Translation theory and practice in the Abbasid era

textThis paper explores the theoretical approaches to translation and the dynamics of language politics during the ʻAbbāsid-era translation movement through the lens of three prominent figures of the ʿAbbāsid era, Ḥunayn ibn Isʹhāq, Mattā bin Yūnus and al-Jāḥiẓ. In conversation with Emily Apter's concept of untranslatability and current concerns about translation into and out of Arabic, this paper examines the cultural implications of claims to translatability and untranslatability. The ʿAbbāsid era presents a particularly useful comparison to the present because rather than being marginal, Arabic was the language of an expanding empire, and also because the ʿAbbāsid era was a kind of 'Golden Age' of translation. The ʿAbbāsid era was an enormously productive period, with translators rendering nearly the entirely corpus of available Greek manuscripts into Arabic. This outpouring of translation activity not only provided an influx of new ideas but provoked a wide-ranging debate among the literati of the time about the possibilities and problems of translation. Examining the figures of al-Jāḥiẓ, Mattā bin Yūnus and Ḥunayn ibn Is'hāq provides a window into this theoretical conversation. Al-Jāḥiẓ, as one of the foremost authorities on Arabic rhetoric, gave voice to more than one view of translation, in part defining Arabic writing as too unique to be translated while elsewhere claiming translations from other languages as the inheritance of the Arab culture. The Aristotelian translator Mattā bin Yūnus provides an example of backlash against translation in which foreign ideas were seen as a threat to Arab identity. Ḥunayn ibn Is'hāq, one of most highly regarded translators of his day, reveals a pragmatic approach to translation which integrated Greek works into Arab society. These three figures reorient the poles of translatability and untranslatability, revealing the potential of both to strengthen hegemony, and show the positive and negative aspects of an Arabocentric and Islamocentric universalism.Middle Eastern Studie

Psychological Indications in ᾽Abū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī ’s books: selected models: Model A: ᾽al-Ṣadāqah wa al-Ṣadīq; Model B: al-᾽Imtāʻ wa al-Mūʾānasah

This research is about the incredible phenomena of al-Tawḥīdī the forgotten philosopher and literati, highlighting his most important work featuring ʼal-Ṣadāqah wa al-Ṣadīq and al-᾽Imtāʻ wa al-Mūʾānasah as the main two models. In this research the author attempts to reveal psychological concepts and to find a link between al-Tawḥīdī ’s thoughts and the psychological meanings in particular the link between Aristotle, al-Tawḥīdī and modern psychology on friendship, and personality. In this research the author attempts to prove if al-Tawḥīdī's writing contained psychological dimensions and signs that could be considered psychological opinions. In addition, this research discusses if al-Tawḥīdī was able to leave psychological cues throughout his text, and weather these cues contribute to the understanding of human thoughts, behavior, and relations. finally, this research attempt to explain what is friendship to modern psychology? to Aristotle, and to al-Tawḥīdī

The relation of Maslama al-Maŷrīṭī with the books Rasāʼil Ijwān al-Ṣafā’, Risālat al-ŷāmi‘a, Rutbat al-ḥakīm and Gāyat al-ḥakīm

Algunas fuentes afirman que Abū al-Ḥakam al-Kirmānī (m. 458/1066) fue el primero que introdujo las Rasā’il Ijwān al-Ṣafā’ en al-Andalus. Sin embargo, otros investigadores piensan que su introducción se debería atribuir a su maestro Maslama al-Maŷrīṭī (398/1007). Por otro lado, ciertas fuentes y varios manuscritos atribuyen la enciclopedia y la Risālat al-ŷāmi‘a a Maslama al-Maŷrīṭī. La autoría de estas dos obras ha de ser puesta en relación con la Rutbat al-ḥakīm y la Gāyat al-ḥakīm; obras que la mayoría de los estudios han identificado como anónimas. En este trabajo aportamos nuevos datos sobre estas cuestiones.Some sources affirm that Abū al-Ḥakam al-Kirmānī (d. 458/1066) was the first who brought Rasā’il Ijwān al-Ṣafā’ in al-Andalus. However, some researchers think that Maslama al-Maŷrīṭī (d. 398/1007) is the one who brought it in first. Furthermore, other sources and many manuscripts ascribe the encyclopedia and the Risālat al-ŷāmi‘a to al-Maŷrīṭī. Apparently, this attribution is related to Rutbat al- ḥakīm and Gāyat al-ḥakīm. These works have been considered anonymous according to the majority of studies. Throughout this study, we will provide new data about these issues

