Islamic advice literature

Means of providing Islamic advice includes traditional as well as modern technologies. In Egypt's Al-Azhar University did set up 'advice / fatwa kiosks' at subway stations.[10] In 2000 AD Al-Azhar University introduced a phone-in advice service called "Dial-a-Sheikh"[11]

According to Luke Yarbrough, early Islamic state (Caliphates) heavily depended on non-Arabs, frequently non-Muslim civil, officials specially by the late Umayyad and early 'Abbasid states. The situation started to change in the 8th century as Muslims began to compete for social and economic benefits by using religious leverage.[12] By the 9th century, Islamic jurists began to oppose employment of non-Muslims with little influence but major formal shift started coming by the 12th century, when independent advice literature campaigned for dismissal of non-Muslim civil officials.[12]

Jennifer A. London looks at then scholarly import and presentations of medieval fables as part of advice literature which spoke about political thoughts through characters employed in those literature as mirror for princes.[5]

According to Sami Helewa, prophetic anecdotes about Joseph, David and Soloman called "'Qisas' al-anbiya" by 9th century AD Persian Islamic scholar Al-Tabari and subsequently 11th century AD scholar Al-Tha'labi served as advice literature to medieval Islamic rulers.[1][13]

A 10th-century anonymous Arabic manuscript is seen giving advice to rulers through the rhymes like "an: yasüsu I- 'âmmata bi-siyâsati l-qur'ân, wal- khàssa bi-siyàsati l-zamán". (Translation: (Ruler/administrator) must rule over the general public; ['ámma] according to the policy of the Qur'an and over the elite [khâssa] according to the policy [suitable at the given] time') with a religious undertone. At times, advice goes beyond religious and suggests administrative policies through rhymes like "ba: ya'taqilu gundahu bil-raghba, là bil-rahba" (translation: "The ruler must bind the army to him through [exciting] their desires, not through [playing on] their fear").[14]

Karakhanid writer Yusuf Balasaghuni wrote Islamic advice literature in Kutadgu Bilig (The Wisdom of Felicity), the only known literary work written in Turkic from the Karakhanid period.[15][16]

Ebrahim Moosa and Nicholas Roberts, in "Expressions of Political Quietism in Islamic History" in Political Quietism in Islam: Sunni and Shi’i Practice and Thought (Saud al-Sarhan, ed.), state that in medieval times, despite the backdrop of power of Muslim empire in which political quietism became a virtue of ideal citizens, the genre of Nasîhat and advice literature started thriving.[17] According to al-Sarhan, the goal of advice literature then in those times was to help preserve political authority as part of pragmatic quiet activity.[17] al-Sarhan further states that while Siyasat nama by Nizam al-Mulk (1092 AD), Nasihat al-Muluk by al-Ghazali (1111 AD), al-siyasa al-shar'iyya by ibn Taymiyya while epitomizing political activism on one hand very much gave into the divinely sanctioned absolutism of the caliphs on other hand.[17] Strategy through advice literature was subtle expression of political activism calling for equitable and sound governance within four corners of religious diktats while continuation of pragmatic obedience to authority in power.[17] But to quote suitable advice literature explores from beyond religion, for example one political theorist of 11th century al-Mawardi attributes a pre-Islamic 6th-century quote of al-Afwah al-Awdi: "There is no benefit in leaderless people when disorder reigns, and they will never have a leader if the ignorant amongst them leads." al-Sarhan says that first half of quote conforms to political quietism as labeled by modern scholars same time second half matches with expectations of obedient religious Muslim citizen of a just and sharia compliant rule.[17]

Giving example of Zoroastrianism becoming invisible post 8th century AD from Persian literature, Ali Pirzadeh says that Islamic literature and Islamic advice literature wipes out most traces of local culture and heritage by giving exclusive prominence to Arabic narratives.[18] Ali Pirzadeh further says that Iranian empire encouraged advice literature to hide their incompetence caused due to hereditary succession and to retain servitude of vested interests.[18]

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanavi's Bihishti Zevar, published in 1905, influenced the continuation of traditional patriarchal gendered role narratives among south Asian Muslims.[9] Marzieh Bashirpour theorizes that Urdu advice literature's emphasis on adab politeness in interaction molded class differentiation between the literate and non illiterate and thereby validated discrimination toward the lower classes.[9] Late 19th century and early twentieth century revival reformists promoted women's education, but their advice literature centered on making women better mothers equipped for better household management.[21]

• Advice column
• Hermeneutics of feminism in Islam
• Islamic literature
• Islamic philosophy
• Islamic studies
• Islamization