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Qustanti Islam: Difference between revisions
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'''Qustanti Islam''' or '''Jama'at as-Sunnah al-Myarabiq ar-Suqs''' ("Community of the Sacred Tradition of Muhammad through the lineage of Ali") is a form of {{wp|Shi'a Islam}} notable for its distinctive theology and jurisprudence. Qustantism originated in | [[File:Sultan-Qabus-Moschee, Muscat.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Mosque of Īsā ibn Maryam, the holiest site in Qustanti Islam.]] | ||
'''Qustanti Islam''' or '''Jama'at as-Sunnah al-Myarabiq ar-Suqs''' ("Community of the Sacred Tradition of Muhammad through the lineage of Ali") is a form of {{wp|Shi'a Islam}} notable for its distinctive theology and jurisprudence. Qustantism originated in islands off of [[Sarpedon|Sarpedon]] corresponding to the territory of [[Qustantistan]], a Qustanti confessional state. A traditionalist school of Islamic thought, Qustantism emphasises community and continuity as central principles of Islam, viewing the Muslim {{wp|ummah}}, rather than any physical text or abstract idea, as the essential instrument for the manifestation of God's will on Earth. Many aspects of Qustanti belief, organisation, and practice bear great similarity to apostolic Christianity, particularly [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]], and are widely attributed to the Christian heritage of Qustantistan prior to the Islamic conquest and influence of post-conquest [[Audonian_Christianity#Patriarchate_of_Elateia|Audonian Christians in Sarpedon]]. However, Qustanti theologians reject all accusations of {{wp|syncretism}}, and defend such elements as thoroughly Islamic and keeping continuity with the teachings of {{wp|Jesus in Islam|ʿĪsā ibn Maryam}} and earlier prophets. | |||
==Theology== | ==Theology== | ||
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If the Qur'ān and sunnah are silent on an issue or do not provide sufficient basis for a clear ruling, Qustanti jurists refer to secondary sources of law, either directly or to better illuminate higher sources. Foremost among these is ''{{wp|ijma'}}'', or consensus. In common with other Shi'a, Qustantis consider consensus among the {{wp|Companions of the Prophet}} is considered an extension of Sacred Tradition and is binding, as is consensus of the {{wp|ulama}} under the infallible Twelve Imams. Unlike other Shi'a, Qustantis also consider consensus among the first three generations of the citizens of Medina to be binding, although subordinate to consensus among the two aforementioned groups. Consensus among later Qustanti ulama and among the Qustanti community at large carries persuasive value, but is not binding. | If the Qur'ān and sunnah are silent on an issue or do not provide sufficient basis for a clear ruling, Qustanti jurists refer to secondary sources of law, either directly or to better illuminate higher sources. Foremost among these is ''{{wp|ijma'}}'', or consensus. In common with other Shi'a, Qustantis consider consensus among the {{wp|Companions of the Prophet}} is considered an extension of Sacred Tradition and is binding, as is consensus of the {{wp|ulama}} under the infallible Twelve Imams. Unlike other Shi'a, Qustantis also consider consensus among the first three generations of the citizens of Medina to be binding, although subordinate to consensus among the two aforementioned groups. Consensus among later Qustanti ulama and among the Qustanti community at large carries persuasive value, but is not binding. | ||
==History== | |||
===Pre-Islamic beliefs in the Melian Islands=== | |||
===Scholarly center in Qustantistan=== | |||
===Rise of the Qustanti Caliphs=== | |||
[[File:Portrait of Emperor Akbar Praying.jpg|150px|right|thumb|The Caliph Amir, first Caliph in Qustantistan.]] | |||
===The confessional state=== | |||
The independence of [[Qustantistan]] as part of the broader [[Crusades]] had the effect of solidifying Qustanti Islam as a distinct and surviving religious tradition. Historians generally attribute [[1144]], the year of the [[Crusades#Third_Crusade_(1144)|Third Crusade]], as the beginning of the period of "modern" Qustanti Islam. From that period, an unbroken line of Caliphs have governed the Qustanti faithful. Beginning with the age of exploration and advent of global trade and {{Wp|early modern period}}, Qustanti Islam found its way to many different countries and continents. In the 21st century, Qustanti communities are present on all seven continents. | |||
==Organisation== | ==Organisation== | ||
Caliph | [[File:Adraj kudai.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The "Tower of the Midnight Journey", administrative headquarters of worldwide Qustanti Islam in Qustantiniyyah.]] | ||
The central position within Qustanti Islam is the office of {{wp|Caliph}}, the successor of the prophet Muhammad. In this role, the Caliph has definitive teaching authority to a point; in incidences where the {{wp|Qur'ān}} and {{wp|sunnah}} are silent, the Caliph is considered to have ultimate scholarly and legal authority to resolve a dispute. In such disputes, the Caliph must cite previous sources in statements which are formed hierarchically, beginning with any tertiary possible Quranic references and ending with personal views or recent scholarship, with all other sources falling in between. In this sense, the teaching authority of the Caliph is that of "supreme scholar" rather than an independent arbiter or teacher, although his proclamations are believed to have an infallible nature. The infallible teaching of the Caliph is viewed in Qustanti Islam in light of {{wp|Ismah}}, a type of inerrancy emphasized also in Shi'a Islam. | |||
The Qustanti Caliph must always have some type of direct blood descent from the Caliph {{wp|Ali}}, and thus must be members of the {{wp|Ahl al-Bayt}} the family of Muhammad. These characteristics are shared with Shi'a belief, but unlike the Shi'a, the Qustanti Caliph is elected from among a number of eligible men known to descend directly from Ali. The electorate is the "miaya" ("hundred"), a body of qadis and other clerics whose scholarly credentials are highly respected and beyond repute. The number of men in the miaya usually includes more than a hundred, and its members are selected by the existing miaya in conjunction with the reigning Caliph. The Caliph, together with the men of the miaya, are considered by Qustanti Muslims to be the highest scholars of {{wp|Fiqh}} alive at any one time. | |||
Unlike other types of Islam, clerics within Qustanti Islam are considered by the faithful to have a sacerdotal character, and are not merely men well educated in Islamic jurisprudence. This clerical role is referred to as the "{{wp|Mullah}}ate", and all Caliphs and men of the miaya as well as all qadis and lower clerics who serve in official roles are required to be part of the Mullahate. The {{wp|Torah in Islam|Tawrat}} and as-Sunnah al-muqadasa ("sacred tradition"), according to Qustanti Muslims, "clearly and irrevocably" sets apart certain men for holy duty, as reflected in even the "corrupted practice" of Christians and Jews. | |||
Qadis (bishops) | Qadis (bishops) | ||
Clerics | Clerics | ||