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Trends in the construction of Orthodoxy, cont:
3) State power: the state's intervention in theological matters was to diffuse their perception of possible political threats, as state legitimacy was intertwined with religious authority through sovereignty being supported by claims of guarding orthodoxy, political opposition became heresy.

Historical trends in the construction of Orthodoxy:
1) Early ulema had no formal distinction & made their living through trade or industry, Ottoman bureaucracy & the standardisation of knowledge professionalised scholarly activity.
2) Beliefs within the ummah underwent constant change bc of waves of conversion, cultural diversity in the Islamic world supported the proliferation of localised forms of popular religion.

However, a side-effect of the emergence of the ijaza system was the decline (though not disappearance) of two important educational institutions:
1) The journey in search of knowledge, or the rihla.
2) The apprentice-like relationship/suhba. The apprentice was socialised into the culture & etiquette of his field by his mentor, whose role was not limited to academic guidance.

The decline in samā' & qirā'a in Islamic sciences indicated the development of a more mature, literature, scholarly culture. With the explosive growth of Islamic sciences, it became impossible for a student or scholar to study all the works he desired to master by reading them aloud or having them read aloud to him. And as disciplines became more sophisticated they acquired common terminologies & accepted paradigms.