Martyrdom In Islam Research Articles

The Shi‘i Islamic Martyrdom: Narratives of Imam al-Ḥusayn (by Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani)

The topic of the movement and martyrdom of Imam Husayn is central to the doctrine of Shi‘ism. There are many works devoted to this subject, especially in the context of mourning events held annually on this occasion. Thus, an enormous amount of literature has been written on the uprising of Imam Husayn. Here, Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani has analyzed the major outlines of typical martyrdom narratives (maqtals) of Imam al-Husayn and his martyred companions.

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Despite the importance of martyrdom as a religious driving force, it remains a poorly studied phenomenon both in theology and in academic religious studies, and this is especially true of mar-tyrdom in Islam. The uncritical transfer of Christian understanding of martyrdom to Islam leads many researchers to the depiction of martyrs of faith as martyrs of Islam and, as a result, to declar-ing everyone who meets a painful death in a variety of life circumstances a martyr of jihad, one-sidedly interpreted as a holy war waged by Muslims against the rest of the world. This study shows that, as distinct from Christianity, in the Islamic religion, due to the peculiarities of its doctrine and the specific historical circumstances of its approval and spread, the perception of martyrdom did not develop, and the worship of martyrs does not exist. Moreover, Islamic martyrdom, in a number of its characteristics, differs significantly from the Christian worship of matyrdom established through the centuries when Christianity was a persecuted religion. Islam went through a similar period in a little over a decade and turned into an offensive a religion that requires from its followers not just to passively adapt to circumstances, but to actively promote the values of the new religion around the world. The author also establishes a fundamental incompatibility of the suicidal behavior of terror-ists, declared by individual researchers and religious authorities as martyrs of the faith, with the fun-damental values of Islamic religion.

A Critical Archeology of the Phenomenon of Martyrdom

The concept of martyrdom (shahāda) has been used and discussed in various cases and situations in the media and academia today. Different definitions of martyrdom are encountered in the meantime, with a new addition almost in every new case such as "martyr of homeland," "martyr of democracy," "martyr of revolution," "martyr of fire," even "martyr of football." However, when the literature, especially Western literature, on martyrdom is analyzed, it becomes clear that the concept is studied in the context of terrorism and suicide attacks in relation to jihād. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the context in which the concept (shahīd) was coined and the process through which it has gained its various current meanings to shed light on the usage areas mentioned above. However, when examining the origin of the phenomenon of martyrdom in the relevant literature, it is possible to have precise and sufficient knowledge about the origin of the word "martyrdom" and the trajectory of its current meaning. In contrast, the ambiguity about the origin of the phenomenon of Islamic martyrdom (shahāda) still obtains. There may be two explanations for this: First, the concept of martyrdom in Western literature was borrowed from the Greko-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions, and the term "martyr" was translated from the Latin equivalent of "martus." Second, similar research on the origin of the concept is wanting in Turkish/Islamic literature; scholars seem to have been content with only the lexical definitions of the word "shahīd" and how it occurred in verses and hadiths. The purpose of this presentation is to figure out the trajectory of the concepts (shahīd and shahāda) and determine the meanings it has assumed over time and to analyze how it can be related to contemporary situations and cases in which the concept is used. Paying specific attention to the historical dimension of the subject matter, we used a descriptive method whose aim is to make intelligible the meaning of particular text-like events as they appeared in the literature. They include the primary sources of Islamic history, Arabic poetry reflecting the-then Arab culture and social structure, and verses and hadiths about martyrdom. We conclude that Western scholars’ argument that Muslims borrowed the concept of martyrdom from other cultures is not based upon any concrete and credible historical evidence because the ideal of fighting and dying at wars was perceived as a noble act even in pre-Islamic Arab society; that the root of the verb "sh-h-d" forming the word martyr (shahīd) has been used in the sense of "joining the war" in Arabic poetry; and that the concept, as used today, was coined as "mustashhedīn" by Hassan Ibn Thabit to honor those who died at the Battle of Mu’ta.

Joking about Jihad: Comedy and Terror in the Arab World

Joking about Jihad: Comedy and Terror in the Arab World

Islamic martyrdom in northern Nigeria

The paper discusses some elements of the tradition of martyrdom among Muslims in northern Nigeria. It describes the basic frameworks of the concept of martyrdom in Islam with special reference to its contemporary usage. Then it discusses the shape of the idea of martyrdom during the times of Usman ɗan Fodio’s jihad. It further examines the concept of martyrdom as presented in the speeches of Muhammad Yusuf, the ideologue of the Boko Haram organisation, as well as its practical implementation in the times of the current rebellion in northern Nigeria.

