Ibn 'Asakir of Damascus: Champion of Sunni Islam in the Time of the Crusades(Makers of the Muslim World)

‘Ali ibn ‘Asakir (1105–1176) was one of the most renowned experts on Hadith and Islamic history in the medieval era. His was a tumultuous time: centuries of Shi‘i rule had not long ended in central Syria, rival warlords sought control of the capital, and Crusaders had captured Jerusalem. Seeking the unification of Syria and Egypt, and the revival of Sunnism in both, Ibn ‘Asakir served successive Muslim rulers, including Nur al-Din and Saladin, and produced propaganda against both the Christian invaders and the Shi‘is. This, together with his influential writings and his advocacy of major texts, helped to lay the foundations for the eventual Sunni domination of the Levant – a domination which continues to this day.

Table of Contents:
Notes Acknowledgments 1 The World of Ibn ‘Asakir Damascus in the fifth/eleventh century The Burids Nur al-Din Status of Religious Scholarship Back to Ibn ‘Asakir 2 Life & Career Background Education & Travels First Trip Second Trip Return to Damascus Teaching & Character Writings Death 3 Scholarship & Activism Political unity and Revivification of Sunnism Trustee of Hadith The College of Hadith In Defense of Ash‘arism Tabyin kadhib al-muftari Preaching of Jihad Al-Arba‘un hadith fi al-hathth ‘ala al-jihad Others Books on Jihad? Religious Merits of Towns and Places Fadl ‘Asqalan Ibn ‘Asakir as Theologian and Historian Was Ibn ‘Asakir a Theologian? Was Ibn ‘Asakir a Historian? 4 Ta’rikh Dimashq The Idea The Book Rehabilitation of Past Figures and Islamic Unity Arrangement and Divisions Transmission Manuscripts Impact Modern Editions 5 The ‘Asakir Extended Family Direct Descendants of Ibn ‘Asakir Descendants of Ibn ‘Asakir’s Sister Descendants of Ibn ‘Asakir’s Brother Muhammad Other Members of the ‘Asakir Family The ‘Asakir Family Tree 6 Medieval Legacy Ibn ‘Asakir’s Notable Students Ibn ‘Asakir’s Legacy through his Ta’rikh 7 Modern Legacy, Syrian Nationalism & Islamic Nationalism The Late-Nineteenth- to Early-Twentieth-Century Context The Late-Twentieth-Century Context Glossary Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Suleiman A. Mourad is Professor of Religion at Smith College in Massachusetts, USA, and former Director of the Nantes Institute for Advanced Study in France. He specialises in Islamic history and religious thought, and how the challenges of modernity have led to major changes in Muslims’ perception of and attitude towards their own history and classical thought.

Review :
‘Hyperbole notwithstanding, to understand the Levant’s sense of self and perception of history, one should look no further than Ibn ‘Asakir, whose intellectual efforts rehabilitated the past to canonise a blessed Sunni and Crusader-free Bilad al-Sham. Suleiman Mourad garners his intimate knowledge of the scholar, his numerous and voluminous works, and the contemporary intellectual and political context to expose the significance and extent of the phenomenon of Ibn ‘Asakir through to the end of twentieth century in the Syrian Republic.’