Martyrdom in Islam / David Cook.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cook, David, 1966-

Contributor:

Cambridge Books Online.

Series:

Themes in Islamic history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Martyrdom--Islam.

Martyrdom.

Muslim martyrs.

Islamic fundamentalism.

Islamic law.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 206 pages).

polychrome

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

In recent times Islamic martyrdom has become associated with suicide missions conducted by extremists. However, as David Cook demonstrates, this type of martyrdom is very different from the classical definition, which condemned suicide and stipulated that anyone who died as a believer could be considered a martyr. Ideas about martyrdom have evolved to suit prevailing circumstances, and it is the evolution of these different interpretations that Cook charts in this history of the role of suffering and people's willingness to die as a testimony to their faith. The book covers the earliest sources on martyrdom including those from the Jewish and Christian traditions, discussions about what constituted martyrdom, and differences in attitudes between Sunnis and Shi'ites. A concluding section discusses martyrdom in today's radical environment. There is no other book which considers the topic so systematically, and which draws so widely on the literary sources. This will be essential reading for students of Islamic history, and for those looking for an informed account of this controversial topic.

Contents:

Acknowledgments

Glossary

Chronology

1. Martyrs in religions

2. Martyrdom in the genesis of Islam

3. Legal definitions, boundaries and rewards of the martyr

4. Sectarian Islam : Sunni, Shiʼite and Sufi martyrdom

5. Martyrs : warriors and missionaries in medieval Islam

6. Martyrs of love and epic heroes

7. Patterns of prognostication, narrative and expiation

8. Martyrdom in contemporary radical Islam

9. Martyrdom in Islam : past and present

Appendix : The classical story of the Ashab al-ukhdud and translated contemporary martyrdom narratives

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 184-201) and index.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Cook, David, 1966- Martyrdom in Islam.

ISBN:

9780511810688

0511810687

OCLC:

817912888

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.