Master thesis entitled: Intellectual Security in the Abbasid era (132-447AH/749-1055AD)
This research explores the concept of Intellectual Security (al-Amn al-Fikri) during the Abbasid Caliphate (132–447 AH / 749–1055 CE) as a fundamental pillar of ideological and cultural stability within the Islamic state. Although the explicit term was not used at the time, the notion itself was deeply embedded in the attitudes of scholars, the discourse of authority, and the intellectual life of society.
The study analyzes the major intellectual and ideological threats of the period—particularly Zandaqa (heresy) and Shuʿūbiyya (ethnic partisanship)—which challenged the unity of Islamic thought and identity. It argues that intellectual security was safeguarded through the combined efforts of the Abbasid state and its scholars, who employed both textual–traditional and rational–theological methods to confront deviant ideas.
Using a historical–descriptive and analytical methodology, the research draws upon primary classical sources (such as al-Ṭabarī, al-Baghdādī, Ibn al-Jawzī, and al-Dhahabī) alongside modern studies that provided interpretive insights. The thesis is organized into four main parts:
1. A preliminary chapter on the definition and origins of intellectual security in Islam.
2. A first chapter examining Zandaqa and Shuʿūbiyya as ideological threats in the early Abbasid era.
3. A second chapter on the role of the Abbasid state and scholars in combating intellectual deviation.
4. A third chapter addressing intellectual security during the Būyid period and the scholarly response to sectarian tension.
The study concludes that intellectual security in the Abbasid era represented an integrated civilizational framework linking knowledge, faith, and governance. It highlights the pivotal role of scholars in preserving orthodox belief and promoting moderation and balance as essential safeguards against extremism and cultural disintegration. Furthermore, it emphasizes that the decline of political authority led to increased ideological fragmentation, underscoring the enduring interdependence between thought, religion, and state stability in Islamic civilization.
Keywords: Intellectual security, Abbasids, Umayyads, Mu'tazilites, Ismailis, Buyids
