The History of Islam, Vol. 2

by PirenneJacques

In this second volume, starting with the Caliphate of Banu Umayyah, the martyrdom of Imam Husain (R) and the Caliphate of the Abbasids, all areas have been covered as far as the expansion of Islam was.

Genres: History

639 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1922

Reviews

[Seerat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich and Engaging. Instead of just listing the events the author takes time to explain their implications, which keeps it from becoming dry. It helps in understanding why certain developments were more important than the rest. The copy I had contained a few typos, so it’s worth looking for a good print if possible.

The history of this era was marked by chaos and bloodshed, yet we still find caliphs, kings, warriors, and scholars who achieved distinction through qualities such as bravery, justice, piety and generosity. Their lives show that even in turbulent times, individual character and achievement can stand out and continue to inspire us.

Some highlights:

‘’Umar bin Muhajir says that Umar bin Abdul Aziz’s daily wages were fixed at 2 dirhams and his lamp stand was made of three sticks with clay on them. Once he asked his slave to heat water for him. The slave went and brought it by heating it in the royal kitchen. When he came to know where it came from, he sent firewood worth a dirham to replace it. It was his custom that so long as people kept sitting by him and talking about affairs of state, he kept the lamp of the treasury burning and when they left, he put it out and lit his own lamp.’’

‘’Haroon Rasheed was a brave and military-minded man. He spent months and years happily in the saddle of his horse. And when he was in the company of the ascetic, he appeared to be an ascetic, and when among the legal scholars, he was a legal scholar of the first order and similarly when sitting with scholars of the Prophet's traditions, he was an excellent scholar in this field as well. He was an enemy to the atheists, with the followers of other religions he dealt kindly and sympathetically. He was extremely fond of three things Hajj, Jihad and charity. He was very sensitive and softhearted. Whenever anybody sincerely lectured him and made him fear hell, he wept bitterly.’’

‘’Mamoon was interested in having Aristotle's works translated. He wrote to the Roman Emperor requesting him to send all of Aristotle's works available with him. The Emperor hesitated. He consulted his Christian scholars. They said to him,. "The books on philosophy are under lock and key in our country and none is allowed to read and teach them because they expel respect for religion from the people's hearts. We must send these books to the Caliph of Islam so that the publicity of philosophy will dampen the religious spirit of the Muslims." The Emperor had five camels loaded with these books and sent them to Mamoon Rasheed.’’


‘’The news of the capture and ruin of Zabtarah and Maltiya reached Motasim on 29 Rabia Thani 223 A.H. The narrator also told of a Roman soldier dragging away a Hashimite woman and she was shouting, "O Motasim, O Motasim." As soon as he heard this, Motasim stood up from the throne of Caliphate saying, "Labbaik, Labbaik" (I am here, I am here). He jumped on his horse and ordered the drum of departure to be beaten. The soldiers and their leaders came and joined him. All the royal army and a group of Mujahideen (those fighting for the cause of Allah) followed him.’’

[wajiha · Rating 5 out of 5]

need to reread these when i get my own copy so i can annotate & highlight the heck out of it…so much info that the content is starting to leak out of my head (loved it)

[Nada · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this book is my Islamic History course text, some parts were skipped according to lessons. It is an insightful read and i plsn to reread all 3 volumes fully on a later date.

[Zabidah Salim]

Still reading. Reading this is going to take me awhile. Its hard because the names are unfamiliar and alike and I find that I have to keep going back to see who is who and is holding what position and where. I am not a scholar but I feel it is my duty to know what had occurred. I will go on reading albeit very very slowly.
-1 March 2010-

This is so compelling.I need to include this excerpt from page 145 ;
"Our age is such an inauspicious and unfortunate age that the stories of the bravery of the muslims, laying down their lives are recorded in the pages of history increase the circulation of blood in our veins for a while but we cannot see with our eyes the battlefields where heads dropped when chopped off by the sword,spears piercing chests,blood gushing forth from the necks,corpses jumping up in the mud of blood,horses running over and mutilating them,severed heads getting kicked by horses' hooves and rolling here and there like some macabre fruit at harvest time, the sun hidden behind clouds of dust made by battling horses and men,chants of 'Allahu Akbar' being raised, men of Allah excelling one another in exalting the Name of their beloved Creator by laying down their lives and the Divine grace encompassing this exhilarating sight.Such magnificent and awe inspiring scenes were the portion of Talha and Zubair,Khalid and Darrar,Shurahbil and Abdur Rahman,Husain bin Ali and Abdullah bin Zubair,Tariq bin Zeyad,Mohammad bin Qasim,Muhammad II,Sulaiman the Magnificent,Salahuddin Ayyubi and Nuruddin Zangi,Mahmud Ghaznawi and Shahabuddin Ghauri.It is not the portion of the people of the weak iman and timorous hearts as we are."

O zabidah, what is your part in this jigzaw puzzle that is life? how big a significance will you bring?
-2 march 2010-


Mohammed bin Qasim - a name etched in my memory.
-4 march 2010-