Jonathan A. C. Brown

Last updated
Jonathan A.C. Brown
Jonathan Brown (41555692432).jpg
Brown in 2018
Born (1977-08-09) August 9, 1977 (age 46)
Washington, D.C., United States
Alma mater Georgetown University (B.A.)
University of Chicago (Ph.D.)
Spouse Laila Al-Arian
Scientific career
InstitutionsGeorgetown University (2010-)
University of Washington (2006-2010)
Thesis The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim: the Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon  (2006)
Doctoral advisor Wadad Kadi
Website drjonathanbrown.com

Jonathan Andrew Cleveland Brown [1] is an American scholar of Islamic studies. Since 2012, he has served as an associate professor at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization at Georgetown University. [2]

Contents

Background and education

Brown was born on August 9, 1977, in Washington, DC. He was raised as an Episcopalian and converted to Islam in 1997. [3] Brown is Sunni and follows the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence. [4] Brown graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 2000 from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., studied Arabic for a year at the Center for Arabic Study Abroad at the American University of Cairo, and completed his doctorate in Islamic thought at the University of Chicago in 2006.

Career

From 2006 to 2010 he taught in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was awarded tenure. He then gave up tenure to move to Georgetown in 2010. After serving as an assistant professor he was tenured again in 2012 teaching Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Understanding in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. [5] [6] He is also a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [7]

Brown served as the director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding till 2019. [8]

Publications and speeches

Brown has published work on Hadith, Islamic law, Sufism, Arabic lexical theory and Pre-Islamic poetry and is currently focused on the history of forgery and historical criticism in Islamic civilization and modern conflicts between late Sunni Traditionalism and Salafism in Islamic Thought. [9]

Misquoting Muhammad (book)

In his book Misquoting Muhammad, Brown argues that the “depth and breadth” of the early Muslim scholars’ achievement in assessing the authenticity of sayings and texts “dwarfed” that of the fathers of the Christian church. [10] The book received a number of positive reviews, [11] [12] [13] and was named as one of the top books on religion of 2014 by The Independent . [14] One review of the book in a Catholic journal praised the book calling it "generous to a fault when it comes to remarks about Christianity." [15]

Writings on slavery

In a 2017 article, Brown stated that "the term ‘slavery’ is so ambiguous as to be functionally useless for the purposes of discussing extreme domination and exploitation across history," especially in the context of Islamic history. Brown wrote that the current understanding of "slavery" is defined primarily in terms of legal ownership and violations of autonomy. According to Brown, this understanding does not accurately reflect the way slavery was practiced in many times and places in the Islamic world. For example, some enslaved Ottoman officials held authority over free people, while some forms of extreme exploitation happened to legally free persons. [16] Brown writes that while slavery's evil "is so morally clear and so widely acknowledged", and that it is the "Hitler of human practices", [17] he also wishes to challenge the current understanding of slavery. [16]

A lecture presenting this article, [18] and in particular comments Brown made during the Q&A session, sparked criticism from a number of commentators, some of whom accused Brown of supporting slavery and rape. [19] [20] [21] In addition, some liberal scholars of Islam criticized Brown for relativizing the concepts of slavery, human autonomy, and consent, and took issue with his suggestion that Muslims cannot view all historical forms of slavery to be immoral since the Islamic prophet Muhammad had owned slaves. [19]

In response, Brown wrote on Twitter, "Islam as a faith and I as a person condemn slavery, rape and concubinage." [19] [22] In a subsequent essay and interview Brown elaborated his views and apologized for having addressed the subject too cerebrally, adding that members of the alt-right had bombarded him and his family with threats of death and rape over the controversy. [19] [23]

Bibliography

Books authored

See also

Related Research Articles

Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is often described as the human understanding and practices of the sharia, that is human understanding of the divine Islamic law as revealed in the Quran and the sunnah. Fiqh expands and develops Shariah through interpretation (ijtihad) of the Quran and Sunnah by Islamic jurists (ulama) and is implemented by the rulings (fatwa) of jurists on questions presented to them. Thus, whereas sharia is considered immutable and infallible by Muslims, fiqh is considered fallible and changeable. Fiqh deals with the observance of rituals, morals and social legislation in Islam as well as economic and political system. In the modern era, there are four prominent schools (madh'hab) of fiqh within Sunni practice, plus two within Shi'a practice. A person trained in fiqh is known as a faqīh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hadith</span> Collections of sayings and teachings of Muhammad

Hadith or Athar refers to what most Muslims and the mainstream schools of Islamic thought believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the Islamic prophet Muhammad as transmitted through chains of narrators. In other words, the ḥadīth are attributed reports about what Muhammad said and did.

