Death of al-Hallaj, The: A Dramatic Narrative

by Herbert Mason

Although not widely known in the Western world, al-Hallaj is one of the great figures in the history of the Muslim religion. Martyred in 922 by the government for his teachings, al-Hallaj has lived on through the centuries in the legends and memories of Muslims the world over. The reader who meets al-Hallaj for the first time in this book will be impressed by the striking similarities he shares with Jesus Christ, Socrates, and the Jewish Hasidic masters. Al-Hallaj is a man so caught up in God's love that he speaks with the wisdom of a mystic. Yet he is worldly and down-to-earth in his affection, his wit, and his joy. In this dramatic narrative of the last days of al-Hallaj, Herbert Mason has distilled the essence of al-Hallaj in moving, beautifully drawn scenes with his son, his protectress, and a devoted disciple. The timeless confrontation between freedom and political expediency, between faith and fatalism, ends here in love that is stronger than death. So finely has Mason presented al-Hallaj that the fire of his love reaches across the centuries to glow again on these pages. This is a book to read, and to re-read.

Genres: Theology, Religion

104 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1979

Reviews

[Interzonatron · Rating 2 out of 5]

This text reminds me a lot of Plato’s “The Trial & Death of Socrates”. Which is an excellent historical and philosophical text. But applying that same structure to the life and work of Al-Hallaj (ra) just doesn’t do him justice.

[Lingui5t · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous!