The Emergence of Early Sufi Piety & Sunni Scholasticism,
ʿAbdallāh B. Al-Mubārak & the Formation
of Sunnī Identity in the 2nd Islamic Century,
*[A5+] Hardback - 166 pages, New,
by Feryal Salem,
**Published by E.J. Brill.
Description :
The Emergence of Early Sufi Piety and Sunni Scholasticism : In the figure of ʿAbdallāh b. al-Mubārak (118-181
AH / 736-797
CE), we find a paragon of the fields of
ḥadīth,
zuhd, and
jihād, as attested to by the large number of references to him in the classical Islamic texts.
His superior rank as a
ḥadīth transmitter earned him the title "commander of the faithful" in
ḥadīth. He contributed to Islamic law at its early phases of development, practiced
jihād, composed poetry, and participated in various theological discussions. In addition, Ibn al-Mubārak was a pioneer in writing on piety and was later regarded by many mystics as one of the earliest figures of Sufism.
Ibn al-Mubārak's position during the formative period of Islamic thought illustrates the unique evolution of
zuhd,
ḥadīth, and
jihād; these form a junction in the biography of Ibn al-Mubārak in a way that distinctively illuminates the second/eighth-century dynamics of nascent Sunnī identity. Furthermore, Ibn al-Mubārak's status as a fighter and pious figure of the Late Antique period reveals a great deal about the complex relationship between the early Muslim community and the religiously diverse setting which it inhabited.
This critical and comprehensive monograph of ʿAbdallāh b. al-Mubārak situates him within the larger context of the social and religious milieu of Late Antiquity. It explores the formation of Sunnī identity in the second Islamic century and demonstrates the way in which it manifested itself through networks of pious scholars who defined, preserved, and passed on what they understood to be normative Islamic practice and beliefs from one generation of Muslim intellectuals to another.
Table of Contents :
---Acknowledgements,
---Introduction.
---[1]. Biography of ʿAbdallāh b. al-Mubārak,
--------The Sources of Ibn al-Mubarak's Biography,
--------Abdallah b. al-Mubarak; His Life and Career as Presented in Classical Texts,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Recording of Hadiths through Writing,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak the Merchant,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Fiqh,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Theology,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Jihad,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Role in Hadith Transmission,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Zuhd.
---[2]. ʿAbdallāh b. al-Mubārak and Ḥadīth,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Role in Hadith Transmission,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Unpublished Books,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Published Works,
--------Teachers and Students of 'Abdallah b. al-Mubarak
--------Ibn al-Mubarak and the Hadith Networks in the Second/Eighth Century,
---[3]. Jihād in the Career of Ibn al-Mubārak,
--------The Thughur before Ibn al-Mubarak,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Martial Pursuits as Depicted in the Classical Sources,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Kitab al-Jihad,
--------Transmitters of the Kitab al-Jihad,
--------Intentions and Jihad,
---[4]. Ibn al-Mubārak and His Zuhd,
--------What is Zuhd?
--------Ibn al-Mubarak : The Rich Ascetic,
--------Ibn al-Mubarak's Kitab al-Zuhd,
--------Analysis of the Kitab al-Zuhd,
--------The Genre of Books on Zuhd (Kutub al-Zuhd)
---Conclusion,
---Bibliography of Primary Sources.
---Bibliography of Secondary Sources.
---Index of Names.
---Index of Subjects.
*Dimensions : 23.6 x 15.5cm.
**E.J. Brill publishes primarily for the academic library market and isn't particularly interested in selling large quantities. Because the cost is spread over a lot fewer sales, the price needs to be higher to recoup costs, and to turn a profit for shareholders. Brill print runs are frequently in the hundreds, rather than thousands.
