The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate

by Wilferd Madelung

Overview

In a comprehensive study of early Islamic history, Wilferd Madelung examines the conflict which developed after Muhammad's death for the leadership of the Muslim community. He pursues the history of this conflict through the reign of the four 'Rightly Guided' caliphs to its climax in the first inter-Muslim war. The outcome of the war, which marked the demise of the reign of the Early Companions, resulted in the lasting schism between Sunnite and Shi'ite Islam. Contrary to recent scholarly trends, the author brings out Ali's early claim to legitimate succession, which gained support from the Shi'a, and offers a convincing reinterpretation of early Islamic history. This book will make a major contribution to the debate over succession. Wilferd Madelung's book The Succession to Muhammad has been awarded the Best Book of the Year prize by the Islamic Republic of Iran for the year 1997.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107385214
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/29/1996
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	810,724
File size:	920 KB

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Abu Bakr: the successor of the Messenger of God and the caliphate of Quraysh; 2. 'Umar: Commander of the Faithful, Islamic meritocracy, consultation and Arab empire; 3. 'Uthman: the Viceregent of God and the reign of 'Abd Shams; 4. 'Ali: the counter-caliphate of Hashim; Conclusion: Restoration of the community and despotic kingship.

Editorial Reviews

"The Succession of Muhammad is not a work for the faint of heart....it is a compelling reassessment of the Rashidun caliphate that should be required reading for evryone interested in the historiography of early Islam." James E. Lindsay, MESA Bulletin

"For those who have been lamenting the decline or near demise of solid, historical narratives, this is a book to cherish." Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Religious Studies Review

"This erudite, complex, and fascinating book rexamines the struggle over and for the office of caliph. This book performs a valuable service by counter-balancing popular views about the origins and development of Shi‘ism." Elton L. Daniel, Middle East Journal

"Madelung brilliantly dissects the myriad, conflicting accounts of Ali's numerous confrontations, as well as the final one...Bound to provoke controversy, this volume has laid down a marker. Critics will be expected to attain a standard of scholarship considerably more incisive than all too much of what has been available to date." Andrew J. Newman, University of Edinburgh

"This is a judicious and honestly critical account of monetous events that reflects the weight of information in a wide array of Arabic texts...The response this book should provoke has possibilities for opening up a discussion of the succession to leardership in general at the endof Late Antiquity." Jrnl of Near Eastern Studies

From the Publisher