Description
Book Synopsis‘Ali ibn ‘Asakir (1105-1176) was one of the most renowned experts on Hadith and Islamic history in the medieval era. His was a tumultuous time: centuries of Shi‘i rule had not long ended in central Syria, rival warlords sought control of the capital, and Crusaders had captured Jerusalem.
Seeking the unification of Syria and Egypt, and the revival of Sunnism in both, Ibn ‘Asakir served successive Muslim rulers, including Nur al-Din and Saladin, and produced propaganda against both the Christian invaders and the Shi‘is. This, together with his influential writings and his advocacy of major texts, helped to lay the foundations for the eventual Sunni domination of the Levant - a domination which continues to this day.
Trade Review‘Hyperbole notwithstanding, to understand the Levant’s sense of self and perception of history, one should look no further than Ibn ‘Asakir, whose intellectual efforts rehabilitated the past to canonise a blessed Sunni and Crusader-free Bilad al-Sham. Suleiman Mourad garners his intimate knowledge of the scholar, his numerous and voluminous works, and the contemporary intellectual and political context to expose the significance and extent of the phenomenon of Ibn ‘Asakir through to the end of twentieth century in the Syrian Republic.’
-- Dana Sajdi, Associate Professor of History, Boston College
Table of ContentsNotes
Acknowledgments
1 The World of Ibn ‘Asakir
Damascus in the fifth/eleventh century
The Burids
Nur al-Din
Status of Religious Scholarship
Back to Ibn ‘Asakir
2 Life & Career
Background
Education & Travels
First Trip
Second Trip
Return to Damascus
Teaching & Character
Writings
Death
3 Scholarship & Activism
Political unity and Revivification of Sunnism
Trustee of Hadith
The College of Hadith
In Defense of Ash‘arism
Tabyin kadhib al-muftari
Preaching of Jihad
Al-Arba‘un hadith fi al-hathth ‘ala al-jihad
Others Books on Jihad?
Religious Merits of Towns and Places
Fadl ‘Asqalan
Ibn ‘Asakir as Theologian and Historian
Was Ibn ‘Asakir a Theologian?
Was Ibn ‘Asakir a Historian?
4 Ta’rikh Dimashq
The Idea
The Book
Rehabilitation of Past Figures and Islamic Unity
Arrangement and Divisions
Transmission
Manuscripts
Impact
Modern Editions
5 The ‘Asakir Extended Family
Direct Descendants of Ibn ‘Asakir
Descendants of Ibn ‘Asakir’s Sister
Descendants of Ibn ‘Asakir’s Brother Muhammad
Other Members of the ‘Asakir Family
The ‘Asakir Family Tree
6 Medieval Legacy
Ibn ‘Asakir’s Notable Students
Ibn ‘Asakir’s Legacy through his Ta’rikh
7 Modern Legacy, Syrian Nationalism & Islamic Nationalism
The Late-Nineteenth- to Early-Twentieth-Century Context
The Late-Twentieth-Century Context
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
