Author: Keith G. Laufenberg
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0991420284
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 364
Book Description
Muhammad's Revenge is a collection of short stories that literally forces the reader to bring the realities of life on this earth, along with such terrible things as war, into sharp focus and to concentrate on why things happen as they do-when they do-and what happens to the soul when this life on earth is over. In the title story, "Muhammad's Revenge," we see how the war experiences of a single human being can bring an apocalypse to the entire world. In "Peace on Earth" the realities of the horrors of World War I become starkly vivid and real but so does the humanity of mankind when the Germans and the English armies call a one-day truce, a historic event, that actually did happen. In "Big Sugar," as in all these stories, we see the personal as well as private lives of many of the characters, in their darkest moments and how one life's circumstances which end in a tragic death can alter history for all the others involved for the better.
Muhammad's Revenge
Author: Keith G. Laufenberg
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0991420284
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 364
Book Description
Muhammad's Revenge is a collection of short stories that literally forces the reader to bring the realities of life on this earth, along with such terrible things as war, into sharp focus and to concentrate on why things happen as they do-when they do-and what happens to the soul when this life on earth is over. In the title story, "Muhammad's Revenge," we see how the war experiences of a single human being can bring an apocalypse to the entire world. In "Peace on Earth" the realities of the horrors of World War I become starkly vivid and real but so does the humanity of mankind when the Germans and the English armies call a one-day truce, a historic event, that actually did happen. In "Big Sugar," as in all these stories, we see the personal as well as private lives of many of the characters, in their darkest moments and how one life's circumstances which end in a tragic death can alter history for all the others involved for the better.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0991420284
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 364
Book Description
Muhammad's Revenge is a collection of short stories that literally forces the reader to bring the realities of life on this earth, along with such terrible things as war, into sharp focus and to concentrate on why things happen as they do-when they do-and what happens to the soul when this life on earth is over. In the title story, "Muhammad's Revenge," we see how the war experiences of a single human being can bring an apocalypse to the entire world. In "Peace on Earth" the realities of the horrors of World War I become starkly vivid and real but so does the humanity of mankind when the Germans and the English armies call a one-day truce, a historic event, that actually did happen. In "Big Sugar," as in all these stories, we see the personal as well as private lives of many of the characters, in their darkest moments and how one life's circumstances which end in a tragic death can alter history for all the others involved for the better.
Revenge, Politics and Blasphemy in Pakistan
Author: Adeel Hussain
Publisher: Hurst Publishers
ISBN: 1787388794
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 291
Book Description
This fascinating book uncovers the hidden stories behind Pakistan’s fixation with blasphemy–tales of revenge, political scheming and sovereign betrayal. Hussain’s account opens in nineteenth-century colonial Punjab and traces blasphemy killings to the present, linking their emergence to polemic encounters between Hindu and Muslim revivalist sects, namely the Arya Samaj and the Ahmadiyya. It offers, for the first time, the arresting backstories to the assassinations of Pandit Lekh Ram, a leading Hindu nationalist; Swami Shraddhanand, an early progenitor of Hindu nationalism and the principal advocate for converting Muslims; and Rajpal, the Hindu publisher of a sensationalist book on the Prophet Muhammad. Revenge, Politics and Blasphemy in Pakistan then maps the curious afterlives of these killings, illuminating the most critical moments in Pakistan’s history: 1953, when outraged protestors smashed stores owned by religious minorities, triggering the country’s first state of emergency; 1974, when Islamist parties pressured Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to put blasphemy on the constitutional agenda; 1984, when Zia-ul-Haq transformed Pakistan according to his Islamist vision, which included more severe punishments for blasphemy; and the twenty-first century, when digital media has dramatically increased the visibility of blasphemy killings, prompting political parties to demonstrate their commitment to the cause.
