Jahm bin Safwan

Jahm ibn Safwān (جهم بن صفوان) was a controversial Islamic theologian who attached himself to Hārith b. Surayj, a rebel in Khurasan towards the end of the Umayyad period, and who was put to death in 128/745-6 by Salim b. Ahwaz. [Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam p.83, Leiden 1974]

Biography

He was born in Kufah, but settled down in Khurasān in Tirmidh. His birthyear is unknown, but he probably was born in the first century. He learned under al-Ja'd b. Dirham, a sectarian from Harran in Syria. al-Ja'd b. Dirham was a teacher of the last Umayyad Caliph, Marwan II, and is described as a Dahrî and Zindîq. [Abdus Subhan, al-Jahm bin Safwan and his philosophy p.221 in: Islamic Culture 1937, W. Montgomery Watt, Early Discussions about the Qur'ān p.28 in: The Muslim World 1950, al-Dahabi, Mizan al-I'tidal 1:185] He was the first Muslim who spoke about the createdness of the Qur'ân, the denial of Abraham's friendship to God and Moses' speaking to Him. [W. Madelung, The Origins on the Controversy concerning the Creation of the Qur'ān p.505 in: Orientalia hispanica sive studia F.M. Pareja octogenario dicata, Leiden 1974] From al-Ja'd Jahm b. Safwān inherited some sectarian doctrines and would become the founder of the Jahmiyyah (see: Jahmites). [al-Bukhāri, Khalq Af'āl al-'Ibād no.4, Kuwait 1985]

Teachings

Jahm was the first major propagator of the createdness of the Qur'ān. He believed that the Speech of God is created, since all attributes that are ascribed to God and which are shared by the creation are created too. There can be no sharing in name or attribute, according to Jahm, for that would necessitate assimilation (al-tashbîh). He therefore denied each and every attribute mentioned in the scriptures, for fear of anthropomorphism. The only attributes he accepted and described God with were two: creating and power. He believed that creating is the sole attribute that belongs properly to God and power too; all power witnessed among the creatures is metaphorically theirs, not literally. This last belief lead him to the doctrine of fatalism, called "al-jabr" (compulsion) for which they are called al-Mujbira. He based his theology upon a philosophical thinking he borrowed from non-Arabs mostly. [al-Shahrastāni, Muslim sects and divisions p.72ff]

Heritage

Jahm's doctrines about God and His attributes found a lot of adherence among the Mu'tazilah, who were named Jahmites by their adversaries. The Mu'tazilah are known because of their belief that the Qur'ān is created, a tenet wherein they imitated Jahm in. They would also become known as deniers of God's attributes in contradistinction of the affirmers from among the Ash'arites and others. [Ibid.]

Criticism

Jahm b. Safwān was declared because of these doctrines an unbeliever by the orthodox Muslims, in particular the Ahle Hadith. [al-Bukhārî, Khalq Af'āl al-'Ibād no.42, Ibn Batta al-'Ukbari, al-Ibāna 'an sharî'at al-firqat al-nājiyat no.2335, no.2339, no.2345 and further.] Of all Sunni denominations only his was declared outside the fold of Islam. Early on many scholars of Hadith wrote refutations of his doctrines, cf. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Bukhari, and al-Darimi. [They wrote respectively: al-Radd 'alā al-Zanādiqah wa'l-Jahmiyyah, Khaql Af'āl al-'Ibād wa'l-Radd 'alā al-Jahmiyyah wa-Ashāb al-Ta'tîl and al-Radd 'alā'l-Jahmiyyah] The latter also wrote a large refutation of a prominent Jahmite by the name of Bishr b. Ghiyāt al-Mārisî wherein he declared him a Kafir (an unbeliever). [Refer to: Naqd 'Uthmān b. Sa'îd 'alā al-Mārisî al-Jahmî al-'Anîd fi Iftirā 'alā Allāh fî al-Tawhîd, Riyad 1999]

ee also

Jahm left no writings, but many Muslim scholars of the past wrote about his doctrines and a few modern scholars wrote studies of him. [For modern studies see: Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi, Tarikh al-Jahmiyyah wa'l-Mu'tazilah and R.M. Frank, The neoplatonism of Ğahm ibn Safwân in: Le Museon 1965 p.395ff] For internet resources about him and his doctrines:

Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Hanābilites

References