Description
Book SynopsisA fresh look at the origins and development of Islam, this is a fascinating reconstruction of the era of the first three generations of Muslims. Using a wealth of classical Arabic sources, it chronicles the lives of the Prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and the subsequent two generations of Muslims, together known as the "the Pious Forebears". Examining the adoption in contemporary times of these early Muslims as legitimizing figureheads for a variety of causes, both religious and political, Afsaruddin tries to establish where their sympathies really lay. Essential reading for anyone interested in the inception of the Islam, this important book will captivate the general reader and student alike.
Trade Review"Well-researched and measured. An eloquent and cogent explanation of the historical roots and meanings of many key concepts relevant to today's discussion of contemporary Islam, including the role of jihad in the Islamic tradition. Her book should be required reading for any Muslim or non-Muslim who mistakenly believes the faith is immutable." * Washington Post *
"Well-researched and measured. An eloquent and cogent explanation of the historical roots and meanings of many key concepts relevant to today's discussion of contemporary Islam, including the role of jihad in the Islamic tradition. Her book should be required reading for any Muslim or non-Muslim who mistakenly believes the faith is immutable." * Washington Post *
"A nuanced and erudite portrait of early Muslim lives and ideas. This is a rich and much-needed text. Its range of scholarship, balanced statements and acute sense of the past and the present makes it required reading for both specialists and non-specialists." * The Times Higher Educational Supplement *
"A nuanced and erudite portrait of early Muslim lives and ideas. This is a rich and much-needed text. Its range of scholarship, balanced statements and acute sense of the past and the present makes it required reading for both specialists and non-specialists." * The Times Higher Educational Supplement *
"A thoughtful, critically informed reading of Islam's early history from a modernist perspective." * Choice *
"A thoughtful, critically informed reading of Islam's early history from a modernist perspective." * Choice *
"This attractive and readable book", "Afsaruddin has a clear argument, and her passion and commitment to the modernist position shine through" * Speculum - A Journal of Medieval Studies *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Writing about the "First Muslims"
Chapter One: The Rise of Islam and Life of the Prophet Muhammad
Chapter Two: The Issue of Succession to the Prophet
Chapter Three: The Age of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs
Chapter Four: the End of Rightly-Guided Leadership
Chapter Five: The Age of the Companions
Chapter Six: The Age of the Successors
Chapter Seven: The Successors to the Successors I: Administration, Leadership, and Jihad
Chapter Eight: The Successors to the Successors II: Education, Humanism, and Mystical Spirituality
Chapter Nine: Constructing the Pious Forbears: Historical Memory and the Present. Part One: The Islamist Construction
Chapter Ten: Constructing the Pious Forbears: Historical Memory and the Present. Part Two: The Significance of the Salaf al-Salih for the Modernists
Chapter Eleven: Assessment of Islamist and Modernist Views
Conclusion
