HIST 2251

Islam from the Mongols to Modernity

Dr Niall Christie

Office Hours: Monday, 11:30-2:20; Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30-11:20, and by appointment

Copy of outline on the web at:

<http://www3.telus.net/nchristi/HIST2251outline.html>

Issues in the Study of Islam

1. Language

2. Dating

3. Categorisation

4. Point of view

5. A diverse and evolving tradition

6. Names

Salah al-Din Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn

Salaheddin Salah ad-Din

Çelah ed-Din Saladin

Terms to Watch For

1. Islamic - Islamicate

2. Muslim World - Islamic World - Islamdom

3. Arab

4. Arabic

Map Link: Distribution of Muslims in the World Today:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:World_Muslim_Population_%28Pew_Forum%29.svg>

Map Link: The Caliphate in 750:

<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/califate_750.jpg>

Bilad al-Sham

Beware…

Primary Sources

- written during historical period

Secondary Sources

written by modern scholars

Your own point of view!

Consider background, motives, agendas, etc.

Muslim Names

1. ism - given name

Usually one of:

1. Arabic name (e.g. Husayn, Muhammad)2. Qur’anic form of Biblical name (e.g.Sulayman, Yusuf)3. Compound name (e.g. ‘Abd Allah, ‘Abdal-Rahman)4. Non-Arabic name

Muslim Names

2. nasab - pedigree - usually after ism

In Arabic, “ibn” (son of) or “bint” (daughter of)plus name of father or ancestor (e.g. ibn Yusuf,bint Muhammad)

In Persian, “i” or “-zade” is used to indicatedescent, as in Hasan-i-Sabbah or Shahrazade

In Turkish, “-oghlu” or “-zade” is used, asin Inci Turkoghlu or Shahrazade

Muslim Names

3. kunya - parentage - usually before ism orafter nasab

“Abu” (father of) or “umm” (mother of) plusname of first child or epithet (e.g. Abu’l-Hul,Umm Kulthum)

Muslim Names

4. laqab - honorific - usually at start or end ofname, can have more than one

Often word plus “al-Din” (of the faith),“al-Dawla” (of the state) or “al-Mulk” (of thekingdom). Also common is “al-Malik” (theking) plus an epithet.Examples: Sayf al-Dawla (sword of the state),Shams al-Din (sun of the faith),al-Malik al-Afdal (the best king), al-Mutanabbi(the one claiming prophet-hood), al-Jahiz (theone with the bulging eyes)

Muslim Names

5. nisba - indicator of origin or descriptor -usually at end of name, can have more thanone

Often end in -i (if male) or -iyya (if female).Examples: al-Qudsi/al-Qudsiyya (of Jerusalem),al-Shafi‘i/al-Shafi‘iyya (follower of the legalschool of al-Shafi‘i), al-Sulami/al-Sulamiyya(of the tribe of Sulaym), al-Turki/al-Turkiyya(the Turk)

al-Malik al-Nasir Salah al-Din Abu’l-Muzaffar

Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadhi al-Kurdi