Martyrdom in Islam PDF
Preview Martyrdom in Islam
MartyrdominIslam InrecenttimesIslamicmartyrdomhasbecomeassociatedwithsuicidemis- sionsconductedbyextremists.However,asDavidCookdemonstrates,this typeofmartyrdomisverydifferentfromtheclassicaldefinition,whichcon- demnedsuicideandstipulatedthatanyonewhodiedasabelievercouldbe consideredamartyr.Ideasaboutmartyrdomhaveevolvedtosuitprevailing circumstances, and it is the evolution of these different interpretations that Cookchartsinthisfascinatinghistoryoftheroleofsufferingandpeople’s willingnesstodieasatestimonytotheirfaith.Thebookcoverstheearliest sources,includingthosefromtheJewishandChristiantraditions,discussions about what constituted martyrdom, differences in attitudes between Sunnis andShi(cid:1)ites,theroleofmartyrdominconversionandtheliterarymanifesta- tionsofromanticmartyrdom.Aconcludingsectiondiscussesmartyrdomin today’sradicalenvironment.Thereisnootherbookwhichconsidersthetopic sosystematically,andwhichdrawssoextensivelyontheArabicandPersian sources,aswellasonMuslimliteraturefromacrosstheworld.Thiswillbe essentialreadingforstudentsofIslamichistory,andforthoselookingforan informedaccountofthiscontroversialtopic. david cook isAssistantProfessorinReligiousStudiesatRiceUniversity. HehaswrittenStudiesinMuslimApocalyptic(2002),UnderstandingJihad (2005)andContemporaryMuslimApocalypticLiterature(2005). THEMESINISLAMICHISTORYcomprisesarangeoftitlesexploringdifferentaspects ofIslamichistory,societyandculturebyleadingscholarsinthefield.Booksarethematic inapproach,offeringacomprehensiveandaccessibleoverviewofthesubject.Generally, surveys treat Islamic history from its origins to the demise of the Ottoman Empire, althoughsomeofferamoredevelopedanalysisofaparticularperiod,orprojectinto thepresent,dependingonthesubject-matter.Allthebooksarewrittentointerpretand illuminatethepast,asgatewaystoadeeperunderstandingofIslamiccivilizationandits peoples. Editorialadviser: PatriciaCrone,InstituteforAdvancedStudy,PrincetonUniversity Alreadypublished: ChaseF.Robinson,IslamicHistoriography Jonathan P. Berkey, The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600–1800 MichaelCook,ForbiddingWronginIslam:AnIntroduction Martyrdom in Islam DavidCook RiceUniversity CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521850407 © David Cook 2007 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2007 A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Cook, David, 1966– Martyrdom in Islam / David Cook. – 1st edn. p. cm. – (Themes in Islamic history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-521-85040-7 (hardback) ISBN-13: 978-0-521-61551-8 (paperback) 1. Martyrdom–Islam. 2. Muslim martyrs. 3. Islamic fundamentalism. 4. Islamic law. I. Title. II. Series. BP190.5.M3C66 2007 297.2´3–dc22 2006026058 ISBN 978-0-521-85040-7 hardback ISBN 978-0-521-61551-8 paperback Transferred to digital printing 2008 Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. DedicatedtoProfessorFredM.Donner Appreciatedbyallwhohavestudiedwithhim, anexampletoallinourfield. Contents Acknowledgments page ix Glossary x Chronology xiii 1 Martyrsinreligions 1 2 MartyrdominthegenesisofIslam 12 3 Legaldefinitions,boundariesandrewardsofthemartyr 31 4 SectarianIslam:Sunni,Shi(cid:1)iteandSufimartyrdom 45 5 Martyrs:warriorsandmissionariesinmedievalIslam 74 6 Martyrsofloveandepicheroes 98 7 Patternsofprognostication,narrativeandexpiation 116 8 MartyrdomincontemporaryradicalIslam 135 9 MartyrdominIslam:pastandpresent 165 Appendix:TheclassicalstoryoftheAshabal-ukhdudand translatedcontemporarymartyrdomnarratives 172 Bibliography 184 Index 202 vii
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