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Abu Shakir al-Daysani
Full Name'Abd Allah or Muhammad
TeknonymAbu Shakir
Epithetal-Daysani
Religious AffiliationDaysaniyya (Dualist) / Later Imami (disputed)
Places of ResidenceKufa
Deathc. 150/767
Known forProminent Zindiq of the era of Imam al-Sadiq (a)
StudentsHaddad • Abu 'Isa • Ibn al-Rawandi • Husri • Hisham b. al-Hakam
ActivitiesPromoting atheistic beliefs • Opposing the Qur'an • Writing books against the Prophet (s) • Debating with Imam al-Sadiq (a) • Mocking pilgrims


Abū Shākir al-Dayṣānī (Arabic: ابوشاکر الدَّیَصَانِی‏) was a prominent figure of the Daysaniyya sect who adhered to Dualism (Thanawiyya), a belief system positing the existence of two deities (creators and managers) governing the universe. A contemporary of Imam al-Sadiq (a), he engaged in theological debates with the Imam in various fields, both directly and through intermediaries such as Hisham b. al-Hakam and Mu'min al-Taq.

Abu Shakir cast doubts upon the Prophethood of the Messenger of God (s) and authored works criticizing the Prophet of Islam (s). In collaboration with 'Abd al-Malik al-Basri and Ibn al-Muqaffa', and at the suggestion of Ibn Abi l-'Awja', he attempted to challenge the Qur'an by endeavoring to produce a text that contradicted a portion of it; however, this collective effort ultimately failed.

Despite his extensive activities against Islamic sanctities and his contentious debates with Imam al-Sadiq (a), Abu Shakir is recorded as having praised the Imam, describing him as one of the brilliant stars of knowledge and learning.

Introduction and Status

Abu Shakir al-Daysani was a leader of the Daysaniyya[1] and was classified among the Zindiqs[2] (a term designating those who believe in the dual deities of light and darkness, or those who deny the Afterlife[3]). He maintained a belief in Dualism (Thanawiyya), asserting the existence of two creators and managers of the universe.[4] [5]

Regarding his religious status, a report by al-Shaykh al-Kulayni indicates that Imam al-Sadiq (a) referred to him as a "wicked Zindiq."[6] Conversely, a report by al-Tabarsi states that after Imam al-Sadiq (a) proved the existence of God to him, Abu Shakir repented of his former beliefs and converted to Islam.[7] He reportedly testified to the Imamate of Imam al-Sadiq (a)[8] and identified himself as a member of the Imamiya.[9] However, the Shia scholar Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin posits that Abu Shakir converted to Islam only outwardly, while remaining a Zindiq internally.[10]

Despite his status as a Zindiq, al-Shaykh al-Mufid notes that Abu Shakir praised Imam al-Sadiq (a), referring to him as "one of the brilliant stars of knowledge and learning," and as one for whom the little finger is bent first (signifying his primacy) whenever scholars are enumerated.[11]

Muhammad Salih al-Mazandarani (d. 1081/1670) recorded Abu Shakir's name as 'Abd Allah.[12] Muhaddith al-Urmawi concurs, suggesting that based on the narration of al-Shaykh al-Saduq, his given name appears to have been 'Abd Allah.[13] According to al-Urmawi, the author of *Fadayih al-rawafid* identified Abu Shakir's name as Muhammad.[14] However, some sources[15] consider Abu Shakir al-Daysani to be a distinct individual from 'Abd Allah al-Daysani.