<i>Sahih Muslim</i> Second hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam

Sahih Muslim is the second hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam. It was compiled by Persian scholar Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj.

Hudud is an Arabic word meaning "borders, boundaries, limits". In the religion of Islam, it refers to punishments that under Islamic law (sharīʿah) are mandated and fixed by God as per Islam. These punishments were applied in pre-modern Islam, and their use in some modern states has been a source of controversy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari</span> Muslim theologian (874–936)

Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari was a Sunni Muslim scholar, jurist of the Shafi'i school, exegete, reformer, and scholastic theologian known for being the eponymous founder of the Ash'ari school of Islamic theology.

<i>Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal</i> 9th-century compilation of Islamic narratives

Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal is hadith collection compiled by the Islamic scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal to whom the Hanbali fiqh (legislation) is attributed.

<i>Sunan al-Tirmidhi</i> Fourth hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam

Sunan al-Tirmidhi is the fourth hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam. It was compiled by Islamic scholar al-Tirmidhi in c. 864–884.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hadith studies</span> Study of the sayings and traditions of Muhammad

Hadith studies consists of several religious scholarly disciplines used by Muslim scholars in the study and evaluation of the Islamic hadith—i.e. the record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

An-Nisa 4:34 is the 34th verse in the fourth chapter of the Quran. This verse adjudges the role of a husband as protector and maintainer of his wife and how he should deal with disloyalty on her part. Scholars vastly differ on the implications of this verse, with many Muslim scholars saying that it serves as a deterrent from anger-based domestic violence. The translation of the verse, which can read 'discipline them gently' is also subject to debate among Muslim scholars. According to a hadith transmitted by Abu Huraira, slapping someone across the face was forbidden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Bayhaqi</span> 11th-century Islamic hadith compiler

Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Mūsā al-Khusrawjirdī al-Bayhaqī, also known as Imām al-Bayhaqī, was a Sunni scholar widely known for being the foremost leading hadith master in his age, leading authority in the Shafi'i school, leading authority on the foundation of doctrine, meticulous, a devoted ascetic and one of the notable defenders of the Ash'ari school. Al-Dhahabi said: "Unequalled in his age, unrivalled amongst his peers, and the Ḥāfiẓ of his time."

Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazali al-Saqqa (1917–1996) was an Islamic scholar whose writings "have influenced generations of Egyptians". The author of 94 books, he attracted a broad following with works that sought to interpret Islam and its holy book, the Qur'an, in a modern light. He is widely credited with contributing to a revival of Islamic faith in Egypt in recent times. Another sources have called him "one of the most revered sheikhs in the Muslim world".

Punishment of the Grave is a Judeo-Islamic concept about the time between death and resurrection on the Day of Judgement. According to some hadiths, the souls of the unrighteous are punished by two angels in the grave, while the righteous find the grave "peaceful and blessed".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibn Khuzayma</span> 9th and 10th-century Sunni scholar

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Khuzaymah was a prominent Muslim Muhaddith and Shafi'i jurist, best known for his hadith collection, Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah.

<i>Al-Adab al-Mufrad</i> Book by Al-Bukhari

al-Adab al-Mufrad is a topical book of hadiths collected by al-Bukhari addressing the question of perfecting Muslim manners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibn Furak</span> 10th century Sunni Imam and theologian

Ibn Furak or Ibn Faurak ; c. 941–c. 1015 CE / 330–406 AH) was a Sunni Imam, foremost leading Ash'ari theologian and legal theoretician, a specialist of Arabic language, grammar and poetry, an orator, a jurist, and a traditionist from the Shafi'i Madhhab in 10th century.

Qutb ud-Din Ahmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi, commonly known as Shah Waliullah Dehlawi, was an Islamic Sunni scholar and Sufi of the Naqshbandi order, who is seen by his followers as a renewer. He emphasized the importance of following Sharia and believed in the unification of Hanafi and Shafi'i schools of law, aiming to reduce legal differences.

Kecia Ali is an American scholar of Islam who focuses on the study of Islamic jurisprudence, ethics, women and gender, and biography. She is currently a professor of religion at Boston University. She previously worked with Brandeis University's Feminist Sexual Ethics Project, presided over the Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics and was a research associate and postdoctoral fellow at Brandeis University and Harvard Divinity School.