Publisher: Hurst Publishers
ISBN: 1787388794
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 291
Book Description
This fascinating book uncovers the hidden stories behind Pakistan’s fixation with blasphemy–tales of revenge, political scheming and sovereign betrayal. Hussain’s account opens in nineteenth-century colonial Punjab and traces blasphemy killings to the present, linking their emergence to polemic encounters between Hindu and Muslim revivalist sects, namely the Arya Samaj and the Ahmadiyya. It offers, for the first time, the arresting backstories to the assassinations of Pandit Lekh Ram, a leading Hindu nationalist; Swami Shraddhanand, an early progenitor of Hindu nationalism and the principal advocate for converting Muslims; and Rajpal, the Hindu publisher of a sensationalist book on the Prophet Muhammad. Revenge, Politics and Blasphemy in Pakistan then maps the curious afterlives of these killings, illuminating the most critical moments in Pakistan’s history: 1953, when outraged protestors smashed stores owned by religious minorities, triggering the country’s first state of emergency; 1974, when Islamist parties pressured Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to put blasphemy on the constitutional agenda; 1984, when Zia-ul-Haq transformed Pakistan according to his Islamist vision, which included more severe punishments for blasphemy; and the twenty-first century, when digital media has dramatically increased the visibility of blasphemy killings, prompting political parties to demonstrate their commitment to the cause.
Muhammad’s Humanity
Author: حسين صبري
Publisher: Kotobna
ISBN: 9779905375
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
I dedicate this study to Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Islam God’s peace and blessings be upon him In recognition of his humanity and prophethood
Publisher: Kotobna
ISBN: 9779905375
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
I dedicate this study to Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Islam God’s peace and blessings be upon him In recognition of his humanity and prophethood
Muhammad's Military Expeditions
Author: Ayman S. Ibrahim
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197769179
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
"The Arabic Muslim literature on Muhammad's maghazi is bountiful. Since this book focuses on Muhammad's maghazi, a survey of this literature is important not only to establish the centrality of the topic in Islamic thought but also to relay the uniqueness and contribution of this book. To that end, in this chapter, I will first explore that which classical Muslim narrators wrote on Muhammad's maghazi and the ways they used the accounts to reflect Allah's support for Muhammad and the believers. In the second section, I will examine discussions by modern and contemporary Muslims, relaying how they interpret the accounts of the maghazi. In particular, I will discuss their articulation of the motivations and results of Muhammad's military campaigns. The first two sections of this chapter will thus establish the centrality of the maghazi, as a literary genre, as well as its importance among Muslims, past and present. In the third section, I take the discussion to non-Muslim scholarship. I explore briefly early views on Muhammad and his career by non-Muslims, before I focus on works and arguments of key Western scholars from the nineteenth century until our present day"--
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197769179
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
"The Arabic Muslim literature on Muhammad's maghazi is bountiful. Since this book focuses on Muhammad's maghazi, a survey of this literature is important not only to establish the centrality of the topic in Islamic thought but also to relay the uniqueness and contribution of this book. To that end, in this chapter, I will first explore that which classical Muslim narrators wrote on Muhammad's maghazi and the ways they used the accounts to reflect Allah's support for Muhammad and the believers. In the second section, I will examine discussions by modern and contemporary Muslims, relaying how they interpret the accounts of the maghazi. In particular, I will discuss their articulation of the motivations and results of Muhammad's military campaigns. The first two sections of this chapter will thus establish the centrality of the maghazi, as a literary genre, as well as its importance among Muslims, past and present. In the third section, I take the discussion to non-Muslim scholarship. I explore briefly early views on Muhammad and his career by non-Muslims, before I focus on works and arguments of key Western scholars from the nineteenth century until our present day"--
Muhammad's Mission
Author: Tilman Nagel
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110675072
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 339
Book Description
