While there exists no evidence to date that the indigenous inhabitants of Arabia knew of holy war prior to Islam, holy war ideas and behaviors appear already among Muslims during the first generation. This book focuses on why and how such a seemingly radical development took place. Basing his hypothesis on evidence from the Qur'an and early Islamic literary sources, Firestone locates the origin of Islamic holy war and traces its evolution as a response to the changes affecting the new community of Muslims in its transition from ancient Arabian culture to the religious civilization of Islam.

About the Author
About the Author Reuven Firestone is Professor of Judaism and Islam and Director of the Graduate School of Judaic Studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Reviews
This study casts new light on the difficulties experienced by the new Muslims as they adjusted from revered customs to a divinely directed new allegiance. It will add to our understanding of the first decades of Islam and further explain why success grew out of apparent failure. Not least is shows the human realities that lie beneath the surface of the historical sources and how the demands of religious conviction could overcome even the most deep-rooted conservatism. * David Thomas, Reviews in Religion and Theology *



Book Information
ISBN 9780195154948
Author Reuven Firestone
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions(mm) 167mm * 225mm * 16mm