ABSTRACT
The same learned individuals who took it upon themselves to ascertain the implications of the Qur’anic revelation and the Sunna of the Prophet for the believers’ everyday lives were responsible for the articulation of the foundations of Islamic theological doctrines. In fact, the articulation of Islamic theology often went hand-in-hand with the elaboration of Muslim legal theories. It can be seen as part of the same process of the growing sophistication of Islam as a devotional tradition and distinct worldview. While “theology” in the broad sense of the word addresses the issue of just and legitimate leadership-the principal point of disagreement between the Sunnis, the Shi‘ites, and the Kharijites-there are other, less tangible but equally urgent, aspects of the revelation that attracted the attention of the community’s learned.