La gnoseología de Abū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī: un estudio de “al-Laylà l- jāmisa wa-l-ṯalāṯūn” de al-Imtā‘ wa-l-mu’ānasa

To date, the aspects of the gnoseology exposed by Abū Ḫayyān al-Tawḫīdī in “al-Laylà l-Khāmisa wa-l-thalāthūn” of his book al-Imtā‘ wa-l-mu’ānasa have not been studied; yet, they are worthy of consideration due both to their intrinsic value and the guidance they might provide to reconstruct and systematize the evolution of philosophy in the Islamic civilization. This research adopts a hermeneutic methodology, but in the light of the most-likely influences which might have had a sway on al-Tawḫīdī’s thought. The research is introduced by a short contextualization on the relevance of gnoseology in Philosophy and the society, as well as by an assessment on the relevance of al-Tawḫīdī and his works in the History of Islamicate’s philosophy. The main theses defended by al-Tawḫīdī are: the impossibility of knowledge’s self-understanding, the divine origin of the ‘aql and nafs, and the nafs’ immortality. However, other aspects of al-Tawḫīdī’sgnoseology are unclear: the exact correlation between the functions of the nafs and the ‘aql, and the immortality of the ‘aql after the death of the body.Hasta ahora, los aspectos de la gnoseología expuestos por Abū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī en “al-Laylà l-jāmisa wa-l-ṯalāṯūn” de su libro al-Imtā‘ wa-l-mu’ānasa no han sido estudiados. La gnoseología de al-Tawḥīdī es digna de consideración por su valor intrínseco y el esclarecimiento que ofrece para reconstruir y sistematizar la evolución del pensamiento en la civilización islámica. Este estudio adopta una metodología hermenéutica, aunque a la luz de las influencias a las que el pensamiento de al-Tawḥīdī pudiera haber estado expuesto con mayor probabilidad. Primeramente, el estudio contextualiza brevemente la relevancia de la gnoseología en el ámbito filosófico y social, y evalúa la relevancia de al-Tawḥīdī y su obra en la filosofía de la civilización islámica. Las principales tesis defendidas por al-Tawḥīdī son: la imposibilidad de que el conocimiento se comprenda a sí mismo, el origen divino del ‘aql y del nafs, y la inmortalidad del nafs. Sin embargo, existen aspectos difusos: la exacta correlación entre el nafs y el ‘aql en sus respectivas funciones y la inmortalidad del ‘aql tras la muerte

Abū Ḫayyān al-Tawḫīdī’s Gnoseology: A Study of “al-Laylà l-khāmisa wa-l-thalāthūn” of al-Imtā‘ wa-l-mu’ānasa

