Scrupulosity (al-Wara ') in Early Islam

Scrupulosity (al-Wara ') in Early Islam PDF

Author: Mateusz Wilk

Publisher:

Published: 2019-12-31

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781641890717

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This book aims to discuss religious scrupulousness (al-wara') - an important phenomenon in Islamic spirituality and tradition in the 3rd/9th century. Through the study of hadith compilations devoted to piety the author tries not only to define the concept of scrupulousness itself, but also to present the world of Muslim scholars who composed these collections of traditions. An important aspect of the book will be a discussion of a possible social impact of religious scrupulousness as well as of its cultural context. Thus, another examined subject will be the link of religious scrupulousness with the Islamic eschatology, as well as with the visions of the Hereafter.On the whole, religious scrupulousness will be analysed as one of the portents of changes occurring in the Islamic society and civilisation in the 3rd/9th century, when new forms of piety are accompanied by apocalyptic fears and anxieties.

The Character of David in Judaism, Christianity and Islam

The Character of David in Judaism, Christianity and Islam PDF

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2021-11-29

Total Pages: 657

ISBN-13: 9004465979

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One of the most central figures in monotheistic traditions is King David. The volume takes a new, critical look at the process of biblical creation and exegetical transformation of this character in the intertwined words of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Before Sufism

Before Sufism PDF

Author: Christopher Melchert

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2020-06-08

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 311061796X

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Christopher Melchert proposes to historicize Islamic renunciant piety (zuhd). As the conquest period wound down in the early eighth century c.e., renunciants set out to maintain the contempt of worldly comfort and loyalty to a greater cause that had characterized the community of Muslims in the seventh century. Instead of reckless endangerment on the battlefield, they cultivated intense fear of the Last Judgement to come. They spent nights weeping, reciting the Qur’an, and performing supererogatory ritual prayers. They stressed other-worldliness to the extent of minimizing good works in this world. Then the decline of tribute from the conquered peoples and conversion to Islam made it increasingly unfeasible for most Muslims to keep up any such régime. Professional differentiation also provoked increasing criticism of austerity. Finally, in the later ninth century, a form of Sufism emerged that would accommodate those willing and able to spend most of their time on religious devotions, those willing and able to spend their time on other religious pursuits such as law and hadith, and those unwilling or unable to do either.

Law and Piety in Medieval Islam

Law and Piety in Medieval Islam PDF

Author: Megan H. Reid

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2013-07-22

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1107067111

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The Ayyubid and Mamluk periods were two of the most intellectually vibrant in Islamic history. Megan H. Reid's book, which traverses three centuries from 1170 to 1500, recovers the stories of medieval men and women who were renowned not only for their intellectual prowess but also for their devotional piety. Through these stories, the book examines trends in voluntary religious practice that have been largely overlooked in modern scholarship. This type of piety was distinguished by the pursuit of God's favor through additional rituals, which emphasized the body as an instrument of worship, and through the rejection of worldly pleasures, and even society itself. Using an array of sources including manuals of law, fatwa collections, chronicles, and obituaries, the book shows what it meant to be a good Muslim in the medieval period and how Islamic law helped to define holy behavior. In its concentration on personal piety, ritual, and ethics the book offers an intimate perspective on medieval Islamic society.

Rabi'a From Narrative to Myth

Rabi'a From Narrative to Myth PDF

Author: Rkia Elaroui Cornell

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2019-01-03

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 1786075229

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Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya is a figure shrouded in myth. Certainly a woman by this name was born in Basra, Iraq, in the eighth century, but her life remains recorded only in legends, stories, poems and hagiographies. The various depictions of her – as a deeply spiritual ascetic, an existentialist rebel and a romantic lover – seem impossible to reconcile, and yet Rabi‘a has transcended these narratives to become a global symbol of both Sufi and modern secular culture. In this groundbreaking study, Rkia Elaroui Cornell traces the development of these diverse narratives and provides a history of the iconic Rabi‘a’s construction as a Sufi saint. Combining medieval and modern sources, including evidence never before examined, in novel ways, Rabi‘a From Narrative to Myth is the most significant work to emerge on this quintessential figure in Islam for more than seventy years.

