Dirasat fi Tamayyuz al-Umma al-Islamiyya wa Mawqif al-Mustashriqin minhu
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- Wizarat al-Awqaf wa-al-Shu'un al-Islamiyyah
Dirasat fi Tamayyuz al-Umma al-Islamiyya wa Mawqif al-Mustashriqin minhu (Arabic: دراسات في تميز الأمة الإسلامية وموقف المستشرقين منه, lit. 'Studies in the Distinction of the Islamic Ummah and the Orientalists' Stance on It') is an academic work by Ishaq ibn Abd Allah al-Sa'di exploring the defining characteristics, status, and foundational elements of the Islamic community, accompanied by a critical response to Orientalist perspectives .
Background and Publication
The work originated as a doctoral dissertation submitted by the author . It was first published in its original academic layout by Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in 1426 AH . To make its contents more accessible to readers, the study was later reorganized into a five-part division and published in two volumes in 1434 AH (2013 CE) by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Qatar, funded by the General Administration of Endowments .
Scope and Structure
The book addresses the uniqueness of the Muslim community in light of the Quran, the prophetic Sunnah, and the statements of classical scholars—such as Abu Hanifa, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti—while evaluating Orientalist critiques and arguments surrounding Islamic identity .
In its original dissertation form, the study was structured into an introductory division and two major parts :
- Introductory Section: Examines the linguistic and conceptual definitions of distinction (tamayyuz), community (umma), and Islamicity; establishes the religious necessity and status of communal distinction; and provides an overview of the origins, evolution, and concepts of Orientalism .
- Part One (Foundations and Characteristics): Divided into two chapters. The first covers the foundations of Islamic distinction—creed (ʿaqīda), divine law (sharīʿa), and Islamic brotherhood and unity—along with Orientalist views on each . The second covers four distinct characteristics: divine orientation (rabbāniyya), universality (ʿālamiyya), moderation (wasaṭiyya), and proactive benevolence (al-ījābiyya al-khayyira), responding to Orientalist arguments regarding them .
- Part Two (Objectives and Means): Divided into two chapters. The first addresses the objectives of distinction—realizing servitude to God (ʿubūdiyya) and fulfilling vicegerency on earth (istikhlāf) . The second addresses the means to achieve distinction: the Arabic language and Islamic history and civilization .
In the five-book publication format, Book 1 serves as the introduction to distinction and Orientalism; Book 2 covers the foundational components; Book 3 covers the characteristics; Book 4 covers the objectives; and Book 5 covers the means of achieving distinction, concluding with general research findings, recommendations, and analytical indexes spanning Quranic verses, hadiths, historical figures, and subjects .
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