaining a civilization based on Abū al-Ḥasan al-Māwardī’s (d. 1058) contribution, “Kitāb adab al-dunyā wa-al-dīn.” In this paper, the central argument is that religion is a pillar for establishing and maintaining civilization. There are no possibilities for a civilization to be constituted and maintained without a central role for religion. I will elaborate on the meaning of religion from al-Māwardī’s perspective and its role in constructing a civilization. This paper considers several religious notions and concepts proposed by al-Māwardī for this purpose. For instance, ‘al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb’ (persuasion and intimidation) and al-ulfah (social affinity) indicate how religion can affect individual behaviors and actions and helps create and maintain civilization. As a methodology, this paper analyses al-Māwardī’s contribution and compares it with significant contributions to civilization Studies. It concludes that a profound understanding of religion's role in any civilization gives a proper direction for understanding civilization and how religion can enhance and improve people's behavior and manners, which reflects positively on religion’s role in establishing and preserving a civilization.
Keywords: Religion, Civilization, Islamic civilization, Abū al-Ḥasan al-Māwardī
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| ISSN: | 2075-0943 2520-0313 |