To date, the aspects of the gnoseology exposed by Abū Ḫayyān al-Tawḫīdī in “al-Laylà l-Khāmisa wa-l-thalāthūn” of his book al-Imtā‘ wa-l-mu’ānasa have not been studied; yet, they are worthy of consideration due both to their intrinsic value and the guidance they might provide to reconstruct and systematize the evolution of philosophy in the Islamic civilization. This research adopts a hermeneutic methodology, but in the light of the most-likely influences which might have had a sway on al-Tawḫīdī’s thought. The research is introduced by a short contextualization on the relevance of gnoseology in Philosophy and the society, as well as by an assessment on the relevance of al-Tawḫīdī and his works in the History of Islamicate’s philosophy. The main theses defended by al-Tawḫīdī are: the impossibility of knowledge’s self-understanding, the divine origin of the ‘aql and nafs, and the nafs’ immortality. However, other aspects of al-Tawḫīdī’sgnoseology are unclear: the exact correlation between the functions of the nafs and the ‘aql, and the immortality of the ‘aql after the death of the body.Hasta ahora, los aspectos de la gnoseología expuestos por Abū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī en “al-Laylà l-jāmisa wa-l-ṯalāṯūn” de su libro al-Imtā‘ wa-l-mu’ānasa no han sido estudiados. La gnoseología de al-Tawḥīdī es digna de consideración por su valor intrínseco y el esclarecimiento que ofrece para reconstruir y sistematizar la evolución del pensamiento en la civilización islámica. Este estudio adopta una metodología hermenéutica, aunque a la luz de las influencias a las que el pensamiento de al-Tawḥīdī pudiera haber estado expuesto con mayor probabilidad. Primeramente, el estudio contextualiza brevemente la relevancia de la gnoseología en el ámbito filosófico y social, y evalúa la relevancia de al-Tawḥīdī y su obra en la filosofía de la civilización islámica. Las principales tesis defendidas por al-Tawḥīdī son: la imposibilidad de que el conocimiento se comprenda a sí mismo, el origen divino del ‘aql y del nafs, y la inmortalidad del nafs. Sin embargo, existen aspectos difusos: la exacta correlación entre el nafs y el ‘aql en sus respectivas funciones y la inmortalidad del ‘aql tras la muerte

Révolutions arabes - Place des intellectuels auprès du pouvoir Le cas du <i>Kitāb al-Imtāʿ wa-l-muʾānassa<i/> d’Abū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī

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Nuha A. Alshaar, Ethics in Islam: Friendship in the Political Thought of al-Tawḥīdī and his Contemporaries, Routledge, New York 2015, pp. 252

review: Nuha A. Alshaar, Ethics in Islam: Friendship in the Political Thought of al-Tawḥīdī and his Contemporaries, routledge, New York 201

Los Ijwān al-ṣafā’ contra el estado abasí. Acción política en relación con los diversos estados de su época

This article studies the ideological identity of the authors of the Rasā’il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā’ and addresses the question of the authorship of the other works attributed to the Brethren of Purity (al-Risāla al-jāmi‘a and Jāmi‘at aljāmi‘a). Based on these theosophical works, it provides new evidence for the authors’ political stance against the Abbasid state and confirms their Shii inclination and opposition to the Abbasid caliphs of their time. These findings highlight the Ikhwān’s involvement in political activities through preaching the end of the “state of evil” (dawlat ahl al-sharr) and the beginning of the “state of good” (dawlat ahl al-khayr). It also contributes to the debate on the Ikhwān’s relation to other political opposition movements against the Abbasid reign and their links to the Shii states (Qarmatians, Buyids and Fatimids).En este artículo se investiga la identidad ideológica de los autores de las Rasā’il Ijwān al-ṣafā’ y cuestiona la posible autoría de las otras obras atribuidas a los Hermanos de la pureza (al-Risāla al-ŷāmi‘a, y la Ŷāmi‘at al-ŷāmi‘a). En base al texto de estas obras de carácter teosófico, se aportan nuevos datos que esclarecen la postura política de los autores en contra del estado abasí, y se precisa su tendencia chií en contra de los califas abasíes de su época. Estos nuevos datos señalan la implicación de los Ijwān al-ṣafā’ en la acción política a través de la predicación del fin del “estado del mal” (dawlat ahl al-šarr) y el comienzo del “estado del bien” (dawlat ahl al-jayr). Se analiza el debate surgido acerca la relación de los Ijwān al-ṣafā’ con diferentes corrientes políticas opositoras al régimen abasí, y su vínculo con estados chiíes (cármatas, buyíes y fatimíes)

Analisis Naratif Fasa Kehidupan Miskawayh (932-1030 M): Narrative Analysis on the Life Phases of Miskawayh (932-1030 M)

