The Historical Muhammad - Couverture rigide

Zeitlin, Irving M.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0745639984 ISBN 13 : 9780745639987

Editeur : Polity Press, 2007

Synopsis

In his quest for the historical Muhammad, Zeitlin's chief aim is to catch glimpses of the birth of Islam and the role played by its extraordinary founder. Islam, as its Prophet came to conceive it, was a strict and absolute monotheism. How Muhammad had arrived at this view is not a problem for Muslims, who believe that the Prophet received a revelation from Allah or God, mediated by the Angel Gabriel. For scholars, however, interested in placing Muhammad in the historical context of the seventh-century Arabian Peninsula, the source of the Prophets inspiration is a significant question.

It is apparent that the two earlier monotheisms, Judaism and Christianity, constituted an influential presence in the Hijaz, the region comprising Mecca and Medina. Indeed, Jewish communities were salient here, especially in Medina and other not-too-distant oases. Moreover, in addition to the presence of Jews and Christians, there existed a third category of individuals, the Hanifs, who, dissatisfied with their polytheistic beliefs, had developed monotheistic ideas.

Zeitlin assesses the extent to which these various influences shaped the emergence of Islam and the development of the Prophets beliefs. He also seeks to understand how the process set in motion by Muhammad led, not long after his death, to the establishment of a world empire.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Irving M. Zeitlin, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Toronto

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Polity Press
• Date d'édition: 2007
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0745639984
• ISBN 13: 9780745639987
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 184
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible