Development of Early Islamic Political Terminology by Dr. Fred Donner

Lecture Report

by Zuhair Shaath

On February 22nd, 2011, the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies welcomed Dr. Fred Donner (Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University) for a lecture on the Development of Early Islamic Political Terminology.

Dr. Donner described the historical aspect of Islamic terminology, as well as the influences the early Islamic state had on the usage of specific terms, as he states “The Omayyad rulers and their entourage as those in charge in what we can now call the Islamic Empire seemed to have applied terminology derived from the Quran to key institutions and concepts that had developed in the earlier believer-ish phase of the Empires rise. Their object in doing so was to legitimize their state and their rule over the state in terms of Gods revealed word”, a policy which Dr. Donner has labeled as Quranicization.

As the lecture progressed, Dr. Donner discussed the evolution in various terminologies, such as Jihad (struggle), Mu’min (believer), and Fitnah (temptation, enticement). These words were later applied to specific instances from their broader Quranic usage. Jihad became known as the States physical struggles, Mu’min referred to Muslim believers as opposed to general monotheistic believers, and the word Fitnah was applied to the two early civil wars within the Islamic state.

The event concluded with an open question and answer session, in which some of our very own George Mason University professors participated in asking Dr. Donner insightful questions. Overall the event was a great success, and Dr. Donner’s ability to draw the historical context out of these Islamic terms was astounding.