Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2024 July 27

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July 27

What is "official Islam"? ~ Encyclopaedia of Islam

Following quote from Encyclopaedia of Islam used by @Louis P. Boog at ongoing Talk:Jinn#RfC: Proposed additions of text 1 talks of wording "official Islam". The source Encyclopaedia of Islam entry by D.B. MacDonald and H. Massé does not seem to include specific definition of wording "official Islam".

• Requesting help in ascertaining, What is "official Islam"? to the authors D.B. MacDonald and H. Massé (based on either their individual academic literature or may be they imported term from Bibliography they used or general academic literature)

This question is formed with 'what' instead of 'which' due to it's academic aspect.

• Quote from Title: Ḏj̲inn, Encyclopaedia of Islam:

"..II. In official Islam the existence of the d̲j̲inn was completely accepted, as it is to This day, and the full consequences implied by their existence were worked out. Their legal status in all respects was discussed and fixed, and the possible relations between them and mankind, especially in questions of marriage and property, were examined. .."

~ D.B. MacDonald, H. Massé. Title: Ḏj̲inn. Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Online (EI-2 English) DOI: Source Editors: P.J. Bearman First-online: 24 Apr 2012 ISSN: 1573-3912 Publisher: Brill. Wikipedia Library link provided at WP:REREQ

Bookku (talk) 10:21, 27 July 2024 (UTC)

Possibly written Islam as defined by trained and educated Ulama, as opposed to more folklorish or popular concepts? There have been some cases of folk Islam elaborations gaining acceptance among scholars of Islamic law... AnonMoos (talk) 11:44, 27 July 2024 (UTC)

This article:

Németh, Kinga (2024). "The Jinn – The Culprit of the Arabic World". Különleges Bánásmód, 10, Special issue, 107-122. doi:10.18458/KB.2024.SI.107

contrasts "official (Sunni) Islam" with "vernacular Islam", which incorporates beliefs based on vernacular legends. While the term "official Islam" is not explicitly defined in the article, it is connected in the text to the points of view of "Islamic institutions", "scholars of Islam" and "schools of Islam".  --Lambiam 13:03, 27 July 2024 (UTC)

It means "standard/mainstream/mainline" Islam (coming in Shia and Sunni flavours). As supported by Islamic scholarship, or most of it. Arguably not an appropriate term, especially for the Sunni, any more than "official Protestantism". Johnbod (talk) 14:28, 27 July 2024 (UTC)