Activism and Quietism in Islam: The case of the early Murji'a

This chapter is concerned with establishing the political character of early Murji'ism; I shall argue, against the prevailing view, that it was activist. By way of essential background, I shall begin by sketching the little we know about early Murji'ism in general. At the end, I shall place myfindings in the context of the wider question of activism and quietism in Islam. The research on which I am drawing here is presented in detail in a forthcoming monograph on the sources for the study of the Murji'ite and Qadarite controversies in early Islam.1 The source-critical character of my research will be obvious even in the summary treatment given here: There will be more discussion of sources than of politics. Sources are less interesting than politics; but this presentation may at least help to bring horne how thin are the threads from which our modern interpretations hang.