Combining vast erudition with a refusal to bow before the political pressures of the day, Muhammad’s Mission: Religion, Politics, and Power at the Birth of Islam by Professor Tilman Nagel, one of the world’s leading authorities on Islam, is an introduction to three inseparable topics: the life of Muhammad (570-632 CE), the composition of the Koran, and the birth of Islam. While accessible to a general audience, it will also be of great interest to specialists, since it is the first English translation of Professor Nagel’s attempt to summarize a lifetime of research on these topics. The Introduction, Chapters 1-2, and Appendix 1 provide essential historical background on the Arab tribal system and Muhammad’s position within that system; the political situation in pre-Islamic Arabia; the history of Mecca; and pre-Islamic Arabian religions. Chapters 3-5 cover the beginnings of the revelations that Muhammad claimed to be receiving from Allah, paying special attention to the influence on Muhammad of the hanifs, a group of pre-Islamic pagan monotheists attested in the earliest Islamic sources. The hanifs claimed to trace their religion back to the putative original monotheism of Abraham, from which they claimed Jews and Christians had deviated by, among other things, abandoning animal sacrifice. Chapter 6 explains how Muhammad’s religious message included a thinly-veiled claim to have the right to political power over Mecca, a claim that exacerbated tensions with his own clan and led eventually to his expulsion from Mecca, as recounted in Chapter 7. Chapters 8-10 describe the impact of the hijra on the evolution of Islam. Seeing himself as the true heir to Abraham and the prophets who followed him, Muhammad would demand allegiance from Jews and Christians, as recounted in Sura 2 and other Medinan suras. He would initiate a war against Mecca, not in self-defense, but in order to gain control over the Kaaba, the central hanif shrine and the new qibla or direction of prayer for the Muslims. The Muslim victory at the Battle of Badr in 624 would help to shape a new ideal of a militarized religiosity in which those who waged war under Muhammad’s command would attain the rank of “true believers,” while those converts who refused to make hijra and to fight for Muhammad were relegated to the lower rank of “mere Muslims,” as Suras 8 and 49 make clear. Muhammad’s war against Mecca alienated many of his Medinan followers, the ansar. The refusal of the Jews to convert to Islam, combined with the close connection of the Jews to the ansar, led Muhammad to make war on the Jews as well as the Meccans. The surrender of Mecca in 630 (Chapter 11) did not lead to the end of war, for the aggressiveness and military success of Muhammad’s movement had made it attractive to a slew of new converts whose desire for booty had to be placated. Sura 9, promulgated near the end of Muhammad’s life, served as a broad declaration of war against polytheists, Jews, and Christians. Chapter 12 describes the evolution of Islam late in Muhammad’s life into a “religious warriors’ movement” that sought to extend the rule of Islam over the entire inhabited world. Chapter 13 covers the final pilgrimage and death of Muhammad, while Chapters 14-20 describe the development of Islamic dogma surrounding the figure of Muhammad and its implications for politics in the Islamic world and interfaith relations with non-Muslims up till the present day. The book concludes with appendices in which Nagel summarizes the state of scholarship regarding the life of Muhammad (Appendix 2) and the tensions between competing varieties of Muslim recollection of Muhammad (Appendix 3). Muhammad’s Mission: Religion, Politics, and Power at the Birth of Islam is an erudite and authoritative guide to events of world-historical importance by a scholar who has spent a lifetime mastering the primary sources documenting the birth of Islam.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110675072
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 339
Book Description
Combining vast erudition with a refusal to bow before the political pressures of the day, Muhammad’s Mission: Religion, Politics, and Power at the Birth of Islam by Professor Tilman Nagel, one of the world’s leading authorities on Islam, is an introduction to three inseparable topics: the life of Muhammad (570-632 CE), the composition of the Koran, and the birth of Islam. While accessible to a general audience, it will also be of great interest to specialists, since it is the first English translation of Professor Nagel’s attempt to summarize a lifetime of research on these topics. The Introduction, Chapters 1-2, and Appendix 1 provide essential historical background on the Arab tribal system and Muhammad’s position within that system; the political situation in pre-Islamic Arabia; the history of Mecca; and pre-Islamic Arabian religions. Chapters 3-5 cover the beginnings of the revelations that Muhammad claimed to be receiving from Allah, paying special attention to the influence on Muhammad of the hanifs, a group of pre-Islamic pagan monotheists attested in the earliest Islamic sources. The hanifs claimed to trace their religion back