Description
Book SynopsisOffering a global overview of Islamic hagiography, this book describes the characters beyond the Qur'an and Hadith. It is suitable for approaching the vast geographical and chronological sweep of Islamic civilization.
Trade Review"This book should be a staple on library shelves and on graduate reading lists." -- Stacy E. Holden The Historian "Reading this book is to step into ... a lively world where spiritual things matter and influence ordinary lives." Theology, Ethics And Philosophy "Renard's book has rendered a valuable service to the field of Islamic studies." -- Alexander Knysh, University of Michigan Jrnl Of The American Oriental Society
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Introduction: An Overview of Islamic Hagiography I. STAGES IN THE LIVES OF GOD'S FRIENDS 1. Beginnings Both Humble and Spectacular 2.Conversion and Asceticism on the Road to Sanctity 3. Dreams and Visions, Visitors and Voices: God in Touch with His Friends 4. Miracles and Marvels: God Working through His Friends 5. Mere Mortals: Friends and the Human Condition II. FRIENDS OF GOD IN CONTEXT 6. Friends and Their People: Society and Service to Communities 7. Founding Friends: Authority, Institutions, and the Economics of Intentional Community 8. Where God's Friends Walked: Revered Sites and Ritual Settings 9. Friends in Our World III. FRIENDS IN THEORY: UNDERSTANDING THE STORIES 10. Literary Dimensions: Genre, Function, and Hermeneutics 11. Theological Dimensions: Hagiography, Faith, and Controversy Notes Index
