Al-Ä azÄlÄ« e il âbuon mercanteâ
In: Studi MagrebiniSearch for other papers by Ersilia Francesca in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
Medieval economic thought broke down the boundaries set by the natural economy and placed the merchant on a higher level than the farmer or the artisan. Rich merchants represented a powerful and respected class in Islamic world, near power without ever acquiring the capacity to manage or condition it. Merchant behaviour was considered the correct (or at least partially correct) way to use money. Trading meant putting money (and wealth in general) in circulation; so like charity and alms, it guarantees the virtuous circulation of goods within the community.
Taking clearly stimulus from AbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ« (d. 996), al-Ä azÄlÄ« (d. 1111) represents the moral weakness and ambiguity of the merchant and his constant hovering in society as a figure lying between selfish greed and public usefulness. This is not the authorâs aversion to earnings and trade; on the contrary he considered the merchant to be part of the ânatural orderâ of things. Only through âexchangeâ can man satisfy all his needs, and the market/merchant is the link between the producer (farmer and artisan) and consumer. In this way a complex society is created in which the accumulation of wealth is essential for further development and where the market itself â the law of supply and demand â defines the âfair priceâ. Thus al-Ä azÄlÄ« recognises the importance of trade in the economy of the Muslim world and, like AbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ«, he dictates the rules for behaviour for a âgood merchantâ.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Al-BayhaqÄ«, AbÅ« Bakr Aḥmad ibn Ḥusayn (2004) al-ÄdÄb. BayrÅ«t, DÄr al-kutub al-Ê¿ilmiyya.
-
Al-Ä azÄlÄ«, AbÅ« ḤÄmid (1928-29) IḥyÄʾ Ê¿ulÅ«m al-dÄ«n, 4 vol. Miá¹£r, Maá¹baÊ¿at Muá¹£á¹afÄ al-BaÌbiÌ al-ḤalabiÌ.
-
Ibn ḪaldÅ«n, WalÄ« al-DÄ«n Ê¿Abd al-RaḥmÄn (1996) Muqaddima, ed. D. al-ǦuwaydÄ«. BayrÅ«t, al-Maktaba al-âAsriyya.
-
Al-MakkÄ«, AbÅ« ṬÄlib Muḥammad ibn Ê¿AlÄ« (1961) QÅ«t al-qulÅ«b, 2 vol. Miá¹£r, Maá¹baÊ¿at Muá¹£á¹afÄ al-BÄbÄ al-ḤalabÄ«.
-
Campanini, M. (1997) âAttività commerciale e prassi etico-politica nel pensiero di al-Ä azÄlÄ«â. Rivista di storia della filosofia, 1, 153-162.
-
Ghazanfar, S. M. (2003) âThe Economic Thought of Abu Hamid al-Ä azali and St Thomas Aquinas: Some Comparative Parallels and Linksâ. In: S. M. Ghazanfar (ed.) Medieval Islamic Economic Thought. Filling the âGreat Gapâ in European Economics. London, Routledge, 184-208.
-
Ghazanfar, S. M. â Islahi, A. A. (2003) âEconomic Thought of an Arab Scholastic: Abu Hamid al-Ä azali (AH 450-505/1058-1111 AD)â. In: S. M. Ghazanfar (ed.) Medieval Islamic Economic Thought. Filling the âGreat Gapâ in European Economics. London, Routledge, 23-44.
-
Goitein, S. D. (1957) âThe Rise of the Middle Eastern Bourgeoisieâ. Cahiers dâHistoire Mondiale/Journal of World History, 3, 583-609.
-
Gramlich, R. (1992) Die Nahrung der Herzen: AbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ«s QÅ«t al-qulÅ«b, 4 vol. Stuttgart, F. Steiner.
-
Khalil, A. (2012) âAbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ« and the Nourishment of Hearts (QÅ«t al-qulÅ«b) in the Context of Early Sufismâ. The Muslim World, 2, 335-356.
-
Scarcia Amoretti, B. (2001) Un altro Medioevo. Il quotidiano nellâIslam dal VII al XIII secolo. Roma, Laterza.
-
Yazaki, S. (2012) Islamic Mysticism and AbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ«. The Role of the Heart. Abingdon, Routledge.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 287 | 42 | 6 |
| Full Text Views | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 10 | 3 | 3 |
Al-Ä azÄlÄ« e il âbuon mercanteâ
In: Studi MagrebiniSearch for other papers by Ersilia Francesca in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Medieval economic thought broke down the boundaries set by the natural economy and placed the merchant on a higher level than the farmer or the artisan. Rich merchants represented a powerful and respected class in Islamic world, near power without ever acquiring the capacity to manage or condition it. Merchant behaviour was considered the correct (or at least partially correct) way to use money. Trading meant putting money (and wealth in general) in circulation; so like charity and alms, it guarantees the virtuous circulation of goods within the community.
Taking clearly stimulus from AbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ« (d. 996), al-Ä azÄlÄ« (d. 1111) represents the moral weakness and ambiguity of the merchant and his constant hovering in society as a figure lying between selfish greed and public usefulness. This is not the authorâs aversion to earnings and trade; on the contrary he considered the merchant to be part of the ânatural orderâ of things. Only through âexchangeâ can man satisfy all his needs, and the market/merchant is the link between the producer (farmer and artisan) and consumer. In this way a complex society is created in which the accumulation of wealth is essential for further development and where the market itself â the law of supply and demand â defines the âfair priceâ. Thus al-Ä azÄlÄ« recognises the importance of trade in the economy of the Muslim world and, like AbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ«, he dictates the rules for behaviour for a âgood merchantâ.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 287 | 42 | 6 |
| Full Text Views | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 10 | 3 | 3 |
