Albert Hourani and Ibn Khaldoun - Essay Example

Albert Hourani and Ibn Khaldoun Both Ibn Khaldoun and Albert Hourani are two thinkers and political analysts, who have their own theorization about political development in the Middle East and Arab region. In Ibn Khaldoun’s “Muqaddimah” and Hourani’s "A History of the Arab Peoples," the two authors attempt to precisely raise the delicate thread of the history of Arab peoples to understand the profound changes and take objective traditions that underpin the divisions of a culture as rich as unknown in the West. They both trace political advancements that took place in the Arab region during and after the advent of Islam, and study the social, cultural, and religious factors that affected the regional politics. In this context, it is noticeable that Hourani, in his analysis of the politics of the Arab world, was greatly affected by the political theories of Ibn Khaldoun. In many sections of his book, Hourani cites Ibn Khaldoun, covers much the same territories of Islamic history, and elaborates on many political theories he developed. Starting by Ibn Khaldoun, he is a famous Moslem historian and sociologist who was born in 1332 and died in 1406. He produced various books and philosophical theories that are still studied and implemented till the present days. Although his main studying and research were about sociology, he also wrote many books that tackled political and economic issues with insight. The variety of the fields in which Ibn Khaldoun was specialized stems from the fact that he saw a strong link between the social change and the atmosphere and the level of economic activity in any given society. According to him, societies are held together by strong social cohesiveness, and according to his theories, religion serves as an important factor. One of the important fields which Ibn Khaldoun mastered is the socio-political factors that put the framework of the relationship between the individual and the state. In most cases, this relationship involves some moralities to be followed. These moral ideas are not absolute; that is, they are relative in the sense that each writer sees morality and its relation to the state in a different and unique way. Similarly, Hourani, in his book, presents his political views while he traces the emergence of Islam, which was born into a pagan area influenced by Christianity and Judaism, where the great powers exercised no direct control that is a breeding ground in both the political and religious. A new political order, headed by a new elite, following the Arab tribes of Mecca, went up between the two empires. The precise role that Mohammed has played in these events is uncertain because the history of his time was reconstituted in writing nearly a century after his death. These biographies tell of events concerning his life, his revelation and his action may not have been fabricated. Muhammad began to communicate his message, announcing the end of the world, the arrival of Reckoning, asking to submit to the Will of Allah, the Arabic word for the God of monotheism. His relations with other tribes deteriorated so quickly that he left Mecca for Medina in the Hijra, the Hijra, which marks the beginning of the Muslim era (622). In Medina, Muhammad gathered an increased number of supporters and fought to Quraysh. For Ibn Khaldoun, morality matters in the relationship between the individual and the state to the extent that any resolutions or acts taken by the ruler should be evaluated by the moral principles of the society. As one of the great political thinkers and anthropologists, he was greatly affected by the Islamic traditions that values morality above one’s own interests. One of the important moral principles for Ibn Khaldoun is blood ties, which he considered to be an excellent means which connects all segments of any civil society. In chapter 2 of his “Muqaddimah,” Ibn Khaldoun stresses the fact that "group feeling results only from blood relationship or something corresponding to it," (p 98). Besides, cooperation is another important moral principle for Ibn Khaldoun. According to him, People cooperate and help each other because "one feels shame when ones relatives are treated unjustly or attacked," (p. 98). Therefore, society, for Ibn Khaldoun, is held together along family lines, and with the idea of cooperation. According to him, non-familial bonds that allow society to cooperate are also praised. In addition, Ibn Khaldoun believes that religion strengthens society because "religious coloring does away with jealousy and envy" (p.126). So, "jealousy and envy" are two immoral concepts that are clearly opposed by Ibn Khaldoun. Consequently, it can be said that Ibn Khaldoun values morality highly in relation to citizenship and the state. Among political analysts and thinkers who are affected greatly by the theories and opinions of Ibn Khaldoun is Albert Hourani. In his book, Hourani traces the history of the Arab world and Arabian Peninsula in an attempt to identify the culture, social bonds, and civilization of this region. The author notes that the Arab world is a region that has been a centre of civilization and crossroads of trade. Like Ibn Khaldoun, Hourani believes that there are many bonds that link Arab countries together, such as language, common historical experience, culture, social structure, and the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions. However, Hourani argues that there are two political concepts that have greatly been affecting the social and political cohesion of the Arab and Islamic world; namely, the Arab concept of the tribe, and the Islamic concept of the "Ummah" or the Muslim community. Those two concepts have been shaping the