Transformations in Islamic Jurisprudence and Their Implications within the Framework of the Basran Scholars’ Approach from the 8th to the 11th Century CE
Keywords:
Imamiyyah jurisprudence, Iranian law, groundwater, principle of la-zarar, environmental obligations, environmental justiceAbstract
Basra, as one of the prominent intellectual centers of the Islamic world between the 8th and 11th centuries CE, played a crucial role in the formation and development of Islamic jurisprudence. This article aims to examine the jurisprudential transformations and scholarly impacts of Basran scholars by analyzing the various jurisprudential and hadith-oriented movements that emerged during this period. First, the study explores the origins and expansion of Basra’s scientific tradition and the emergence of its historiographical school. Then, it analyzes the position of the Imamiyya (Shi‘a) and the role of Basran Imamiyya historiography in consolidating religious knowledge. An examination of the Aṣḥāb al-Ra’y (proponents of reasoning) and prominent traditionists such as Ḥasan al-Baṣrī and Ibn Sīrīn demonstrates that these figures, through combining rationalist (ijtihādī) and traditionist (ḥadīthī) approaches, laid the groundwork for the emergence of coherent and systematic jurisprudential movements. The article further emphasizes the influence of hadith transmission networks and the scholarly interactions between Sunni and Shi‘a traditionists on the preservation and continuity of religious knowledge. The findings reveal that Basra was not merely a center of learning but also an analytical and critical hub in Islamic jurisprudence, capable of integrating diverse legal trends. Using an analytical–historical approach, this study highlights Basra’s importance in the evolution of Islamic jurisprudence and hadith sciences, clarifying the impact of the Basran school on the production of religious knowledge throughout the Islamic world.
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