Hallaj: Mystic and Martyr [ABRIDGED]

by Louis Massignon, Herbert Mason (Editor)

Abridged from the four-volume The Passion of al- Hallaj, one of the major works of Western orientalism, this book explores the life and teaching of a famous tenth- century Sufi mystic and martyr, and in so doing describes not only his experience but also the whole milieu of early Islamic civilization. Louis Massignon (1883-1962), France's most celebrated Islamic specialist in this century and a leading Catholic intellectual, wrote of a man who was for him a personal inspiration.From reviews of the four-volume translation: Abridged from the four-volume The Passion of al- Hallaj, one of the major works of Western orientalism, this book explores the life and teaching of a famous tenth- century Sufi mystic and martyr, and in so doing describes not only his experience but also the whole milieu of early Islamic civilization. Louis Massignon (1883-1962), France's most celebrated Islamic specialist in this century and a leading Catholic intellectual, wrote of a man who was for him a personal inspiration.From reviews of the four-volume translation:

Genres: Religion, Islam, Philosophy, Biography, Iran

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

Louis Massignon was a French scholar of Islam and its history. Although a Catholic himself, he tried to understand Islam from within and thus had a great influence on the way Islam was seen in the West; among other things, he paved the way for a greater openness inside the Catholic Church towards Islam as it was documented in the pastoral Vatican II declaration Nostra Aetate.

Reviews

[Ilona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, I tried to read an original (full version) of Massignon's books, but I didn't get all of them, so I read this abridged version. However, I was missing the footnotes in this version.

Nevertheless, the book is great and essential for learning about Masour al-Hallaj. It is a must-read for the topic as Massigon collected the most information from different angles and sources. However, I think it must be read with the awareness of when the book was written and how deeply Massignon used a Catholic perspective on some aspects of Hallaj.

[Alieluma]

Ekselent

[Raeid Jewad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dull and dry...a real shame as the subject matter is worthy of a much better book!

[Rayna Batool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome...marvellous.