- harran-ian “hermesite” pagans under the “sAbean” guise
- “According to Abu Yusuf Absha al-Qadi, Caliph al-Ma’mun of Baghdad in 830 CE questioned some Harranians about what protected religion they belonged to. As they were neither Muslim, Christian, Jewish or Magian, the caliph told them they were non-believers. He said they would have to become Muslims, or adherents of one of the other religions recognized by the Qur’an by the time he returned from his campaign against the Byzantines or he would kill them.[10] The Harranians consulted with a lawyer, who suggested that they find their answer in the Qur’an II.59, which said that Sabians were tolerated. It was unknown what the sacred text intended by “Sabian” and so they took the name.[11] These newly dubbed Harranian Sabians acknowledged Hermes Trismegistus as their prophet and the Hermetica as their sacred text, being a group of Hermeticists.” [W]
- “Although many have been subjugated to error by means of torture, our fathers by the hand of god have endured and spoken valiantly, and this blessed city [Harran] has never been defiled with the error of Nazareth [Isaism]. And we are the heirs, and transmitters to our heirs of paganism, which is honoured gloriously in this world. Lucky is he who beareth the burden with a sure hope for the sake of paganism.” - Thabit ibn Kurra / Qurra. [MT]
- “So in reality the so called “Islamic Science” was a venture of the pagan Neo-Platonists fleeing the terror of Isaism, and many of the early “Islamic intellectuals” like T ibn Kurra were by their own admission Hellenistic pagans. In 529 AD the Hellenistic philosophers fleeing persecution by the Isaistic ruler Justinian fled to the Iranian king Khusrau Anushirwan, who granted them a safe haven. After he defeated the Christians, he imposed a clause in the peace treaty with Justinian that he must allow the religious freedom of the pagans in the Byzantine empire. Harran as a border town received considerable protection from the Iranian rulers and the Hellenistic pagans could develop their religion and science. While Islam destroyed the Iranian empire, it failed to impose itself on the pagans of Harran. It was from here that they spread out and seeded the Arabic world with their highly developed science and philosophy.” [MT]
- “However, over time Islamic attitudes hardened. We see this even Al Biruni who is considered by many a moderate Islamic scientist. He sees the similarity between Neo-Platonism and the Hindu dharma, but sees both as errors.” [MT]