Research Article
Al-Baqillani and the Byzantine Palace: A Theological and Diplomatic Encounter in the 10th Century
Mehmet Nezir Ceylan*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 6, December 2025
Pages:
240-247
Received:
27 September 2025
Accepted:
10 October 2025
Published:
12 November 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijsts.20251306.11
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Abstract: This study examines the theological and intellectual debates that took place between the renowned Ashari scholar Al-Baqillani and Byzantine clerics in the 10th century, offering an in-depth analysis of their religious, political, and diplomatic significance. During a period when the Byzantine Empire was entering a phase of decline, while the Islamic Caliphates were expanding their political and intellectual influence, these debates reflected the broader tensions between the two civilizations. The research explores Al-Baqillani’s dual role as both a theologian and a diplomat, emphasizing that his arguments not only defended Islamic theology but also served to reinforce the political authority of the Buwayhid dynasty within the Islamic world. The study addresses the principal theological issues raised in these debates—such as the nature of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, and Islam’s rejection of the divinity of Jesus. Through the examination of historical sources, diplomatic correspondences, and theological treatises, the paper demonstrates that Al-Baqillani’s defense of monotheism and critique of Christian dogmas were strategically positioned within the political dynamics of the time. Moreover, it reveals that these debates had a lasting impact on Muslim-Christian relations, shaping the intellectual discourse of the medieval period and influencing subsequent diplomatic strategies. By providing a meticulous analysis of these exchanges, this study illustrates how religious argumentation was employed not merely to assert doctrinal superiority but also as a tool for navigating the complex diplomatic landscape of the era. Situating these discussions within their political and cultural contexts, the research underscores the intricate role of theological discourse in the inter-civilizational diplomacy of the medieval world.
Abstract: This study examines the theological and intellectual debates that took place between the renowned Ashari scholar Al-Baqillani and Byzantine clerics in the 10th century, offering an in-depth analysis of their religious, political, and diplomatic significance. During a period when the Byzantine Empire was entering a phase of decline, while the Islami...
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Research Article
How Time Develops
Ismet Gedik*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 6, December 2025
Pages:
248-259
Received:
12 October 2025
Accepted:
21 October 2025
Published:
28 November 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijsts.20251306.12
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: The most wrong thing in our traditions is that they misunderstand time. Time is considered to be a process that operates according to the ticks given by an eternal being, and natural phenomena are considered to be the results that take place according to these ticks. All physicists, including Einstein, accepted time as an eternity indexed to the life of a divine power that created the world. If beings remained as they were when they were first formed without undergoing change and transformation over time, everything would have been created at once and would not have changed and transformed after that. In other words, the image of change-transformation called TIME would not have occurred. TIME is one of the concepts that people cannot understand. Because the concept of TIME has always been misinterpreted by physicists. The reason why physicists misinterpret the concept of TIME is that the constitutive force in nature has been misinterpreted. However, the development of forces that affect and direct substances is caused by chemical changes in the composition of substances and the energy transferred by these changes. In nature, every being perceives what to do and when and behaves accordingly. A sheep arranges when to mate and when to give birth by perceiving environmental conditions (to breed when grass is most abundant). When a plant blooms and spreads its seeds, it takes into account the climatic conditions. In the structure of each being, information about how it will behave, what and when it should be done, etc. are recorded.
Abstract: The most wrong thing in our traditions is that they misunderstand time. Time is considered to be a process that operates according to the ticks given by an eternal being, and natural phenomena are considered to be the results that take place according to these ticks. All physicists, including Einstein, accepted time as an eternity indexed to the li...
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