Miskawayh is an important figure in the development of Islamic ethical philosophy. The synthesis between Greek philosophy and Islamic knowledge which he developed in the Middle Ages is considered a significant innovation in the formation of Islamic ethical philosophy. Miskawayh’s scholarship can be seen in his career commitment and in academic circles during his stay in his hometown Rayy and Baghdad. Though Miskawayh’s biography has been widely presented, his biographical narrative in this study is needed to ascertain his life changes based on different phases of his life. Therefore, this qualitative study will discuss the biography of Miskawayh. A biographical narrative analysis of Miskawayh found four major phases in his life. The first phase (up until the age of about 20) was when he obtained basic Islamic knowledge and studied chemistry. The second phase was between 956 AD and 963 AD in Baghdad. During that period of time, he was involved in the discussion of philosophy and dealing with moral issues. The third phase was in 963 AD in Rayy, Iran, where he dedicated his time studying various themes of writing and teaching. The fourth phase was between 976 AD and 1030 AD, at the age of 44 until his death at the age of 96 in Iṣfahān, Iran. During this phase, he was active in philosophical writings and refining ethics. Due to the breadth of Miskawayh’s knowledge and experience, his writings on ethics have been influential, especially his magnum opus entitled Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq that has received a substantial amount of attention from the Islamic and Western scholars to this day. This work written to the end of Miskawayh’s life proved his scholarly interest in philosophy, self-development, and career. ABSTRAK&nbsp; Miskawayh merupakan seorang tokoh penting dalam perkembangan ilmu falsafah akhlak. Sintesis falsafah Yunani dengan ilmu Islam yang telah dilakukan oleh beliau pada abad pertengahan dianggap sebagai suatu inovasi yang signifikan dalam pembentukan ilmu akhlak Islam. Kesarjanaan Miskawayh boleh dilihat melalui komitmennya terhadap kerjaya dan dunia akademik sepanjang beliau berada di Rayy, Iran kota kelahirannya dan juga ketika berada di Baghdad. Walaupun biografi Miskawayh telah banyak dibentangkan, naratif biografi beliau di dalam kajian ini diperlukan bagi mengenal pasti perubahan hidup Miskawayh berdasarkan kepada fasa kehidupannya yang berbeza. Oleh itu, kajian berbentuk kualitatif ini akan membahaskan tentang biografi Miskawayh. Analisis naratif terhadap biografi tersebut mendapati bahawa Miskawayh telah melalui empat fasa penting dalam kehidupannya. Fasa pertama (sehingga usiannya kira-kira 20 tahun) ialah ketika beliau mendapatkan ilmu asas Islam dan mempelajari tentang ilmu kimia. Fasa kedua ialah antara 956 sehingga 963 Masihi di Baghdad. Ketika ini beliau terlibat dengan perbincangan falsafah dan berhadapan dengan masalah akhlak. Fasa ketiga pula ialah pada tahun 963 Masihi di Rayy, Iran di mana beliau telah mendedikasikan masanya untuk menelaah pelbagai tema penulisan dan mengajar. Fasa yang keempat ialah pada 976 Masihi iaitu ketika usianya mencecah 44 tahun sehingga beliau meninggal dunia pada 1030 Masihi pada usia 96 tahun di Iṣfahān, Iran. Pada fasa ini, beliau aktif dalam penulisan falsafah dan melakukan mujahadah dalam akhlak. Oleh kerana keluasan ilmu dan pengalaman yang telah dilalui oleh Miskawayh dalam empat fasa ini, penulisan beliau tentang akhlak terutamanya di dalam magnum opus yang bertajuk Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq menjadi sebuah karya yang berpengaruh dan mendapat perhatian pengkaji Islam dan Barat sehingga kini. Karya yang telah ditulis di penghujung hayat Miskawayh ini telah membuktikan kesarjanaan beliau dalam ilmu falsafah, hal pembangunan kendiri serta kerjaya. &nbsp