Gibril Fouad Haddad is a Lebanese-born Islamic scholar, hadith expert (muhaddith), author, and translator of classical Islamic texts. He was featured in the inaugural list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims and has been called "one of the clearest voices of traditional Islam in the Western world", a "prominent orthodox Sunni" and a "staunch defender of the traditional Islamic schools of law." He holds ijazas from over 150 scholars across the Muslim world. He was a visiting fellow (2013-2015) then senior assistant professor (2015-2018) at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Center for Islamic Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. He is also a staunch critic of Wahhabism and Salafism.

Muhammad Tawfiq Sidqi was an Egyptian Islamic scholar who argued against the authenticity of hadith. He is remembered today for his argument "that nothing of the hadith was recorded until after enough time had elapsed to allow the infiltration of numerous absurd or corrupt traditions"; and that God had allowed this to happen because the Sunnah of Muhammad as a whole "was only ever meant for the Arabs of the Prophet's time", as only the Quran was necessary for Islam,. Sidqi recanted his position after Rashid Rida opposed his position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic views on concubinage</span> Muslim perspectives on retaining concubines

In classical Islamic law, a concubine was a slave-woman with whom her master engaged in sexual relations. Concubinage was widely accepted by Muslim scholars in pre-modern times. Most modern Muslims, both scholars and laypersons, believe that Islam no longer permits concubinage and that sexual relations are religiously permissible only within marriage.

References

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_UB0W820qY (initials at 1:17:30)
  2. "Oneworld Publications, Hadith by Jonathan A.C. Brown". Archived from the original on 2019-04-13. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  3. Ahsen Utku (2010-08-18). "Jonathan Brown on Being Inspired by Prophet Muhammad". LastProphet.info. LastProphet.info. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  4. Brown, Jonathan (18 June 2016). "The Shariah, Homosexuality & Safeguarding Each Other's Rights in a Pluralist Society | ImanWire". Al-Madina Institute. Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  5. "Johnathan A.C. Brown : CV" (PDF). 18.georgetown.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-08. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  6. Knight, Michael Muhammad (2014-12-12). "Book review: 'The Lives of Muhammad,' by Kecia Ali and 'Misquoting Muhammad,' by Jonathan A.C. Brown". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  7. "Membership Roster - Council on Foreign Relations". Cfr.org. 2016-02-15. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  8. Faculty, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
  9. "Jonathan Brown". Patheos.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-28. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  10. "Islam and hadiths: Sifting and combing". The Economist. 28 Oct 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  11. Karen Armstrong (2014-08-10). "Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy by Jonathan AC Brown". The Sunday Times . Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  12. Muhammad, Michael (2014-12-12). "Book review: 'The Lives of Muhammad,' by Kecia Ali and 'Misquoting Muhammad,' by Jonathan A.C. Brown". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  13. Mona Siddiqui (2014-08-07). "Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy by Jonathan A C Brown, book review | Reviews | Culture" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  14. Marcus Tanner (2014-12-12). "Books of the year 2014: The best books on religion | Features | Culture" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  15. Damian Howard SJ (2015-04-17). "Misquoting Muhammad. The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy". Thinking Faith . Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  16. 1 2 Brown, Jonathon A.C.; Ali, Abdullah Hamid (Feb 7, 2017). "Slavery and Islam – Part 1: The Problem of Slavery". Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2019. "Slavery and Islam – Part 1: The Problem of Slavery" (PDF).
  17. Brown, Jonathon A.C.; Ali, Abdullah Hamid (Feb 7, 2017). "Slavery and Islam – Part 1: The Problem of Slavery" (PDF). p. 18. Retrieved 30 April 2019. Slavery is the ideal example to invoke because its evil is so morally clear and so widely acknowledged. Who would defend slavery? It is the Hitler of human practices. Yet despite all its power, the word "slavery" is rarely defined.
  18. "Dr. Jonathan AC Brown - Islam and the Problem of Slavery | IIITMedia". youtube.com. 9 February 2017.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Valerie Strauss (Feb 17, 2017). "Georgetown professor under fire for lecture about slavery and Islam". Washington Post.
  20. Rod Dreher (Feb 11, 2017). "Georgetown Prof Defends Islamic Slavery". The American Conservative.
  21. MICHAEL LUCIANO (Feb 10, 2017). "Islamic Studies Professor On Whether Rape and Slavery Are Wrong: It Depends". The Daily Banter.
  22. Jonathan AC Brown [@JonathanACBrown] (February 11, 2017). "Islam as a faith and I as a person condemn slavery, rape and concubinage" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  23. Jonathan AC Brown (2017-02-16). "Apology without Apologetics". Muslim Matters . Retrieved 2017-02-22.