Abu Shakir resided in Kufa[16] during the era of Imam al-Sadiq (a).[17] While precise dates regarding his birth and death are unavailable, Muhammad Hadi Ma'rifat (1930–2007), a Shia scholar, notes that he was alive until approximately 150/767.[18]

Qadi 'Abd al-Jabbar listed Haddad, Abu 'Isa, Ibn al-Rawandi, and Husri among the companions of Abu Shakir.[19] Certain reports indicate that Hisham b. al-Hakam was also an associate of Abu Shakir al-Daysani.[20] In this context, a narration from Imam al-Rida (a) has been cited which identifies Hisham as one of Abu Shakir's special disciples.[21] However, the extent of Abu Shakir al-Daysani's influence on Hisham and his intellectual development remains unclear, with some sources providing evidence that contradicts this association.[22]

Debates

Historical records and narrations describe various debates Abu Shakir held with Imam al-Sadiq (a), both directly and through intermediaries like Hisham b. al-Hakam and Mu'min al-Taq:

  • A report by al-Shaykh al-Saduq (305–381/917–991) states that Abu Shakir challenged Imam al-Sadiq (a) to prove the existence of God. The Imam demonstrated the principle of God's existence by citing the principle of human existence (self-contingency) and the impossibility of creation ex nihilo (from non-existence).[23]
  • al-Shaykh al-Saduq also records that Abu Shakir posed a paradox to Imam al-Sadiq (a) through Hisham: "Can God insert the world into an egg without the world shrinking or the egg expanding?" The Imam resolved this query using an analogy concerning the world and the perception of the human eye.[24]
  • al-Shaykh al-Kulayni (d. 329/941) writes that Abu Shakir argued for Dualism (two creators) by citing Qur'an 43:84. The Imam refuted this by explaining the multiplicity of a single entity's names in different regions (clarifying the verse's meaning regarding God's divinity in both the heavens and the earth).[25]
  • al-Shaykh al-Saduq reports that Abu Shakir asked Imam al-Sadiq (a) to prove that the universe is created (has a temporal beginning/Huduth). The Imam proceeded to prove the existence of a Creator by describing the intricate structure of an egg.[26]

[27]

  • According to 'Ali b. Ibrahim al-Qummi, an Imami narrator and exegete of the late 3rd/9th and early 4th/10th centuries, Abu Shakir questioned Imam al-Sadiq (a) through Mu'min al-Taq regarding the repetition of the phrase "Nor are you worshippers of what I worship" in verses 3 and 5 of Sura al-Kafirun. The Imam identified the obstinacy of the Quraysh in pressuring the Messenger of God (s) to accept their deities as the reason for this rhetorical repetition.[28]

However, according to al-Shaykh al-Mufid, Abu Shakir remained unconvinced by some of Imam al-Sadiq's (a) arguments.[29]

Activities Against Islamic Sanctities

Based on historical accounts, Abu Shakir engaged in numerous activities hostile to Islamic sanctities:

  • Qadi 'Abd al-Jabbar reports that Abu Shakir cast doubts upon the Prophethood of the Messenger of God (s) and authored a book criticizing him.[30]
  • al-Tabarsi writes that Abu Shakir al-Daysani, 'Abd al-Malik al-Basri, and Ibn al-Muqaffa'—at the suggestion of Ibn Abi l-'Awja'—agreed that each would attempt to contradict a portion of the Qur'an to invalidate the Prophethood of Muhammad (s) and Islam; they ultimately failed in this endeavor. Abu Shakir admitted: "I pondered deeply over Qur'an 21:22 ('Had there been gods in them [the heavens and the earth] other than Allah, they would have surely fallen apart') and was unable to produce a verse comparable to it."[31]
  • According to al-Tabarsi, Abu Shakir, accompanied by 'Abd al-Malik al-Basri, Ibn al-Muqaffa', and Ibn Abi l-'Awja', used to sit in Masjid al-Haram and mock the pilgrims.[32]

