Neither Belief nor Unbelief - Intentional Ambivalence in al-Ma'arri's Luzum (Hardcover)

The book re-examines the religious thought and receptions of the Syrian poet Abu l-'Ala' al-Ma'arri (d.1057) and one of his best known works - Luzum ma la yalzam (The Self-Imposed Unnecessity), a collection of poems, which, although widely studied, needs a thorough re-evaluation regarding matters of (un)belief. Given the contradictory nature of al-Ma'arri's oeuvre and Luzum in particular, there have been two major trends in assessing al-Ma'arri's religious thought in modern scholarship. One presented al-Ma'arri as an unbeliever and a freethinker arguing that through contradictions, he practiced taqiya, i.e., dissimulation in order to avoid persecution. The other, often apologetically, presented al-Ma'arri as a sincere Muslim. This study proposes that the notion of ambivalence is a more appropriate analytical tool to apply to the reading of Luzum, specifically in matters of belief. This ambivalence is directly conditioned by the historical and intellectual circumstances al-Ma'arri lived in and he intentionally left it unsolved and intense as a robust stance against claims of certainty. Going beyond reductive interpretations, the notion of ambivalence allows for an integrative paradigm in dealing with contradictions and dissonance.

General

Imprint:	De Gruyter
Country of origin:	Germany
Series:	Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East
Release date:	December 2022
First published:	2023
Authors:	Sona Grigoryan
Dimensions:	230 x 155mm (L x W)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	215
ISBN-13:	978-3-11-077253-1
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Islam Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > Philosophy of religion > General Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Islam Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > Philosophy of religion > General
LSN:	3-11-077253-1
Barcode:	9783110772531

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