Critique of Ethan Kohlberg's Views on the Martyrdom of Early Muslims

The special place of martyrdom in Islam has caused researchers to pay attention to this issue; The issue of martyrdom in Islam has also attracted the attention of Orientalists. Ethan Kohlberg is one of the Islamologists who has dealt with the subject of martyrdom in his research. Medieval Muslim Views on Martyrdom (Medieval Muslim views on martyrdom) He concludes that the concept of martyrdom in Islam is to give up life and seek an opportunity to reach death. In another part of the article, Kohlberg discusses the relationship between suicide and martyrdom, and challenges the issue of boycotting suicide in Islam and its ugliness. He believes that attacking the enemy is a form of suicide. Arguing against historical narrations, he considers suicide permissible in Islam. In this study, after briefly introducing the concepts of martyrdom and suicide in Islamic verses and hadiths, in the content critique section, to express and explain the citations of this Orientalist about his views on martyrdom, the ruling on suicide in Islam, and that martyrdom seeks suicide. We will pay and the inaccuracy of his views will be revealed.

Toda terra é Karbala, todo dia é Ashura: a pedagogia do martírio nas narrativas xiitas e a construção de uma identidade de resistência. 2018. Tese (Doutorado) – Programa de Pós-graduação em Relações Internacionais, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG

Propõe-se nesta tese analisar como as narrativas sobre o martírio de Imam Hussein no deserto de Karbala no ano 680 d.C, pode constituir um tipo de pedagogia, entre os xiitas, e como essa pode influenciar a construção de um tipo de identidade entre eles. Estruturada em cinco capítulos, buscou-se compreender e interpretar a construção da identidade xiita, como religiosa e política, a partir do ensino e aprendizagem da narrativa sobre o martírio de Imam Hussein. Através da pesquisa de campo no Brasil e no Líbano, objetivou-se verificar e compreender como a comunidade xiita ensina e aprende sobre o martírio ocorrido em Karbala. Utilizando-se da metodologia da Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados (Grounded Theory) verificou-se, através da observação participante e de entrevistas semiestruturas, as mobilizações e desdobramentos que o ensino da narrativa sobre o martírio de Imam Hussein gera nessas comunidades. As entrevistas semiestruturadas foram norteadas por três eixos temáticos: 1) a respeito do aprendizado sobre o martírio de Imam Hussein; 2) a respeito do conceito de martírio no Islã; 3) a respeito da importância da narrativa sobre o martírio de Imam Hussein para a comunidade muçulmana xiita e para a sociedade em geral. As entrevistas e as observações do tipo participante foram realizadas na cidade de Foz do Iguaçu, no Brasil, e, no Líbano, na cidade de Beirute e na Aldeia de Mhabib. Família, religião e escola, foram as três instituições de formação de longa duração escolhidas para observação e análise sobre o ensino e aprendizagem dessa narrativa. Interpretou-se que, no momento da lembrança do martírio de Imam Hussein, seja através da celebração anual de seu martírio (Ashura), seja através do ensino compartilhado, ocorre uma identificação com o sofrimento de Imam Hussein que leva à manutenção e preservação de valores contidos na narrativa. Tais valores são a base para a identificação do grupo, de forma religiosa como xiitas e política como resistentes. Compreendeu-se nessa pesquisa que as três instituições são responsáveis pelo ensino e manutenção dessa narrativa, sendo a instituição família, a primeira instituição a compartilhar e manter esse ensino. Conclui-se que as narrativas sobre o martírio de Imam Hussein e seus companheiros influenciam na construção de um determinado tipo de identidade que se apresenta como religiosa e política. Apesar das distintas formas de ensino e apreensão da narrativa sobre o martírio, pode-se dizer que há uma base comum que permite a utilização dessa como conteúdo pedagógico que alimenta a construção de práticas que dão forma a identidade(s) específica(s).

Does Anyone Care about Martyrdom Anymore?

One major question comes out when one considers contemporary martyrdom operations: why Islam? Hatina's book is an excellent survey of the theoretical and religious source material on Islamic martyrdom. Hatina places the study of Islamic martyrdom squarely within overarching theoretical frameworks, and does so with a full command of the primary source materials. This marriage was not previously accomplished with regard to Islamic martyrdom.

The Most Beautiful Body: The Physical Dimension in Martyrdom Narratives

Within the vast bibliography devoted to martyrdom in Islam the issue of the martyr’s corporeity has received comparatively little attention. This article focuses on the exceptional features medieval texts ascribed to martyrs’ bodies, especially after their death on the battlefield. It examines a set of topoi through which Islamic religious literature differentiated these martyrs from other dead, using a sublimate and extraordinary corporeity as a sign of their spiritual excellence. Finally, the article takes into account some extreme developments of this attitude, well-represented in a ḥadīṯ (collected in Ibn al-Mubārak’s Kitāb al-ǧihād) stating that the martyr will be given a new, most beautiful, body immediately after death. In the conclusion the article raises the question of the relevance of these themes to contemporary representations of martyrdom where images of martyrs’ bodies play a central role in the quest for legitimacy of religious, national or political communities.

