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Books by Katharina Ivanyi

Humanitarian Islam is an innovative concept that has begun emerging from the traditions of Islam ... more Humanitarian Islam is an innovative concept that has begun emerging from the traditions of Islam in Indonesia in recent years. The most important contemporary Islamic organizations in Indonesia support it. Nevertheless, it seems to be unknown beyond the Southeast Asian context-despite its global potential, aspirations and claims. Moreover, the concept has not received any academic attention so far. This volume presents reflections on the idea of Humanitarian Islam by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars from Europe and beyond.

3 The Fundamentals of Piety: An Overview of the Structure and Contents of al-Ṭarīqa al-muḥammadiy... more 3 The Fundamentals of Piety: An Overview of the Structure and Contents of al-Ṭarīqa al-muḥammadiyya 116 vii Contents 4 The Slippery Slope of Piety: Birgivī on Sincerity, Sanctimony and How to Determine Right Intention 160 1 Introduction 160 2 Vocabulary and Semantics, Definitions and Classifications 162 3 Riyāʾ as Lesser Shirk 166 4 Other Types of Dissimulation 167 5 Sincerity (ikhlāṣ and iḥsān) 169 6 Truthfulness (ṣidq) 170 7 Various Taxonomies of riyāʾ 173 8 Legal Categorization 177 9 The Why(s) and How(s) of riyāʾ 178 10 The "People of Religion" 180 11 When Things Are Not That Clear-Cut 184 12 Embarrassment 189 13 How to Cure the Evil of riyāʾ 190 14 Display in Order to Guide, but How Can You Be Sure 194 15 Conclusion 196 5 The Economics of Piety: Birgivī on Wastefulness, the Cash waqf and Ottoman Land Tenure and Taxation 200 1 Introduction 200 2 Basic Concepts-The Good and Bad Qualities of Wealth 202 3 Stinginess, Generosity and Waste 205 4 The Causes, Manifestations and Antidotes of Wastefulness 208 5 Charity, Poverty and Begging 211 6 Payment for Religious Services 214 7 The Cash waqf 217 8 Land Tenure and Taxation 222 9 Conclusion 232 Conclusion 233

Papers by Katharina Ivanyi

This mecmūʿa, officially cataloged as Cod. Mixt. 220, is housed in the Austrian National Library.... more This mecmūʿa, officially cataloged as Cod. Mixt. 220, is housed in the Austrian National Library. Its contents cover a rich assortment of materials, comprising Ottoman and Persian poems of varying length, highly ornate letter samples, Arabic prayers, a list of common Persian vocabulary items, fevāʾid 1 registers, official records, a singular pleasantry (laṭīfe), şemsī and ḳamerī calendar calculations, as well as the enthronement dates of Ottoman sultans. Comprising a total of 90 folios, it showcases an array of calligraphic styles, including taʿlīḳ, nesiḫ, dīvānī, and siyāḳat. Noteworthy is the elusiveness of the