political, social, and economic cohesiveness of the Arab world since prehistoric times till the present day. This is one of the areas, where Hourani was greatly affected by Ibn Khaldoun, as both believed in the strong impact of social bonds and family ties on the lives of people. That is, Hourani applied Ibn Khaldoun’s theories about social bonds to the history of Arabs both before and after the advent of Islam. According to Hourani, the emergence of Islam in Mecca has a significant effect on the political and social atmosphere on the Arab peninsula, as it widened and transformed the bonds of the tribes, into a wider cohesion, linking all the countries of the Islamic community, forming, what is referred to as "the Ummah." Historically, the first phase of Arab history was characterized by tribal Arab nationalism, prior to the emergence of Islam. That is, the tribe or "qabila" was the strongest bond that connects a small community of the Arab people together. During that time, the national identity of the Arab people was based on the sacred foundation of the tribe. However, with the advent of the Islamic religion in Mecca, a new social and political bond has been formed, namely the religious foundation of Islam. In this context, Hourani builds upon the theories of Ibn Khaldoun, who critically dealt with the history of the Arab world. On that basis, Islam is considered by both Hourani and Ibn Khaldoun as not just a religion for Arabs; rather, it is one of the major elements that shape the culture of both Moslems and Non-Moslems in the Arab region since the 7th century. Therefore, Hourani’s book can be placed within the realm of books, which give great credit to the Islamic religion as the founder of the current Arab nationalism and identity. In this context, Hourani is fully aware that Arabs are not only Muslims, although Moslems constitutes the majority of Arabs, since Islam has entered many of the countries of the Middle East. The word "Arab" is applied to those, who speak the Arabic language and engaged in the Arabic culture, whether they are Muslims, Christians, or Jews.  However, Islam is the main religion of the Arab world, since it emerged for the first time in the Arabian Peninsula in the early seventh century, and soon it expanded across North Africa and the entire Middle East, founding a new Islamic and Arab community, referred to as "the Ummah." Since the early period of the spreading of Islam in the Middle East, there was a sense of Arab unity through the intermixture of people, who share the same Arabic language and culture. This dominating sense of the Arab and Islamic identity has been shaped by the Islamic principles, which view the various Islamic countries as one unified nation or a large community. This community is linked through commercial and economic bonds among its various countries. So, it may be argued that the emergence of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula has transformed the political and economic concept of the tribe into a new state structure, based on trade, economy, religion, and politics, instead of depending mainly on kinship and tribal bonds. Therefore, it can be said that the main strength of Hourani’s book lies in his insightful analysis of the various Arab bonds that are identified by language, culture, religion, and history. Hourani is professional enough to realize the significant role played by Islam in linking Arab countries and developing a unique culture that is different from that of the west. Despite the rapid social and cultural changes brought by modernization, the emergence of nationalism, and state structures in the Middle East, the cultural profiles of Arab-Islamic societies still differ profoundly from those of Western societies. For example, the peoples of the Middle East and Arab countries have not disposed of the traditional attachment to families and rituals of hospitality and conflict mediation, till the present day. In addition, they also have not dispensed with their effective kin-based collectivities, such as the bonds of the tribe, which performed most of the social, economic, and political functions of societies in the absence of centralized state governments till the contemporary history. Even today, the institutions of the various nations do not always penetrate deeply into many of the social relations, and internal tribal affairs are often administered through informal networks in which local authorities and religious leaders find conclusions and resolutions to the conflicts between individuals, in a form similar of the old concept of the Arabic tribe. Thus, it can be concluded that the contemporary history of the Arab world still reflects to a great extent the old concepts, such as kinship, tribal bonds, and the Islamic community. In conclusion, it can be said that both Ibn Khaldoun and Hourani professionally analyze the social, cultural, and political aspects that dominated the Arab world during the early years of Islam. A deep analysis of Hourani’s book reveals the fact that he builds on many of Ibn Khaldoun’s political and social views, especially in regard to the role of social bonds and family ties in the political development of the Islamic religion in the Arab region. However, the only weakness that can be traced in Hourani’s book is his incomprehensive and weak analysis of some of the defects that used to distort the Arab culture, such as women suppression, slavery, and lack of freedom. At the end, one may conclude that the impact of Ibn Khaldoun’s political views on Hourani’s analysis of the Arab world during the period of the advent of Islam is too great to ignore. Bibliography Hourani, Albert. “A History of the Arab Peoples.” Ibn Khaldun. “The Muqaddimah.” ed. N. J. Dawood Read More