The Rebel and the Im緡 in Early Islam (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781107026056)

Engaging with contemporary debates about the sources that shape our understanding of the early Muslim world, Najam Haider proposes a new model for Muslim historical writing that draws on Late Antique historiography to challenge the imposition of modern notions of history on a pre-modern society. Haider discusses three key case studies - the revolt of Mukhtar b. Abi 'Ubayd (d. 67/687), the life of the Twelver Shi'i Imam Musa al-Kazim (d. 183/799) and the rebellion and subsequent death of the Zaydi Shi'i Imam Yahya b. 'Abd Allah (d. 187/803) - in calling for a new line of inquiry which focuses on larger historiographical questions. What were the rules that governed historical writing in the early Muslim world? What were the intended audiences for these works? In the process, he rejects artificial divisions between Sunni and Shi'i historical writing.

Author: Najam Haider
ISBN-10: 1107026059
ISBN-13: 9781107026056
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/19/2019
Pages: 316
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 9.38h x 6.48w x 0.76d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 06/01/2020