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The First Muslims reconstructs the first three centuries of Islam to offer a fascinating exploration of the origins and development of the religion. Using a wealth of classical Arabic sources, it chronicles the lives of the Prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and the subsequent two generations of Muslims, together known as the "Pious Forbears." Focusing on both the people and their beliefs, Afsaruddin presents a critical examination of the continuing influence of these first Muslims in contemporary times as figureheads for a variety of causes, from liberal Islam to hard-line "fundamentalism". Essential reading for anyone interested in the earliest history of Islam and its impact on Muslims today, this important book will captivate the general reader and student alike. About The Author Asma Afsaruddin is Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. She is the author of Excellence and Precedence: Medieval Islamic Discourse on Legitimate Leadership. Table of Contents Preface Introduction The Rise of Islam and Life of the Prophet Muhammad The Constitution of Medina War and peace The Treaty of al-Hudaybiyya The fall of Mecca Farewell pilgrimage Remembering the Prophet, the Beloved of God The Issue of Succession to the Prophet Early tension between kinship and individual moral excellence Why did the Prophet not indicate a successor? The Age of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs Abu Bakr, the first caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph The End of Rightly-Guided Leadership Political administration The collection of the Qur’an Toward fragmentation of the community The caliphate of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib The first civil war The legacy of the era of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs The Age of the Companions Ibn ‘Abbas: the sage of the Muslim community Ibn Mas ‘ud: interpreter of the Word of God ‘A’isha bint Abi Bakr: the beloved of Muhammad Umm ‘Umara: valiant defender of the Prophet Bilal ibn Rabah: the voice of Islam Conclusion The Age of the Successors The historical milieu The politics of piety and the second civil war The third civil war The ‘Abbasid revolution Prominent successors The consolidation of Sh’i thought The rise of law and jurisprudence among the early Sunnis The Successors to the Successors I: Administration Leadership, and Jihad The founding of Baghdad Statecraft, administration, and leadership: acquiring a Persian flavor The concept of jihad: Qur’anic antecedents and the classical juridical doctrine Reading the Quir’ an in context Later understandings of jihad Negotiating the polyvalence of the term jihad Many paths to martyrdom Changes in conception of leadership The Successors to the Successors II: Humanism, Law, and Mystical Spirituality The rise of humanism The flourishing of law and jurisprudence The rise of tasawwuf (Sufism) Constructing the Pious Forbears I: Historical Memory and the Present The Islamist construction Implications and relevance of studying the lives of the first Muslims today The Salaf al-Salih in the Islamist imagination Constructing the Pious Forbears II: Historical Memory and the Present The significance of the Salaf al-Salih for the modernists Assessment of Islamist and Modernist Views The "Islamic State" The pervasiveness of the religious law and its scope Status of women The nature of jihad Conclusion Endnotes Select Bibliography Glossary General Index