Notes

  1. ↑ Amīn al-ʿĀmilī, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 1, p. 46.
  2. ↑ Ṭabarsī, al-Iḥtijāj, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 333.
  3. ↑ Wāsiṭī al-Zubaydī, Tāj al-ʿarūs, 1414 AH, vol. 13, p. 201.
  4. ↑ Shabastarī, al-Fāʾiq fī ruwāt wa aṣḥāb al-Imām al-Ṣādiq (a), 1418 AH, vol. 2, p. 274.
  5. ↑ Daysan is the name of a river in the city of Ruha (Edessa), to which al-Daysani is attributed. Ruha is a city in Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia) situated between Mosul and Syria; it is currently known as Urfa (Şanlıurfa). Loghatnameh-ye Dehkhoda, under Daysan and Ruha.
  6. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, 1407 AH, vol. 1, p. 129.
  7. ↑ Ṭurayḥī, Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn, 1375 Sh, vol. 4, p. 171.
  8. ↑ Ṭabarsī, al-Iḥtijāj, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 333.
  9. ↑ Shabastarī, al-Fāʾiq fī ruwāt wa aṣḥāb al-Imām al-Ṣādiq (a), 1418 AH, vol. 2, p. 274.
  10. ↑ Amīn al-ʿĀmilī, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 1, p. 46.
  11. ↑ Mufīd, al-Irshād, 1413 AH, vol. 2, pp. 201-202.
  12. ↑ Māzandarānī, Sharḥ al-Kāfī, 1382 AH, vol. 4, p. 115.
  13. ↑ Muḥaddith al-Urmawī, Taʿlīqāt Naqḍ, 1358 Sh, vol. 1, p. 81.
  14. ↑ Muḥaddith al-Urmawī, Taʿlīqāt Naqḍ, 1358 Sh, vol. 1, p. 81.
  15. ↑ Būsnīna, Mawsūʿat aʿlām al-ʿulamāʾ wa al-udabāʾ al-ʿArab wa al-Muslimīn, 1425 AH, vol. 7, p. 92; Niʿma, Falāsifa-yi Shīʿa, 1367 Sh, p. 519.
  16. ↑ Maʿrifat, al-Tamhīd fī ʿulūm al-Qurʾān, 1410 AH, vol. 4, p. 243.
  17. ↑ Ṭabarsī, al-Iḥtijāj, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 333.
  18. ↑ Maʿrifat, al-Tamhīd fī ʿulūm al-Qurʾān, 1410 AH, vol. 4, p. 243.
  19. ↑ ʿAbd al-Jabbār, Tathbīt dalāʾil al-nubuwwa, vol. 2, p. 371.
  20. ↑ Barqī, al-Ṭabaqāt (Rijāl al-Barqī), 1383 AH, p. 35.
  21. ↑ Kashshī, Ikhtiyār maʿrifat al-rijāl, 1409 AH, p. 278.
  22. ↑ Tawḥīd al-Mufaḍḍal, translation by ʿAllāma Majlisī, p. 18.
  23. ↑ Ṣadūq, al-Tawḥīd, 1398 AH, p. 290.
  24. ↑ Ṣadūq, al-Tawḥīd, 1398 AH, pp. 122-123.
  25. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, 1407 AH, vol. 1, pp. 128-129.
  26. ↑ Ṣadūq, al-Tawḥīd, 1398 AH, pp. 292-293.
  27. ↑ Holding an egg in his hand, Imam al-Sadiq (a) said to al-Daysani: "O Daysani, this is a compact fortress enclosed by a thick shell; beneath this thick shell is a thin membrane, and within that membrane lie fluid gold (the yolk) and molten silver (the white). The fluid gold does not mix with the molten silver, nor does the molten silver mix with the fluid gold. It remains in its state; no reformer issues from it to report on its soundness, nor does a corrupter enter it to report on its decay. It is unknown whether it [the potential chick] is male or female. Suddenly, it splits, and out comes a distinct form resembling the colors of peacocks. Do you see a Manager (Mudabbir) for this egg who has designed and managed it?"
  28. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, 1404 AH, vol. 2, p. 445.
  29. ↑ Mufīd, al-Irshād, 1413 AH, vol. 2, p. 202.
  30. ↑ ʿAbd al-Jabbār, Tathbīt dalāʾil al-nubuwwa, vol. 2, p. 371.
  31. ↑ Ṭabarsī, al-Iḥtijāj, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 377.
  32. ↑ Ṭabarsī, al-Iḥtijāj, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 377.

