70
TheIslamicateContext
treating
intoother
domains,whereIslamhad
much
greater
suc-
cess.Notall
Muslim
subjects
withdrew,ofcourse,
butinsofaras
anIslamicatepattern
existed,Islamcaused
itsbelieversnot
to
participate
in
public
affairs.As
aresultoftheunattainable
na-
ture
ofIslamic
public
ideals,
Muslim
subjects
in
premodern
times
relinquished
their
political
andmilitarypower.
29
In
practice
thismeantthatMuslimsubjects
turnedaway
from
thedominantpolitical
andmilitary
institutions.
"The
prevailing
attitudetowardpower
is
skepticism";
3
the
populace
stayed
aloof
from thedecision
makers.
This
"widespread
disinclinationto
collaborateingovernment"
was
particularly
trueof
thosewho
tooktheIslamicmessage
mostseriously.
31
The
ulamg’didtheir
best
toavoidserving
as
qds;
some
Sufisrefused"to
touchfunds
coming
fromanamir,
onthe
ground
that
they
represented
illicit
gains";
and
in
the13th
centurycourageous
jurists
in
Egypt
declaredprayerina
cemeterychapel,
which
theSultanhaderected,as
not
permitted,
onaccountofthe
inhumanemethodsusedduring
itsconstruction.
Atacit,boycott-likeopposition
tothe
government
existedincertain
pious
circles
ofthe
early
Islamic
Middle
Ages,
when
any
money
coming
fromthe
government
wasconsidered
religiously
forbidden
property.
Itisevenreported
thatsome
pious
people
consideredit
forbidden
todrinkwaterfroma
canal
dugby
the..,
government,
orto
fastentheirbootlacesat
the
light
ofa
lampbelonging
tothe
government?
Thereputations
of
Muslimauthorities
whodidservetherul-
erssufferedasa
result;thetrustworthiness
ofAbfiYfisuf(d.
182/798),
authorof
Kitgb
al-Khargj,
cameintodoubtbecause
he
worked
forthe
government.
33
Anumberof
prominent
Muslim
- Ideas
forthis
argument
cameinitially
fromadiscussionwithRichard
W.
Bullieton 21
December1977.
30.Grunebaum,lslam,p.25.
31.Ibid.,p.132.
32.CUlama’:
N.J.
Coulson,"Doctrineand
PracticeinIslamicLaw:OneAspect
oftheProblem,"
Bulletin
of
theSchool
of
Oriental
and
African
Studies 18 (1956):
211-26.
On SufisseeHodgson,2:96.
On
jurists
seeH.Ritter,
"Irrational
Solidarity-groups.
ASocio-psychologicalStudy
inConnection
withIbnKhal-
dfin,Oriens (1948):
32-33;Grunebaum,MedievalIslam,p.
143.
33.IbnKhallikin,
6:379.