Talal Asad, an an thropologist of religion, suggests that a more effective way of addressing Islam is to approach it the way Muslims do—namely, as a “discursive tradition” consisting of historically evolving discourses embodied in the practices and institutions of communities. To Asad, Islamic tradition is a set of discourses that seek to instruct practitioners regarding the correct form and purpose of a given practice that, precisely because it is established, has a history. These discourses relate conceptually to a past (when the practice was instituted, and from which the knowledge of its point and proper performance has been transmitted) and a future (how the point of that practice can best be secured in the short or long term, or why it should be modified or abandoned), through a present (how it is linked to other practices, institutions, and social conditions). What distinguishes this definition of tradition from the standard formulations of “traditional” is that tradition refers not simply to the past or its repetition but rather to the pursuit of an ongoing coherence by making reference to a set of texts, procedures, arguments, and practices. thanks Fawaz Abdul Salam for reminding me to read it this time. though I may have to rethink slightly on my take of tradition, what I am missing is the take of classic texts on not only tradition but also Thajdeed and Islah, from Gazali to Khaldun to very recent Abdullahi-bnu-Bayya. let me complete it. Shukran Jazeela.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 03:24:56 +0000
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