to the putative original monotheism of Abraham, from which they claimed Jews and Christians had deviated by, among other things, abandoning animal sacrifice. Chapter 6 explains how Muhammad’s religious message included a thinly-veiled claim to have the right to political power over Mecca, a claim that exacerbated tensions with his own clan and led eventually to his expulsion from Mecca, as recounted in Chapter 7. Chapters 8-10 describe the impact of the hijra on the evolution of Islam. Seeing himself as the true heir to Abraham and the prophets who followed him, Muhammad would demand allegiance from Jews and Christians, as recounted in Sura 2 and other Medinan suras. He would initiate a war against Mecca, not in self-defense, but in order to gain control over the Kaaba, the central hanif shrine and the new qibla or direction of prayer for the Muslims. The Muslim victory at the Battle of Badr in 624 would help to shape a new ideal of a militarized religiosity in which those who waged war under Muhammad’s command would attain the rank of “true believers,” while those converts who refused to make hijra and to fight for Muhammad were relegated to the lower rank of “mere Muslims,” as Suras 8 and 49 make clear. Muhammad’s war against Mecca alienated many of his Medinan followers, the ansar. The refusal of the Jews to convert to Islam, combined with the close connection of the Jews to the ansar, led Muhammad to make war on the Jews as well as the Meccans. The surrender of Mecca in 630 (Chapter 11) did not lead to the end of war, for the aggressiveness and military success of Muhammad’s movement had made it attractive to a slew of new converts whose desire for booty had to be placated. Sura 9, promulgated near the end of Muhammad’s life, served as a broad declaration of war against polytheists, Jews, and Christians. Chapter 12 describes the evolution of Islam late in Muhammad’s life into a “religious warriors’ movement” that sought to extend the rule of Islam over the entire inhabited world. Chapter 13 covers the final pilgrimage and death of Muhammad, while Chapters 14-20 describe the development of Islamic dogma surrounding the figure of Muhammad and its implications for politics in the Islamic world and interfaith relations with non-Muslims up till the present day. The book concludes with appendices in which Nagel summarizes the state of scholarship regarding the life of Muhammad (Appendix 2) and the tensions between competing varieties of Muslim recollection of Muhammad (Appendix 3). Muhammad’s Mission: Religion, Politics, and Power at the Birth of Islam is an erudite and authoritative guide to events of world-historical importance by a scholar who has spent a lifetime mastering the primary sources documenting the birth of Islam.
Muhammad
Author: Martin Lings
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780946621255
Category : Muslims
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
Acclaimed worldwide as the definitive biography of the Prophet Muhammad in the English language, Martin Lings' Muhammad: His Life Based to the Earliest Sources is unlike any other. Based on Arabic sources of the eighth and ninth centuries, of which some important passages are translated here for the first time, it owes the freshness and directness of its approach to the words of men and women who heard Muhammad speak and witnessed the events of his life. Martin Lings has an unusual gift for narrative. He has adopted a style which is at once extremely readable and reflects both the simplicity and grandeur of the story. The result is a book which will be read with equal enjoyment by those already familiar with Muhammad's life and those coming to it for the first time. Muhammad: His Life Based to the Earliest Sources was given an award by the government of Pakistan, and selected as the best biography of the Prophet in English at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad in 1983.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780946621255
Category : Muslims
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
Acclaimed worldwide as the definitive biography of the Prophet Muhammad in the English language, Martin Lings' Muhammad: His Life Based to the Earliest Sources is unlike any other. Based on Arabic sources of the eighth and ninth centuries, of which some important passages are translated here for the first time, it owes the freshness and directness of its approach to the words of men and women who heard Muhammad speak and witnessed the events of his life. Martin Lings has an unusual gift for narrative. He has adopted a style which is at once extremely readable and reflects both the simplicity and grandeur of the story. The result is a book which will be read with equal enjoyment by those already familiar with Muhammad's life and those coming to it for the first time. Muhammad: His Life Based to the Earliest Sources was given an award by the government of Pakistan, and selected as the best biography of the Prophet in English at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad in 1983.
