Islamic Struggle in Syria

Islamic Struggle in Syria
Umar F. Abd-Allah (Author), Hamid Algar (Author)

New!: $29.95 $21.50 (as of 05/21/2014 14:05 PST)
20 Used! | New! from $15.00 (as of 05/21/2014 14:05 PST)

Syria

Syria has always played a pivotal role in Middle Eastern affairs, but most Westerners have never had a very clear understanding of the prevailing conditions there. The Islamic Struggle in Syria is a pioneering work that seeks to illuminate some important aspects on contemporary Syrian reality. It focuses on the bitter struggle between the Syrian Islamic Front and the repressive Ba'thist regime of Late Hafiz Asad. Dr. Abd-Allah provides valuable information on the leaders, ideology, and program of the Syrian Islamic Front as well as a history of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria and sketches of some its leaders, including Mustafa as-Sibai, Isam al-Attar, and Marwan Hadid. At the same time, he touches on a number of important topics: the continuing nature of superpower intrigue and intervention in the Middle East, the importance of the sectarian factor in Syrina politics, the origins and antecedents of the Ba'thist regime, the ambiguous role played by Hafiz Asad vis-a-vis Israel and the Palestinian cause, the role Syrian has played in Lebanese affairs, and Syria's relations with other countries in the region.

• Rank: #177853 in Books
• Published on: 1983-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 9.00" h x 6.00" w x 1.00" l, 1.20 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 300 pages

The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam: Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks)

The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam: Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks)
Omid Safi (Author)
(2)

New!: $28.95 $26.03 (as of 05/21/2013 13:01 PST)
43 Used! | New! from $7.50 (as of 05/21/2013 13:01 PST)

Syria

The eleventh and twelfth centuries comprised a period of great significance in Islamic history. The Great Saljuqs, a Turkish-speaking tribe hailing from central Asia, ruled the eastern half of the Islamic world for a great portion of that time. In a far-reaching analysis that combines social, cultural, and political history, Omid Safi demonstrates how the Saljuqs tried to create a lasting political presence by joining forces with scholars and saints, among them a number of well-known Sufi Muslims, who functioned under state patronage.

In order to legitimize their political power, Saljuq rulers presented themselves as champions of what they alleged was an orthodox and normative view of Islam. Their notion of religious orthodoxy was constructed by administrators in state-sponsored arenas such as madrasas and khanaqahs. Thus orthodoxy was linked to political loyalty, and disloyalty to the state was articulated in terms of religious heresy.

Drawing on a vast reservoir of primary sources and eschewing anachronistic terms of analysis such as nationalism, Safi revises conventional views both of the Saljuqs as benevolent Muslim rulers and of the Sufis as timeless, ethereal mystics. He makes a significant contribution to understanding premodern Islam as well as illuminating the complex relationship between power and religious knowledge.

• Rank: #142325 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-31
• Released on: 2006-01-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 9.25" h x .83" w x 6.14" l, 1.12 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages