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Bishr ibn Ghiyath al-Marisi | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 755 CE |
| Died | 833 CE |
| Region | Mesopotamia (present-dayIraq) |
| Main interest(s) | Philosophy |
| Notable idea(s) | Creation of the Qur'an, Metaphorical Interpretations of God's Attributes |
| Occupation | Scholar and theologian |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam (formerly) |
| Denomination | Murji'ah,Jahmiyyah[1] |
| Senior posting | |
Influenced by | |
Bishr al-Marisi (Arabic: بشر المريسي born 755, died 833) full nameAbu 'Abd al-Rahman Bishr ibn Ghiyath ibn Abi Karimah al-Marisi[2] or simplyBishr ibn Ghiyath al-Marisi was a 9th-century religious scholar andtheologian.[2][1][3] He was infamous for his controversial views which earned him the scorn of his contemporary Muslim scholars.[4][5][6]
Bishr's father, Ghiyath, was aJewish slave or jeweller from Kufa[7][8] who had reverted to Islam and become amawla of theQuraysh tribe.[9][4]
In adulthood, Bishr became an ascetic, and he took scholarly knowledge fromHanafi scholars, such asAbu Yusuf.[9][5][7] However, he later adopted theJahmite views after he learned them from a group ofJahm bin Safwan's students.[8][10] Abu Yusuf disassociated with Bishr after finding out that he had Jahmite or Murji'ite tendencies.[5]
Bishr also conducted theological debates withAl-Shafi'i, and in his free time he made offensive melodies and poetry.
Bishr al-Marisi died in the year 833.[4][8] According toAl-Khatib al-Baghdadi, the people ofBaghdad (whom were influenced by Bishr's opponents) rejoiced upon hearing news of his death.[11]
Bishr al-Marisi was criticized and subsequently excommunicated by many scholars who lived contemporary to him, and after him.[5][7][3] TheShafi'ite juristUthman ibn Sa'id al-Darimi wrote a book titledNaqd 'Uthman ibn Sa'id 'alal-Marisi al-Jahmi al-Anid, which was a detailed refutation of Bishr and his theology.[12] TheHanafite juristAbd al-Aziz al-Kinani published a treatise titledKitab al-Haydah, which served a similar purpose.[13][14] Some other scholars had murderous desires against him and attempted to incite violence against him.[15][16] One such example wasYazid ibn Harun, whom encouraged his neighbours to assault and kill Bishr.
TheTabi' al-Tabi'een members,Sufyan ibn Uyaynah andAbd Allah ibn al-Mubarak excommunicated Bishr al-Marisi.[5][15] EvenSufis likeBishr Hafi[5] did the same, and were harsh against Bishr's opinions especially his views on the createdness of the Qur'an and God's divine attributes.Abu Bakr al-Khallal also forbade people from praying behind Bishr al-Marisi.[15][10]
Despite the harsh criticisms from many scholars, Bishr al-Marisi was praised by the historianAl-Dhahabi, who regarded him as a brilliant speaker and debater.[9][8]Ibn al-Nadim regarded Bishr as a great ascetic who wrote books in refutation of theKharijites andShi'ites.