This book functions as the extension and companion volume to Mukhtar H. Ali's 2020 translation an... more This book functions as the extension and companion volume to Mukhtar H. Ali's 2020 translation and edition of the prolegomenon (muqaddima) of Dāʾūd al-Qayṣarī's (d. 751/1350) Maṭlaʿ khuṣūṣ al-kilam fī maʿānī fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam. 1 Commonly referred to as Dāʾūd al-Qayṣarī's Sharḥ, the Maṭlaʿ khuṣūṣ al-kilam is a commentary on Ibn ʿArabī's (d. 638/1240) Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, which, in its turn is one of most famous and influential texts of Ibn ʿArabī, next to his much more voluminous and notoriously difficult al-Futūḥāt almakkiyya. Recent decades have witnessed significant scholarly engagement with the reception of Ibn ʿArabī's ideas in the centuries after his death. Most prominent among this has been Caner Dagli's insightful study Ibn al-ʿArabī and Islamic Intellectual Culture: From mysticism to philosophy (London: Routledge, 2016), which represents a substantial addition to scholarship of previous decades-from William Chittick and Michel Chodkiewicz to Henri Corbin. Mukhtar H. Ali stands in this same tradition. Indeed, his analysis of Qayṣarī's muqadimma is heavily influenced by Dagli and Chittick, as well as by the late Iranian scholar Jalāl al-Dīn Āshtiyānī (d. 2005). The latter's Sharḥ-i muqaddima-yi Qayṣarī bar Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, in particular, formed the basis for Ali's selection from Qayṣarī in The Horizons of Being, which in its turn represents the springboard for his exposition in the volume under review. Ali's aim in Philosophical Sufism is to introduce the reader to "the foundational themes that one will encounter when reading Ibn al-ʿArabī and his commentators" (p. 21). Qayṣarī's muqaddima makes this possible, Ali argues, since it encapsulates some of the most important themes and ideas of "the school of Ibn ʿArabī"a term meant to designate "those who were in some way affiliated or influenced by [the Great Master]" (p. 6). First and foremost among these are Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī (d. 673/1274), Muʾayyid al-Dīn al-Jandī (d. ca. 700/1300), ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-Tilimsānī (d. 690/1291), ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Kāshānī (d. ca. 730/1330), Kāshānī's disciple Dāʾūd al-Qayṣarī, as well as a range of "other prominent Sufis and proponents of [Ibn ʿArabī's] doctrine" (p. 7). The terms "philosophical Sufism" and "school of Ibn ʿArabī," which Ali uses interchangeably and, indeed, synonymously, remain vague, however. The author eschews a substantial explanation for why the prolegomenon of Qayṣarī's commentary, compared to other works of the "school," would in fact be best suited to present the main themes, concerns and modes of expression characterizing the tradition. That is to say, it remains unclear in what ways Qayṣarī's prolegomenon is representative; more than that, there is no attempt to illustrate what, if anything, distinguishes Qayṣarī's exposition from that of other members of the "school." Indeed, little effort is made to give the reader any sense of possible disagreement, tension or change in the tradition at hand. Ali closely follows the structure of his base text. The twelve chapters of Philosophical Sufism thus mirror the twelve sections (fuṣūl, sg. faṣl) of Qayṣarī's muqaddima, as laid out in the Horizons of Being-the only exception being the final two chapters of the book. Chapter 1,

POLITICAL THOUGHT AND PRACTICE IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRΕ Halcyon days in Crete IX, 2019

Contrary to the traditional image of a stagnating, conservative state, innovation and reform seem... more Contrary to the traditional image of a stagnating, conservative state, innovation and reform seem to have been constant features of Ottoman administration throughout the empire’s long history. As the relevant treatises by Ottoman administrators and intellectuals reveal, reform and change became contested matters especially from the second half of the sixteenth century onwards: some authors felt the need for reform and advocated for it; others perceived changes as a challenge to the traditional order and suggested a return to what was considered the ‘Golden Age’ of the Empire. Eventually, in the grand narrative of Ottoman history, it is the Tanzimat which represents the climax of the process of transformation of the Empire. Even though it is often attributed to the influence (and pressure) of Western Europe, recent studies emphasise the internal dynamics of Ottoman society and administration rather than external factors, treating the developments of the seventeenth and the eighteenth century as a course towards modernity.

This volume aims to explore Ottoman political thought and seeks answers to questions such as those: Did Ottoman political thinkers precede policy-makers in proposing reform, or did political writers feel surpassed by developments with which they did not agree? What was the relation of religion-oriented ideological currents with like-minded reforms in the fiscal and landholding systems? What was the relation between European (and/or Iranian) thought and Ottoman political developments? Was there innovative political thinking that led to the radical reforms of the Tanzimat era?

Moreover, the volume seeks to investigate the relation of political ideas to the political praxis of their time: i.e. to examine the nature of political power in the various stages of the Empire, the developments that led particular groups to advocate specific reforms, the power networks at the administrative and political levels, the reception of political reform in Istanbul and the provinces, the participation of various political actors in state policy-making and its legitimisation, and so forth.

Journal of Islamic Studies, 2009

Despite growing academic interest in the field of modern Islamic thought, many works of the most ... more Despite growing academic interest in the field of modern Islamic thought, many works of the most prominent Muslim thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth century have still not been made available in European languages. Nor have scholars generally been concerned ...

