Intellectuals in Arab Civilization The Ordeal of Ibn Hanbal and the Calamity of Ibn Rushd

Description

In this book, Al-Jabiri examines the concept of the intellectual and finds that this concept lacks a foundational framework in Arab culture. He attempts to construct such a framework through the cultural grounding of modern concepts. The author addresses topics such as intellectuals in medieval Europe, the authority of Arab scholarship in Europe, the emergence of intellectuals in Islam, and the generations of intellectuals in Islam. He concludes with the necessity of rewriting Arab history.

The book also includes a study of the ordeals faced by two Muslim scholars, Ibn Hanbal and Ibn Rushd, as a result of their differing opinions with those of the ruling authorities. Al-Jabiri’s attempt to interpret history is aimed at understanding our present and deepening this understanding, as well as highlighting the ongoing conflict between the state and scholars.