The Newest Testament
Author: M. B. Goldstein
Publisher: ArchwayPublishing
ISBN: 1480801550
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 737
Book Description
Dr. M. B. Goldstein was encouraged at a young age to question the beliefs of his people. Free to discover God in his own way, Goldstein passionately searched for God through history, science, and mental and spiritual analysis. Now, in his comprehensive study of the psychological analysis of faith, Goldstein shares insight and knowledge he gained in his unique spiritual journey, seeking to help anyone who wishes to learn more about the history and philosophy of religious belief. Dr. Goldstein, a retired psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry, relies on twenty years of extensive research—including the study of more than five hundred of the most important works of religion, history, and philosophy—to offer a step-by-step investigation of the important contributions to the major religions and philosophies of belief. As Goldstein traces six thousand years of history through to modern humanity, he highlights the differing views existing among religious and scientific communities regarding the creation of the universe, the human involvement with faith, and the ways God beliefs have evolved over time. The Newest Testament provides an introspective look at religion and beliefs by exploring and attempting to bridge a divide through understanding, facts, and intelligent faith.
Publisher: ArchwayPublishing
ISBN: 1480801550
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 737
Book Description
Dr. M. B. Goldstein was encouraged at a young age to question the beliefs of his people. Free to discover God in his own way, Goldstein passionately searched for God through history, science, and mental and spiritual analysis. Now, in his comprehensive study of the psychological analysis of faith, Goldstein shares insight and knowledge he gained in his unique spiritual journey, seeking to help anyone who wishes to learn more about the history and philosophy of religious belief. Dr. Goldstein, a retired psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry, relies on twenty years of extensive research—including the study of more than five hundred of the most important works of religion, history, and philosophy—to offer a step-by-step investigation of the important contributions to the major religions and philosophies of belief. As Goldstein traces six thousand years of history through to modern humanity, he highlights the differing views existing among religious and scientific communities regarding the creation of the universe, the human involvement with faith, and the ways God beliefs have evolved over time. The Newest Testament provides an introspective look at religion and beliefs by exploring and attempting to bridge a divide through understanding, facts, and intelligent faith.
The Lineage of Prophet Muhammad pbuh
Author: Saiyed BadreAlam A. Bukhari
Publisher: Saiyed BadreAlam A. Bukhari
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 472
Book Description
This Book “The Lineage of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ” is all about what it is subtitled “The true history of Islam”. Our book describes the circumstances of Huzur’sﷺ inheritance (Virasat e Rasulﷺ), Maula Ali alaihissalam, and from the lineage of Huzur-e-Aqdasﷺ till Maula Ali alaihissalam and twelve Imam till Hazrat Imam Mehdi alaihissalam. Because our lineage begins from Hazrat Imam Naqi alaihissalam as they are our progenitors, we have given the descriptions of their sacrifices in the path of Islam. We have also described their circumstances. The purpose of writing this book is to let the people know the story of torture done on Huzur’sﷺ physical heirs and the nearest companions and the confusions created after the sad demise of Huzurﷺ. After the Prophet, Hazrat Abubakar Siddiq alaihissalam was crowned as a Caliph. After that Hazrat Umar alaihissalam was given this post and then Hazrat Usman-e-Gani alaihissalam was appointed as a Caliph. He also was martyred. After the death of Hazrat Usman-e-Gani alaihissalam, the conditions were very delicate. Due to the conspiracies of Bani Umiyyah, Islam was to be leaned towards the controls of kings. Maula-e-Kainat Hazrat Ali Murtuza alaihissalam was busy collecting the Qur’anic verses. He was deeply sunk into prayers and practices. During this time, big shots of Islam came to him and requested him to shoulder the responsibilities of Islam. He bluntly refused. A meeting of the executive committee (Shura–the executive committee) was convened, and, after a great insistence, Hazrat Ali alaihissalam accepted these responsibilities. And as a result of unanimous agreement, he became one of the selected of the Momins (Mominin Muntakhab). He prevented the people from going wild in their behavior. He had to fight many wars (briefly explained each war inside the book). He turned all the malicious plans of Bani Umiyyah into a great failure. And then how Hazrat Imam Hasan a.s. appointed and after him, Hazrat Imam Husain a.s. The author also included the details of the War of Karbala and incidents that happened after Karbala. This book consists of the life details of all the twelve (12) Imam’s and about their books, works, and much more.
