Islamic Theology as Modern-Day Subject of Study: Secular and Religious Aspects

In: Islam v sovremennom mire: recenziruemyj naučnyj žurnal = Islam in the modern world : peer-reviewed academic journal, Band 15, Heft 3, S. 35-46

Abstract

The Tatar thinker Sh. Marjani's basic ideas on the origin of the world were outlined in his several works: "Haqq al-Bayan … (True Explanation …)"; "Kitab al-Hikma al-baliga …" (The Book of Mature Philosophy…), "Kitab al-Azb al-Furat wa-l-ma al-zulal …» (The Book About Fresh, Refreshing, Spring Water…) and "Risala bi al-tariq al-musli …" (A Treatise Worthy of Imitation…). Basically following the beliefs of falasifa on the eternal creation of the world, criticizing some ideas of the mutakallims concerning relationship between God and His attributes, Marjani has developed his own theory of the world origin. He affirmed that only God, who is true eternal as well as simultaneously transcendent and immanent to the finite world, creates it eternally, as the falasifa had understood it earlier.