The Maghreb review. Majallat al-Maghrib, 2007

Maghreb review: Majallat al-Maghrib, 2007

Humanitarian Islam is an innovative concept that has begun emerging from the traditions of Islam ... more Humanitarian Islam is an innovative concept that has begun emerging from the traditions of Islam in Indonesia in recent years. The most important contemporary Islamic organizations in Indonesia support it. Nevertheless, it seems to be unknown beyond the Southeast Asian context-despite its global potential, aspirations and claims. Moreover, the concept has not received any academic attention so far. This volume presents reflections on the idea of Humanitarian Islam by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars from Europe and beyond.

3 The Fundamentals of Piety: An Overview of the Structure and Contents of al-Ṭarīqa al-muḥammadiy... more 3 The Fundamentals of Piety: An Overview of the Structure and Contents of al-Ṭarīqa al-muḥammadiyya 116 vii Contents 4 The Slippery Slope of Piety: Birgivī on Sincerity, Sanctimony and How to Determine Right Intention 160 1 Introduction 160 2 Vocabulary and Semantics, Definitions and Classifications 162 3 Riyāʾ as Lesser Shirk 166 4 Other Types of Dissimulation 167 5 Sincerity (ikhlāṣ and iḥsān) 169 6 Truthfulness (ṣidq) 170 7 Various Taxonomies of riyāʾ 173 8 Legal Categorization 177 9 The Why(s) and How(s) of riyāʾ 178 10 The "People of Religion" 180 11 When Things Are Not That Clear-Cut 184 12 Embarrassment 189 13 How to Cure the Evil of riyāʾ 190 14 Display in Order to Guide, but How Can You Be Sure 194 15 Conclusion 196 5 The Economics of Piety: Birgivī on Wastefulness, the Cash waqf and Ottoman Land Tenure and Taxation 200 1 Introduction 200 2 Basic Concepts-The Good and Bad Qualities of Wealth 202 3 Stinginess, Generosity and Waste 205 4 The Causes, Manifestations and Antidotes of Wastefulness 208 5 Charity, Poverty and Begging 211 6 Payment for Religious Services 214 7 The Cash waqf 217 8 Land Tenure and Taxation 222 9 Conclusion 232 Conclusion 233

This mecmūʿa, officially cataloged as Cod. Mixt. 220, is housed in the Austrian National Library.... more This mecmūʿa, officially cataloged as Cod. Mixt. 220, is housed in the Austrian National Library. Its contents cover a rich assortment of materials, comprising Ottoman and Persian poems of varying length, highly ornate letter samples, Arabic prayers, a list of common Persian vocabulary items, fevāʾid 1 registers, official records, a singular pleasantry (laṭīfe), şemsī and ḳamerī calendar calculations, as well as the enthronement dates of Ottoman sultans. Comprising a total of 90 folios, it showcases an array of calligraphic styles, including taʿlīḳ, nesiḫ, dīvānī, and siyāḳat. Noteworthy is the elusiveness of the