Publisher: Saiyed BadreAlam A. Bukhari
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 472
Book Description
This Book “The Lineage of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ” is all about what it is subtitled “The true history of Islam”. Our book describes the circumstances of Huzur’sﷺ inheritance (Virasat e Rasulﷺ), Maula Ali alaihissalam, and from the lineage of Huzur-e-Aqdasﷺ till Maula Ali alaihissalam and twelve Imam till Hazrat Imam Mehdi alaihissalam. Because our lineage begins from Hazrat Imam Naqi alaihissalam as they are our progenitors, we have given the descriptions of their sacrifices in the path of Islam. We have also described their circumstances. The purpose of writing this book is to let the people know the story of torture done on Huzur’sﷺ physical heirs and the nearest companions and the confusions created after the sad demise of Huzurﷺ. After the Prophet, Hazrat Abubakar Siddiq alaihissalam was crowned as a Caliph. After that Hazrat Umar alaihissalam was given this post and then Hazrat Usman-e-Gani alaihissalam was appointed as a Caliph. He also was martyred. After the death of Hazrat Usman-e-Gani alaihissalam, the conditions were very delicate. Due to the conspiracies of Bani Umiyyah, Islam was to be leaned towards the controls of kings. Maula-e-Kainat Hazrat Ali Murtuza alaihissalam was busy collecting the Qur’anic verses. He was deeply sunk into prayers and practices. During this time, big shots of Islam came to him and requested him to shoulder the responsibilities of Islam. He bluntly refused. A meeting of the executive committee (Shura–the executive committee) was convened, and, after a great insistence, Hazrat Ali alaihissalam accepted these responsibilities. And as a result of unanimous agreement, he became one of the selected of the Momins (Mominin Muntakhab). He prevented the people from going wild in their behavior. He had to fight many wars (briefly explained each war inside the book). He turned all the malicious plans of Bani Umiyyah into a great failure. And then how Hazrat Imam Hasan a.s. appointed and after him, Hazrat Imam Husain a.s. The author also included the details of the War of Karbala and incidents that happened after Karbala. This book consists of the life details of all the twelve (12) Imam’s and about their books, works, and much more.
