Page 115 - Arabian Studies (V)

The Yemeni Poet Al-Zubayri 105

four Schools) do not recognise, onto the fundamental principles {usiif) of
the religion, namely that the Caliphate can lie in the ‘Alawls of the sons of
Fatimah79 only—as also it introduces a yet more dangerous politico-
religious theory, namely the duty of revolting against the unjust.80 This
was so that it would be the easier for him to revolt against the Caliphs, and
found a separate state from them and a Caliphate for the ‘Alawis of the
People of the House.
Thus the chief aim of the oppressed but ambitious among the ‘Alawls
was to revive the right of the ‘Alawls to the Caliphate. This aim it was
which was first instrumental in opening the door of independent judgement
(ijtihad), and which formulated the theory of revolt against the unjust, and
then the theory of the aim itself, namely the exclusive right of the ‘Alawls
to the Caliphate.81
[15]
8. Freedom of independent judgement (ijtihad)
(a) This is one of the politico-religious theories which the propagandists of
the Imams promulgated.
(b) Certainly these are splendid theories, but the real value they have,
and the true balance against which history will weight its judgement in
favour of these Imams or against them, lies in the extent alone to which
these theories share in practical application to real life.
(c) In the matter of independent judgement {ijtihad) it must be borne in
mind that in fundamental {usuti) questions it is prohibited, and therefore
nobody has derived any advantage in the fields of controversy around the
important issues of Islam. Nor has the propaganda of the Imams been
guiltless of disseminating the spirit of partisanship among the inhabitants
of the Upper segment against those of the Lower segment, and among
tribal circles against the town-dwellers, and of dubbing those who belong to
such Islamic sects as the Ash‘aris,82 ‘Infidels of Interpretation’, and of
exploiting those theories for political and economic ends.
(d) Even in questions of jurisprudence (fiqh) possibly touching, closely
or remotely, judicial or administrative affairs the opinion83 of the Imam is
what is imposed on the populace in North and South, and any independent
judgement {ijtihad) running counter to the opinion of the Imam is
(accorded) no value.84[16]
(e) All this apart, the effectiveness of the freedom of independent judge­
ment {ijtihad) has, over the years, declined and diminished,85 and a
frightening reality has taken its place, namely that while a formal freedom,
from the theoretical aspect only, does exist among the ,ulama\ the prota­
gonists of Imamic thought work in tribal circles, in a reverse direction,
spreading the doctrine of sanctification and deification of the Imamic
office, and all that this basic doctrine comprises in the way of theories
consequent upon it. All these serve the throne of the Imams and fashion an
ignorant popular partisan support for them out of the tribal element,
eliminating any value attached to freedom of independent judgement
{ijtihad), stifling the breath of the liberal ‘ulama’and causing them to live
throughout their lives under a sort of stranglehold, till, perchance, a