Law and piety in medieval Islam / Megan H. Reid.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Reid, Megan H., author.

Series:

Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization.

Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islam--Customs and practices.

Islam.

Islam--Customs and practices--History.

Spiritual life--Islam.

Spiritual life.

Spiritual life--Islam--History.

Muslims--Conduct of life.

Muslims.

Muslims--Conduct of life--History.

Islamic law.

Muslim scholars--Biography.

Muslim scholars.

Islamic civilization.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 249 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Law & Piety in Medieval Islam

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Introduction: devotional piety and Islamic law

The persistence of asceticism

"Devote yourselves to deeds you can bear": voluntary fasting and bodily piety

Charity, food and the right of refusal

The devil at the fountain: problems in ritual

Conclusion. Beyond transgression, beyond Sunna.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-107-06482-1

1-139-88716-5

1-108-41078-2

1-107-05431-1

0-511-84353-4

1-107-05754-X

1-107-05532-6

1-107-05877-5

1-107-05644-6

OCLC:

852154587