Customer Reviews

Islamic History: Volume 2, AD 750-1055 (AH 132-448): A New Interpretation

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Shaban's work focuses primarily on the economic factors which influenced early Islamic history. He re-examines such well studied topics as the reasons behind Medina's acceptance of Mohammad (and his followers) leadership and the deaths of Ali, Hasan & Hussain through an economic rather than a theological lense. Accordingly, he stresses throughout his work that the spread of Islam outside the Arabian peninsula was far more a result of economic necessity than religious zeal.

Shaban's work is perhaps most accesible when he focuses on the very early period of the Prophet and the rightly guided Caliphs. As he moves into the early Ummayad period the work becomes rather dense and somewhat difficult to follow. None the less, his observations on the respective geopolitical positions of Syria, Arabia, and Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) during the period when Islam was expanding outside of the peninsula, whatever the reasons, are fascinating and go a long way in answering questions about the Middle East as it stands today.

Shaban's work can best be appreciated by someone who is familier with "accepted" theories of Islamic history and yet is interested in a different yet highly plausible account of how the faith spread beyond its early converts.

Qurra are people of the villages and not the quran recieters ? author clearly tries to diminish the importance of this small but very vocal group of early muslims .....they killed uthman , supported Ali and always fought against tyrants ....in a way they saved Islam from extinction at the hands of pagan arabs ...may God reward them with the best of rewards

The agenda is quite clear - to mislead the people and to alleviate the status of those people who were clearly enemies of the mission of the Prophet of Islam. The author calls Muawiyah "a person of Hilm" and "indeed Ameerul Mumineen". I think it is sufficient to introduce Muawiyah as "son of Hinda" and somebody who fathered "Yazeed" Muawiyah was kind and forbearing only when he had to face a powerful person who, he feared, might curb his power and topple his government. If Anybody wants to learn about his treachery - he should study the terms of his agreement with Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib and see how much he remained faithful to the terms of the agreement. He was simply a power hungary politician. There are other better authors who have been quite neutral in judging about personalities.