References

  • ʿAbd al-Jabbār, Qāḍī, Tathbīt dalāʾil al-nubuwwa, Cairo, Dār al-Muṣṭafā, n.d.
  • Amīn al-ʿĀmilī, Sayyid Muḥsin, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, Beirut, Dār al-Taʿāruf, 1st edition, 1403 AH.
  • Barqī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, al-Ṭabaqāt (Rijāl al-Barqī), edited by Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī and Ḥasan Muṣṭafawī, Tehran, Tehran University Press, 1st edition, 1342 AH.
  • Būsnīna, Munjī, Mawsūʿat aʿlām al-ʿulamāʾ wa al-udabāʾ al-ʿArab wa al-Muslimīn, Tunis, ALECSO, 1st edition, 1425 AH.
  • Kashshī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar, Ikhtiyār maʿrifat al-rijāl, edited by Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī and Ḥasan Muṣṭafawī, Mashhad, Mashhad University Press, 1st edition, 1409 AH.
  • Kulaynī, Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb, al-Kāfī, edited by ʿAlī Akbar Ghaffārī and Muḥammad Ākhūndī, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 4th edition, 1407 AH.
  • Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir, Translation of Tawḥīd al-Mufaḍḍal, edited by Nāṣir Bāqirī Bīdahandī and Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabāyī, Tehran, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, 1st edition, 1379 Sh.
  • Maʿrifat, Muḥammad Hādī, al-Tamhīd fī ʿulūm al-Qurʾān, Qom, Markaz-i Mudīriyyat-i Ḥawza-yi ʿIlmiyya, 3rd edition, 1410 AH.
  • Māzandarānī, Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ, Sharḥ al-Kāfī (al-Uṣūl wa al-Rawḍa), edited by Abū l-Ḥasan Shaʿrānī, Tehran, al-Maktabat al-Islāmiyya, 1st edition, 1382 AH.
  • Mufīd, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad, al-Irshād fī maʿrifat ḥujaj Allāh ʿalā l-ʿibād, Qom, Congress of Shaykh Mufid, 1st edition, 1413 AH.
  • Muḥaddith al-Urmawī, Jalāl al-Dīn, Taʿlīqāt Naqḍ, Tehran, Anjuman-i Āthār-i Millī, 1358 Sh.
  • Niʿma, ʿAbd Allāh, Falāsifa-yi Shīʿa, translated by Jaʿfar Ghaḍbān, Tehran, Sāzmān-i Intishārāt wa Āmūzish-i Inqilāb-i Islāmī, 1st edition, 1367 Sh.
  • Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm, Tafsīr al-Qummī, edited by Ṭayyib Mūsawī Jazāyirī, Qom, Dār al-Kitāb, 3rd edition, 1404 AH.
  • Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī, al-Tawḥīd, edited by Hāshim Ḥusaynī, Qom, Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1st edition, 1398 AH.
  • Shabastarī, ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn, al-Fāʾiq fī ruwāt wa aṣḥāb al-Imām al-Ṣādiq (a), Qom, Jāmiʿat al-Mudarrisīn, 1st edition, 1418 AH.
  • Ṭabarsī, Aḥmad b. ʿAlī, al-Iḥtijāj ʿalā ahl al-lajāj, edited by Muḥammad Bāqir Khursān, Mashhad, Nashr-i Murtaḍā, 1st edition, 1403 AH.
  • Ṭurayḥī, Fakhr al-Dīn, Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn, edited by Sayyid Aḥmad Ḥusaynī, Tehran, Kitābfurūshī-yi Murtaḍawī, 3rd edition, 1375 Sh.
  • Wāsiṭī al-Zubaydī, Muḥibb al-Dīn, Tāj al-ʿarūs min jawāhir al-qāmūs, edited by ʿAlī Shīrī, Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, 1414 AH.
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