| The Hidden Origins of Islam: New Research Into Its Early History Contributor(s): Ohlig, Karl-Heinz (Editor), Puin, Gerd- R. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 1591026342 ISBN-13: 9781591026341 Publisher: Prometheus Books OUR PRICE: $29.69 Product Type: Hardcover Published: February 2010 Annotation: Islamic literary sources do not exist for the seventh and eighth centuries, when, according to tradition, Muhammad and his immediate followers lived. Based on the premise that reliable history can only be written on the basis of sources that are contemporary with the events described, the contributors to this in-depth investigation present research that reveals the obscure origins of Islam in a completely new light. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Islam - History - Literary Criticism | Middle Eastern - Religion | Islam - Rituals & Practice |
| Dewey: 297.090 |
| LCCN: 2008049316 |
| Physical Information: 1.25" H x 6.25" W x 9.25" (1.46 lbs) 406 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Islamic - Cultural Region - Middle East - Chronological Period - Medieval (500-1453) |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Despite Muhammad's exalted place in Islam, even today there is still surpisingly little actually known about this shadowy figure and the origins of the Qur'an because of an astounding lack of verifiable biographical material. Furthermore, most of the existing biographical traditions that can be used to substantiate the life of Muhammad date to nearly two centuries after his death, a time when a powerful, expansive, and idealized empire had become synonymous with his name and vision - thus resulting in an exaggerated and often artificial characterization of the prophetic figure coupled with many questionable interpretations of the holy book of Islam. On the basis of datable and localizable artifacts from the seventh and eighth centuries of the Christian era, many of the historical developments, misconceptions, and fallacies of Islam can now be seen in a different light. Excavated coins that predate Islam and the old inscription in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem utilize symbols used in a documented Syrian Arabic theology - a theology with Christian roots. Interpreting traditional contexts of historical evidence and rereading passages of the Qur'an, the researchers in this thought-provoking volume unveil a surprising - and highly unconventional - picture of the very foundations of Islamic religious history. |