Algunos apuntes sobre los primeros Shuhada’ Fi Sabil Allah (Mártires en la senda de Dios) en el Islám

In Muslim tradition the best of all men is the one who fights fi sabil Allah (in the way of Allah). If he dies in the war, he acquires the condition of shahid (pl. shuhada’, martyr) and he gains automatically Paradise, where seventy two virgins are waiting for him. There are, however, other conditions to obtain martyrdom in Islam. This paper deals with these other conditions. Among them, for example, if a soldier is seriously injured in a battle in the way of Allah. If he loses an arm, a hand, or a leg he becomes a martyr. Another example that we can mention is if the soldier gets an injury in one of his eyes. If he loses the vision in that eye he becomes a shahid. These are examples which are analysed in this paper, for which we have used the major Arabic sources of the early times of Islam. Prophet Muhammad believed that Muslims would eventually engage in naval campaigns to attack, fi sabil Allah, the enemies in the sea. This indeed happened and Muslim armies conquered the islands in the Mediterranean; they attacked Constantinople with a strong fleet which was not successful. They also conquered the Iberian Peninsula as a result of naval campaigns as well

Book Reviews

78 Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Vol. XXXVIII, No.1, Fall 2014 Book Reviews Edited by Nadia Barsoum The Middle East, Turkey, South Asia THE WALL: Fragmenting the Palestinian Fabric in Jerusalem edited by Robert. D. Brooks, published by the International Peace and Cooperation Center, Jerusalem, 2007, pp.158. This work focuses on the political, economic , and social impact of the wall and its assault on basic human rights. The expert’s analyses are buttressed by the most recent data available , including case studies of twelve major enclaves Palestinian communities and a poll over 1000 Palestinian households. ISLAMIST PARTIES AND POLITICAL NORMALIZATION IN THE MUSLIM WORLD edited by Quinn Mecham and Julie Chernov Hwang, published by University of Pennsylvania press, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 232. Islamist parties represent diverse interests and behaviors that are tied to their particular domestic contexts READINGS IN: Early Indian History by Romila Thapar, published by Oxford University Press, new Delhi, India 2013, pp.492. This selection of essays provides a fascinating account of the history of the subcontinent through a sensitive and critical reading of the past. The author brings various aspects of society, economy, religion, political, formations, philosophy and narratives into historical context. TURKEY, ISLAM, NATIONALISM, AND MODERNITY: A History, 1789-2007 by Carter Vaughn Findley, published by Yale University Press2010, New Haven, US, pp.527. Findley offers a panoramic view of 200 years of Ottoman and Turkish history. The authors argue that as modernity threatened imperial survival, two different responses arose. A radical, secularizing current competed with a conservative, Islamic current , and the resulting dialectic shaped the course of change in Turkey. KARACHI: Ordered Disordered and the Struggle for the City by Lauren Gayer, published by Oxford University Press, New Delhi, India, pp.336. The author sees Karachi as one of the ost violent city. Karachi has endured endemic political conflict and criminal violence. These struggles for the city have become ethnicised. Despite the chronic state of urban political warfare, Karachi remains the cornerstone of the economy of Pakistan. There is indeed order of a kind in the city’s permanent civil war. 79 INDIA BEFORE EUROPE by Catherine B. Asher and Cynthia Talbot, published by Cambridge University Press, UK 2006, PP.312. The author takes the reader on a journey across the political, economic, religious, and cultural landscapes of medieval India from the Ghurid conquests and the Delhi Sultanate, through the rise and fall of the southern kingdom of Viayanagara, to the peripheries of empire, and finally to the great court of the Mughals. THE MIDDLE EAST: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years by Bernard Lewis, published by Scribner 1995, New York, NY. Pp.433.Lewis details the myriad forces that have shaped the history of the Middle East: the Islamic religion and legal system; the traditions of the governments; the elites-military, commercial, religious, intellectual and artistic-and the commonalty, including such socially distinct groups as slaves, women and non-believers. This survey of the history and civilization of the Middle East reveals the huge Islamic contribution to European life, as well as the European contribution to the Islamic world. METHOD, STRUCTURE, AND DEVELOPMENT IN al-FARABIS COSMOLOGY by Damien Janos, published by Brill, Boston 2012, pp.433. This work synthesize the recent scholarship on al-Farabi‘s metaphysics and cosmology and to open new analytical perspectives in order to contribute to a resolution of some of the most outstanding problems regarding his thought. MARTYRDOM IN MODERN ISLAM: Piety, Power, and Politics by Meir Hatinan, published by Cambridge University Press, pp.276. This book traces the evolving Islamic perceptions of martyrdom, its political and symbolic functions, and its use of past legacies in both Sunni and Shi’i milieus, with comparative references to Judaism, Christianity, and other non –Islamic domains, the study provides in depth analysis of modern Islamic martyrdom and its various interpretations while also evaluating the historical realities in which such interpretation were molded and debated. THE OTTOMAN AGE OF EXPLORATION by Giancarlo Casale published by Oxford University Press 2010, pp.281.Casale presents a picture of the global reach of the Ottoman State during the sixteenth century. The book argues that the Ottomans...