Heroes of the Age
Author: David B. Edwards
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 052091631X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326
Book Description
Much of the political turmoil that has occurred in Afghanistan since the Marxist revolution of 1978 has been attributed to the dispute between Soviet-aligned Marxists and the religious extremists inspired by Egyptian and Pakistani brands of "fundamentalist" Islam. In a significant departure from this view, David B. Edwards contends that—though Marxism and radical Islam have undoubtedly played a significant role in the conflict—Afghanistan's troubles derive less from foreign forces and the ideological divisions between groups than they do from the moral incoherence of Afghanistan itself. Seeking the historical and cultural roots of the conflict, Edwards examines the lives of three significant figures of the late nineteenth century—a tribal khan, a Muslim saint, and a prince who became king of the newly created state. He explores the ambiguities and contradictions of these lives and the stories that surround them, arguing that conflicting values within an artificially-created state are at the root of Afghanistan's current instability. Building on this foundation, Edwards examines conflicting narratives of a tribal uprising against the British Raj that broke out in the summer of 1897. Through an analysis of both colonial and native accounts, Edwards investigates the saint's role in this conflict, his relationship to the Afghan state and the tribal groups that followed him, and the larger issue of how Islam traditionally functions as an encompassing framework of political association in frontier society.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 052091631X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326
Book Description
Much of the political turmoil that has occurred in Afghanistan since the Marxist revolution of 1978 has been attributed to the dispute between Soviet-aligned Marxists and the religious extremists inspired by Egyptian and Pakistani brands of "fundamentalist" Islam. In a significant departure from this view, David B. Edwards contends that—though Marxism and radical Islam have undoubtedly played a significant role in the conflict—Afghanistan's troubles derive less from foreign forces and the ideological divisions between groups than they do from the moral incoherence of Afghanistan itself. Seeking the historical and cultural roots of the conflict, Edwards examines the lives of three significant figures of the late nineteenth century—a tribal khan, a Muslim saint, and a prince who became king of the newly created state. He explores the ambiguities and contradictions of these lives and the stories that surround them, arguing that conflicting values within an artificially-created state are at the root of Afghanistan's current instability. Building on this foundation, Edwards examines conflicting narratives of a tribal uprising against the British Raj that broke out in the summer of 1897. Through an analysis of both colonial and native accounts, Edwards investigates the saint's role in this conflict, his relationship to the Afghan state and the tribal groups that followed him, and the larger issue of how Islam traditionally functions as an encompassing framework of political association in frontier society.
Before Taliban
Author: David B. Edwards
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520926870
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 377
Book Description
In this powerful book, David B. Edwards traces the lives of three recent Afghan leaders in Afghanistan's history--Nur Muhammad Taraki, Samiullah Safi, and Qazi Amin Waqad--to explain how the promise of progress and prosperity that animated Afghanistan in the 1960s crumbled and became the present tragedy of discord, destruction, and despair. Before Taliban builds on the foundation that Edwards laid in his previous book, Heroes of the Age, in which he examines the lives of three significant figures of the late nineteenth century--a tribal khan, a Muslim saint, and a prince who became king of the newly created state. In the mid twentieth century, Afghans believed their nation could be a model of economic and social development that would inspire the world. Instead, political conflict, foreign invasion, and civil war have left the country impoverished and politically dysfunctional. Each of the men Edwards profiles were engaged in the political struggles of the country's recent history. They hoped to see Afghanistan become a more just and democratic nation. But their visions for their country were radically different, and in the end, all three failed and were killed or exiled. Now, Afghanistan is associated with international terrorism, drug trafficking, and repression. Before Taliban tells these men's stories and provides a thorough analysis of why their dreams for a progressive nation lie in ruins while the Taliban has succeeded. In Edwards's able hands, this culturally informed biography provides a mesmerizing and revealing look into the social and cultural contexts of political change.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520926870
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 377
Book Description
In this powerful book, David B. Edwards traces the lives of three recent Afghan leaders in Afghanistan's history--Nur Muhammad Taraki, Samiullah Safi, and Qazi Amin Waqad--to explain how the promise of progress and prosperity that animated Afghanistan in the 1960s crumbled and became the present tragedy of discord, destruction, and despair. Before Taliban builds on the foundation that Edwards laid in his previous book, Heroes of the Age, in which he examines the lives of three significant figures of the late nineteenth century--a tribal khan, a Muslim saint, and a prince who became king of the newly created state. In the mid twentieth century, Afghans believed their nation could be a model of economic and social development that would inspire the world. Instead, political conflict, foreign invasion, and civil war have left the country impoverished and politically dysfunctional. Each of the men Edwards profiles were engaged in the political struggles of the country's recent history. They hoped to see Afghanistan become a more just and democratic nation. But their visions for their country were radically different, and in the end, all three failed and were killed or exiled. Now, Afghanistan is associated with international terrorism, drug trafficking, and repression. Before Taliban tells these men's stories and provides a thorough analysis of why their dreams for a progressive nation lie in ruins while the Taliban has succeeded. In Edwards's able hands, this culturally informed biography provides a mesmerizing and revealing look into the social and cultural contexts of political change.