The Views of Louis Massignon about the Life of Al-Hallaj

By Karim Imamdad Hunzai – 27/03/10

The eminent French scholar and orientalist Louis Massignon (1882-1962) made a great contribution by devoting his life on research of life of the great mystic sufi of Islam, Al-Hallaj (858 -922 AD). Louis Massignon is also known as a great SHEIKH in the certain Arabic countries,who made a strenuous effort, to get insight of life of the great mystic sufi Al-Hallaj. Louis Massignon spent forty years of his life on the research and also travelled vastly through the middle east and India to find the authentic documents about Al-Hallaj. He was the first western scholar to introduce Al-Hallaj to the western christian world. His first edition “La passion d’Al-Hallaj”(The passion of Al-Hallaj) was published in1922.His other research work has been also published in the form of various books after his death.

According to Louis Massignon Al-Hallaj was born around 858 AD in Tur a small town of Bayda district, in the center of the southern Iran,which was much influenced by the Arabic language and culture as it was sub-camp of Basara.His first name was Al-Husayan and his father name was Mansur, his grand father was a zoroastrian.His occupation was carder (Hallaj in arabic) woolen-cotton flaxer, like his father he moved frequently with his father to the towns of textile center. In his teen age Al-Hallaj was profoundly arabcized and influenced by the education of Hanbilite school of thought.When Al-Hallaj was 16 years old, he met a spiritual teacher, Sahl, who accepted him as his disciple and Al-Hallaj remained on the disposal of his master for two years as it was the custom to serve the master who accepts a disciple.

Al-Hallaj’s instict for search of the universal truth made him more ambitious to continue his life long journey, leaving his first spiritual master, than travelled to Basara, which was one of the intellectual capital of islamic civilization. He met another master in Basara “Amr Makki” who persuaded him to make his profession with him, according to Louis Massignon Al-Hallaj was leading at that time a profound mortified life of advanced ascetism. However, he was not having a reclusive life in Basara, rather he profited the intellectual life by meeting notable people of the society. In the words of Louis Massignon “that did not prevent Hallaj from visiting “society people” scribes, scholars,princes and wealthy people who were attracted to him through his reputation for cultural breadth varied scientific knowledge”

During his stay in Basara, he met one important person, Abu Yaqub Aqta, who was also (Khatib) secretary of Junnaid, he was very much impressed of the rigorous asceticism of Al-Hallaj, and arranged marriage of his daughter with him. Al-Hallaj confronted a difficult situation after his marriage with daughter of Abu Yaqub Aqta, who was also in closed terms with Amr Makki the spiritual master of Al-Hallaj. He did not only disapprove the marriage, also become very furious and begin to hate his famous disciple Al-Hallaj. According to the hypothesis of Louis Massignon “Amr Makki conceived this hatred against a disciple who,though still very young, appeared already among the notable of Basara to be some how, predestined to the sanctity for which Aqta might have coveted him for his son in law”
Al-Hallaj already made other important acquaintances in the noble families of Basara. It was after 18 months of closed spiritual association with his master Amr Makki, which came to end, as his marriage was not acceptable to his master. Al-Hallaj went to Baghdad to consult his personal problem to the grand master Junnaid. The dispute between his master and his father in law had put him in a difficult position.The grand master Junnaid arbitrated by advising him to be patient, and also advised to live together with family of his father in law.

According to the research of Louis Massignon , it will be naive to form an opinion about Al-Hallaj as only a hermetic hanging a begging bowl around his neck, roaming in the streets of Baghdad by uttering the litany of Anal-Haq. Al-Hallaj was not even strictly adhered to wear the traditional robe (cloak) of Sufis. His mode of life with ease and freedom, he changed his style of dresses according to the class of society he was frequenting.

He was even able to influence surreptitiously certain notable Vazirs through his intellectual enlightenment,that Ibn al-Muslima a Abbbasid vazir who admitted to being Hallajian to the extent of consecrating his vizarate to him.His strong conviction for the pluralism and diversity in creed and culture and political opinion of “Modus Vivendi” to bring social equality in the society. In the words of Louis Massignon ” Hallaj could not have remained indifferent to the political crisis, to the threat of social subversion that the proletariat insurrection of the Zaj around Basara represented 255 AH black slave and impoverish of starving Bedouins, along with raids into Ahwaz by Kurds, coming with Ibn Wasil from his native land what became of unity and legitimacy of Abbasid caliphate”

Al-Hallaj developed a profound relation with rank and file of society, his religious influence also on the notables and intellectual elites of society was suspectly viewed by the Abbasid considering it an open menace and challenge to their tyrannical and despotic rule.Al-Hallaj was also accused for secretly keeping relation and having sympathies for Qarmathians, for which he was accused to facilitated with accomplices for visiting their centers, in Kufa and Darul Hajira.The Qarmathians had already brought revolutionary reforms to bring social justice with radical changes by opposing to the orthodox ideas of religion.Al-Hallaj visited the cities of Qarmathians with his 400 disciples organizing a camel caravan.He strongly believed that the difference of opinion are divine blessings for the community of muslim and for the whole world of humanity as all the creation is like one family of God.

Al-Hallaj’s entry into Shite circle “To those who inclined toward the Imamate, he made himself an Imamaite, and he showed them that he had knowledge of their Imams the QAYIM, “the Imams are light that emanated from light of God and particles from among His particles which is theory of Hallajians.”

Al-Hallaj’s thirst for the knowledge about the diversity in the form of creed, race and culture, made him more ambitious for a long voyage to the north west of India Kashmir.He made this long trip by sea via Daybal presently Karachi Sind and via balad ul Shirk to the east actual Gujarat in India and also visited valley of Indus the city of Mansur presently Multan. In India Al-Hallaj was mingled among the polytheists, who were already accustomed to receiving muslim merchants.Louis Massignon confirmed the itinerary of Al-Hallaj from Kashmir via Kabul around 896 AD. The Kashmir was important intellectual center, where Hindus and Turkish Buddhists of neighbouring allied state of Ghandhara mingled with foreign scholars like Al-Hallaj. He went upto Taskuryan (Tashghurkan) and Yarkand, Kashghar presently the Skiang province of China.