Bishr al-Marisi
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Bishr ibn Ghiyath al-Marisi | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 755 CE |
| Died | 813 CE |
| Region | Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) |
| Main interest(s) | Philosophy |
| Notable idea(s) | Creation of the Qur'an, Metaphorical Interpretations of God's Attributes |
| Occupation | Scholar and theologian |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam (formerly) |
| Denomination | Murji'ah, Jahmiyyah[1] |
| Senior posting | |
Influenced by | |
Influenced | |
Bishr al-Marisi (Arabic: بشر المريسي born 755, died 813) full name Abu 'Abd al-Rahman Bishr ibn Ghiyath ibn Abi Karimah al-Marisi[2] or simply Bishr ibn Ghiyath al-Marisi was a 9th-century religious scholar and theologian.[2][1][3] He was infamous for his controversial views which earned him the scorn of his contemporary Muslim scholars.[4][5][6]
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Bishr's father, Ghiyath, was a Jewish slave or jeweller from Kufa[7][8] who had reverted to Islam and become a mawla of the Quraysh tribe.[9][4]
Pursuit of knowledge and asceticism
[edit]In adulthood, Bishr became an ascetic, and he took scholarly knowledge from Hanafi scholars, such as Abu Yusuf.[9][5][7] However, he later adopted the Jahmite views after he learned them from a group of Jahm bin Safwan's students.[8][10] Abu Yusuf disassociated with Bishr after finding out that he had Jahmite or Murji'ite tendencies.[5]
Bishr also conducted theological debates with Al-Shafi'i, and in his free time he made offensive melodies and poetry.
Death
[edit]Bishr al-Marisi died in the year 813.[4][8] According to Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, the people of Baghdad (whom were influenced by Bishr's opponents) rejoiced upon hearing news of his death.[11]
Criticism
[edit]Bishr al-Marisi was criticized and subsequently excommunicated by many scholars who lived contemporary to him, and after him.[5][7][3] The Shafi'ite jurist Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Darimi wrote a book titled Naqd 'Uthman ibn Sa'id 'alal-Marisi al-Jahmi al-Anid, which was a detailed refutation of Bishr and his theology.[12] The Hanafite jurist Abd al-Aziz al-Kinani published a treatise titled Kitab al-Haydah, which served a similar purpose.[13][14] Some other scholars had murderous desires against him and attempted to incite violence against him.[15][16] One such example was Yazid ibn Harun, whom encouraged his neighbours to assault and kill Bishr.
The Tabi' al-Tabi'een members, Sufyan ibn Uyaynah and Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak excommunicated Bishr al-Marisi.[5][15] Even Sufis like Bishr Hafi[5] did the same, and were harsh against Bishr's opinions especially his views on the createdness of the Qur'an and God's divine attributes. Abu Bakr al-Khallal also forbade people from praying behind Bishr al-Marisi.[15][10]
Praise
[edit]Despite the harsh criticisms from many scholars, Bishr al-Marisi was praised by the historian Al-Dhahabi, who regarded him as a brilliant speaker and debater.[9][8] Ibn al-Nadim regarded Bishr as a great ascetic who wrote books in refutation of the Kharijites and Shi'ites.[10] Later theologians like Ibn Furak, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi incorporated some of Bishr's theological principles into their own theological concepts.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Nofal, Faris (2017). "Murjiʼism of Bishr al-Marisi: an essay of contextual reconstruction". Philosophy Journal. 10 (3): 47–60. doi:10.21146/2072-0726-2017-10-3-47-60.
- ^ a b Gozashteh, Naser; Asatryan, Translated by Mushegh (2021-06-17), "Bishr al-Marīsī", Encyclopaedia Islamica, Brill, retrieved 2024-03-23
- ^ a b "Bishr Al-Marîsî [died 218 Hijrah]: A Viscous Villain | Taarikh | SimplySalafiyyah.com". www.simplysalafiyyah.com. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ a b c "بشر المريسي، الشيخ أبو عبد الرحمن بشر بن غياث بن أبي كَرِيمة المريسي الحنفي". marjah.net. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g "وفاة بشر المريسي من رؤوس المعتزلة". dorar.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ "بشر بن غياث المريسي - The Hadith Transmitters Encyclopedia". hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ a b c "ص277 - كتاب وفيات الأعيان - بشر المريسي - المكتبة الشاملة". shamela.ws. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ a b c d "Bishr al-Marisi". al-hakawati.net. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ a b c "إسلام ويب - سير أعلام النبلاء - الطبقة العاشرة - المريسي- الجزء رقم10". www.islamweb.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ a b c "Biography of Bishr al-Marisi".
- ^ al-Baghdadi, al-Khatib. "Tarikh Baghdad". HasbunAllaah. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ رد الامام الدارمي على بشر المريسي المجلد.
- ^ Yahya, al-Kinani 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn (1964). Kitab al-haidah.
- ^ الكناني ،الامام, عبد العزيز بن يحيى (2007-01-01). كتاب الحيدة (قصة المناظرة بين المؤلف وبشر المريسي في مسألة خلق القرآن) (in Arabic). Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية. ISBN 978-2-7451-5770-6.
- ^ a b c Ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abdullah. "Kitab as-Sunnah". Kitab As-Sunnah.
- ^ "إسلام ويب - البداية والنهاية - سنة ثمان عشرة ومائتين - من توفي فيها من الأعيان- الجزء رقم14". www.islamweb.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-23.