Doctrinal Instruction in Early Islam

Doctrinal Instruction in Early Islam PDF

Author: Maher Jarrar

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2020-05-06

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 9004429050

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Ghulām Khalīl’s (d. 275/888) creed is a statement of faith and a guide for determining belief and unbelief. It, moreover, aims to regulate social behaviour. The present study offers a fascinating examination of this important creed, along with a critical edition of the Arabic text and a new English translation.

The Study of Shi'i Islam

The Study of Shi'i Islam PDF

Author: Gurdofarid Miskinzoda

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-01-08

Total Pages: 640

ISBN-13: 0857723383

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Shi'i Islam, with its rich and extensive history, has played a crucial role in the evolution of Islam as both a major world religion and civilization. The prolific achievements of Shi?i theologians, philosophers and others are testament to the spiritual and intellectual wealth of this community. Yet Shi?i studies has unjustly remained a long-neglected field, despite the important contribution that Shi'ism has made to Islamic traditions. Only in recent decades, partially spurred by global interest in political events of the Middle East, have scholars made some significant contributions in this area. The Study of Shi'i Islam presents papers originally delivered at the first international colloquium dedicated exclusively to Shi'i studies, held in 2010 at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. Within the book are eight sections, namely, history, the Qur'an and its Shi'i interpretations, hadith, law, authority, theology, rites and rituals, and intellectual traditions and philosophy. Each section begins with an introduction contextualizing the aspects of studying Shi'i Islam particular to its theme, before going on to address topics such as the state of the field, methodology and tools, and the primary issues with which contemporary scholars of Shi'i studies are dealing. The scope and depth here covered makes this book of especial interest to researchers and students alike within the field of Islamic studies. The volume benefits from the diverse expertise of nearly 30 world-class scholars, including Mohammad-Ali Amir-Moezzi, Meir M. Bar-Asher, Farhad Daftary, Daniel De Smet, Gerald R. Hawting, Nader El-Bizri, Etan Kohlberg, Wilferd Madelung, Andrew Newman, Ismail K. Poonawala, Sabine Schmidtke and Paul E. Walker.

Early Islam between Myth and History

Early Islam between Myth and History PDF

Author: Suleiman Mourad

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2006-12-01

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 9047416708

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This examination of the mythification of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī shows how the transformation of his historical person into a complete myth was accomplished, along with the groups responsible for making him say and do what legitimizes their own views and practices.

Secularization of Islam in Post-Revolutionary Iran

Secularization of Islam in Post-Revolutionary Iran PDF

Author: Mahmoud Pargoo

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-05-30

Total Pages: 131

ISBN-13: 1000390675

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Examining the trajectory of the secularization of Islam in Iran, this book explains how efforts to Islamize society led, self-destructively, to its secularization. The research engages a range of debates across different fields, emphasizing the political and epistemological instability of the basic categories such as Islam, Sharia, and secularism. The volume is an interdisciplinary study of both the history of Islamic revival and Khomeini’s very specific merger of Islamic law and mysticism. It traces back the process of secularization to the early encounter of Iranian intellectuals with Europeans and adoption of their fundamental framework in an Islamic guise. The process continued until the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, when Khomeini tried to substantively de-secularize Iranian social imaginaries. His attempts were not followed up by his followers, who vigorously reinstated the previous trend, after his death, resulting in a polity that is mostly secular but with Islamic ornaments. Bringing together area studies (Iran), religious studies (Islam), and political theory (secularism), this interdisciplinary volume places findings in a broader narrative that is both specific to Iran and broad enough to engage a global readership.

Civil Democratic Islam

Civil Democratic Islam PDF

Author: Cheryl Benard

Publisher: Rand Corporation

Published: 2004-03-25

Total Pages: 89

ISBN-13: 0833036203

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In the face of Islam's own internal struggles, it is not easy to see who we should support and how. This report provides detailed descriptions of subgroups, their stands on various issues, and what those stands may mean for the West. Since the outcomes can matter greatly to international community, that community might wish to influence them by providing support to appropriate actors. The author recommends a mixed approach of providing specific types of support to those who can influence the outcomes in desirable ways.