This book functions as the extension and companion volume to Mukhtar H. Ali's 2020 translation an... more This book functions as the extension and companion volume to Mukhtar H. Ali's 2020 translation and edition of the prolegomenon (muqaddima) of Dāʾūd al-Qayṣarī's (d. 751/1350) Maṭlaʿ khuṣūṣ al-kilam fī maʿānī fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam. 1 Commonly referred to as Dāʾūd al-Qayṣarī's Sharḥ, the Maṭlaʿ khuṣūṣ al-kilam is a commentary on Ibn ʿArabī's (d. 638/1240) Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, which, in its turn is one of most famous and influential texts of Ibn ʿArabī, next to his much more voluminous and notoriously difficult al-Futūḥāt almakkiyya. Recent decades have witnessed significant scholarly engagement with the reception of Ibn ʿArabī's ideas in the centuries after his death. Most prominent among this has been Caner Dagli's insightful study Ibn al-ʿArabī and Islamic Intellectual Culture: From mysticism to philosophy (London: Routledge, 2016), which represents a substantial addition to scholarship of previous decades-from William Chittick and Michel Chodkiewicz to Henri Corbin. Mukhtar H. Ali stands in this same tradition. Indeed, his analysis of Qayṣarī's muqadimma is heavily influenced by Dagli and Chittick, as well as by the late Iranian scholar Jalāl al-Dīn Āshtiyānī (d. 2005). The latter's Sharḥ-i muqaddima-yi Qayṣarī bar Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, in particular, formed the basis for Ali's selection from Qayṣarī in The Horizons of Being, which in its turn represents the springboard for his exposition in the volume under review. Ali's aim in Philosophical Sufism is to introduce the reader to "the foundational themes that one will encounter when reading Ibn al-ʿArabī and his commentators" (p. 21). Qayṣarī's muqaddima makes this possible, Ali argues, since it encapsulates some of the most important themes and ideas of "the school of Ibn ʿArabī"a term meant to designate "those who were in some way affiliated or influenced by [the Great Master]" (p. 6). First and foremost among these are Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī (d. 673/1274), Muʾayyid al-Dīn al-Jandī (d. ca. 700/1300), ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-Tilimsānī (d. 690/1291), ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Kāshānī (d. ca. 730/1330), Kāshānī's disciple Dāʾūd al-Qayṣarī, as well as a range of "other prominent Sufis and proponents of [Ibn ʿArabī's] doctrine" (p. 7). The terms "philosophical Sufism" and "school of Ibn ʿArabī," which Ali uses interchangeably and, indeed, synonymously, remain vague, however. The author eschews a substantial explanation for why the prolegomenon of Qayṣarī's commentary, compared to other works of the "school," would in fact be best suited to present the main themes, concerns and modes of expression characterizing the tradition. That is to say, it remains unclear in what ways Qayṣarī's prolegomenon is representative; more than that, there is no attempt to illustrate what, if anything, distinguishes Qayṣarī's exposition from that of other members of the "school." Indeed, little effort is made to give the reader any sense of possible disagreement, tension or change in the tradition at hand. Ali closely follows the structure of his base text. The twelve chapters of Philosophical Sufism thus mirror the twelve sections (fuṣūl, sg. faṣl) of Qayṣarī's muqaddima, as laid out in the Horizons of Being-the only exception being the final two chapters of the book. Chapter 1,

POLITICAL THOUGHT AND PRACTICE IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRΕ Halcyon days in Crete IX, 2019

Contrary to the traditional image of a stagnating, conservative state, innovation and reform seem... more Contrary to the traditional image of a stagnating, conservative state, innovation and reform seem to have been constant features of Ottoman administration throughout the empire’s long history. As the relevant treatises by Ottoman administrators and intellectuals reveal, reform and change became contested matters especially from the second half of the sixteenth century onwards: some authors felt the need for reform and advocated for it; others perceived changes as a challenge to the traditional order and suggested a return to what was considered the ‘Golden Age’ of the Empire. Eventually, in the grand narrative of Ottoman history, it is the Tanzimat which represents the climax of the process of transformation of the Empire. Even though it is often attributed to the influence (and pressure) of Western Europe, recent studies emphasise the internal dynamics of Ottoman society and administration rather than external factors, treating the developments of the seventeenth and the eighteenth century as a course towards modernity.

This volume aims to explore Ottoman political thought and seeks answers to questions such as those: Did Ottoman political thinkers precede policy-makers in proposing reform, or did political writers feel surpassed by developments with which they did not agree? What was the relation of religion-oriented ideological currents with like-minded reforms in the fiscal and landholding systems? What was the relation between European (and/or Iranian) thought and Ottoman political developments? Was there innovative political thinking that led to the radical reforms of the Tanzimat era?

Moreover, the volume seeks to investigate the relation of political ideas to the political praxis of their time: i.e. to examine the nature of political power in the various stages of the Empire, the developments that led particular groups to advocate specific reforms, the power networks at the administrative and political levels, the reception of political reform in Istanbul and the provinces, the participation of various political actors in state policy-making and its legitimisation, and so forth.

Journal of Islamic Studies, 2009

Despite growing academic interest in the field of modern Islamic thought, many works of the most ... more Despite growing academic interest in the field of modern Islamic thought, many works of the most prominent Muslim thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth century have still not been made available in European languages. Nor have scholars generally been concerned ...

The Maghreb review. Majallat al-Maghrib, 2007

Maghreb review: Majallat al-Maghrib, 2007