The Historical Figure of Omar al-Mukhtar and Islamic Martyrdom in Indonesia

The story of Omar al-Mukhtar resisting Italian colonisation of Libya had great potential as a rallying point for anti-colonial sentiment in the Indies stirred up by Islamic politicians under a Pan-Islamic banner. The Dutch colonial government was quite aware of the issue’s sensitivity. It forbade newspapers and Islamic leaders from even mentioning the story of Omar al-Mukhtar with the result that the proposed boycotts against Italy could not become widespread. The effectivity of Dutch policy snuffed out the possibility of the figure of Omar al-Mukhtar becoming a rallying point for those politically active in the struggle against colonialism. Those that would become Indonesian National Heroes with Islamic roots were in fact figures re-cast in a national, secular mould. After ndonesian independence it was national, local identity which dominated over that of Islamic martyrdom.[Kisah perjuangan Omar al-Mukhtar dalam melawan kolonialisasi Italia menjadi kisah yang menginspirasi gerakan anti-kolonialisme di Hindia-Belanda yang dimotori oleh kalangan politisi muslim melalui semboyan Pan-Islamisme. Pemerintah kolonial Belanda merespon dengan hati-hati isu sensitif ini dengan melarang koran dan pemimpin Muslim menceritakan kisah perjuangan Omar al-Mukhtar. Namun, pelarangan ini tidak cukup berhasil. Omar al-Mukhtar menjadi inspirator gerakan anti-kolonialisme. Mereka yang disebut sebagai pahlawan nasional dengan latar belakang muslim sebenarnya tokoh-tokoh yang dihadirkan dengan nuansa nasional/sekuler. Setelah Indonesia merdeka, identitas lokal-nasional itulah yang kemudian lebih dominan ketimbang identitas keislaman.]

Martyrdom in Islam

Martyrdom in Islam

Martyrdom in Islam

Martyrdom in Islam

Martyrdom in Islam

Martyrdom in Islam

Martyrdom in Islam * BY DAVID COOK

The author devotes nine chapters to the concept of martyrdom in Islam in its many narratives of martyrs and martyrdom, following discussion in Chapter 1 of ‘Martyrdom in Religions’ in general. According to Cook, among the general features of martyrological narrative is the creation of ‘a boundary between belief systems’, between the martyr and the other, understood as different and opposing to the extent that it is ‘an absolute evil upon which the audience can focus their revulsion’. Martyrdom narrative in Judaism and Christianity is discussed in this chapter but on non-Abrahamic religious tradition the author is silent. In the next chapter ‘Martyrdom in the Genesis of Islam’, the author reflects on various aspects of the verses of Qurʾān as interpreted by famous Muslim exegetes, specifically on accounts of the battles waged during the early years. The discussion is further supplemented with references to events recorded in the books of ḥadīth and the life history of the Prophet.

Martyrdom in Islam, by David Cook

<i>Martyrdom in Islam</i>, by David Cook

A Cultural‐Psychological Theory of Contemporary Islamic Martyrdom

ABSTRACTWhat political, economic, religious, and emotional factors are involved in a person's decision to kill civilians and military personnel through the sacrifice of his or her own life? Data for this research were secondary analyses of interviews with Islamic martyrs, as well as their leaders’ speeches. This investigation into the cultural‐psychological explanations for Islamic martyrdom leads to a model explaining a person's decision to carry out the mission as resulting from a combination of four factors: the historical‐cultural context, group processes, immediate and anticipated rewards, and mechanisms to eradicate possible doubts and guilt regarding this decision. Compared to existing models, this model is more integrative and focused on the psychological processes involved.

Martyrdom in Islam: David Cook

Digest of Middle East StudiesVolume 16, Issue 2 p. 131-133 Martyrdom in Islam: David Cook Donna Robinson Divine Ph.D., Donna Robinson Divine Ph.D. Smith CollegeSearch for more papers by this author Donna Robinson Divine Ph.D., Donna Robinson Divine Ph.D. Smith CollegeSearch for more papers by this author First published: 16 March 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-3606.2007.tb00138.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume16, Issue2Fall 2007Pages 131-133 RelatedInformation

Martyrdom in Islam – By David Cook

Martyrdom in Islam – By David Cook