The History of Al-Tabari by Yohanan Friedmann

The History of Al-Tabari by Yohanan Friedmann

The present volume of the History of al-Ṭabarī deals with the years 14 and 15 of the Islamic era, which correspond to A.D. 635-637. The nascent Islamic state had just emerged victorious from the crisis that followed the Prophet's death in 632 and had suppressed what was known as the riddah ("apostasy") rebellion in the Arabian peninsula. Under the leadership of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, the second caliph, or successor to the Prophet Muhammad, the Muslims embarked on the conquests that would soon transform the whole of the Middle East and North Africa into an Arab empire. Most of the present volume describes the battle of al-Qādisiyyah, which took place on the border between the fertile Iraqi lowlands (al-sawad) and the Arabian desert and resulted in the decisive defeat of the Persian army. The Muslim victory at al-Qādisiyyah heralded the downfall of the Sasanian dynasty, which had ruled Persia and Mesopotamia since A.D., the third century; it also paved the way for the conquest of Iraq and facilitated Islamic expansion in Persia and beyond. The volume also deals with the conquest of Syria and Palestine and the Expulsion of the Byzantines from those regions. Particular attention is devoted to the traditions related to the conquest of Jerusalem at the hands of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, the first Muslim prayer on the Temple Mount, and its transformation into an Islamic sanctuary. The volume contains colorful descriptions of the various battles, expatiations on the bravery of the Muslim warriors, and portrayals of the futile negotiations between the parties before the beginning of hostilities. It thus provides the reader with a fascinating insight into the later Muslim traditions related to those crucial events of early Islamic history.

Friedmann, Yohanan: - Yohanan Friedmann is Max Shloessinger Professor of Islamic Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His publications include Prophecy Continuous: Aspects of Ahmadi Religious Thought and its Medieval Background (2002).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780791407349
ISBN 10	0791407349
Title	The History of Al-Tabari
Author	Yohanan Friedmann
Series	Suny Series In Near Eastern Studies
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	State University of New York Press
Year published	1991-09-20
Number of pages	264
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.