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The
History of al-Tabari Vol. 15 (The Reign
of 'Uthman) From:
Summary
Before the caliphate of the
'Uthman b. 'Affan, the Muslim community had grown from strength to strength in
spite of a series of major crises--the Hirah, the death of the Prophet, the
Riddah wars, the assassination of 'Umar by a Persian slave. But 'Uthman's reign
ended in catastrophe. His inability to manage the social and political conflicts
that were now emerging among various factions within the community led to his
death at the hands of Muslim rebels. The consequences of this tragic event were
bitter: not only a century of civil war, but also political and religious
schisms of such depth that they have not been entirely healed even now. Most
medieval Muslim historians told this story in an overtly partisan manner, but
al-Tabari demands more of his readers. First of all, they must decide for
themselves, on the basis of highly ambigous evidence, whether 'Uthman's death
was tyrannicide or murder. But, more than that, they must ask how such a thing
could have happened at all; what had the Muslims done to bring about the
near-destruction of their community?Al-Tabari presents this challenge within a broad framework. For, even while the internal crisis that issued in 'Uthman's death was coming to a head, the wars against Byzantium and Persia continued. The first expeditions into North Africa, the conquest of Cyprus, the momentary destruction of the Byzantine fleet at the Battle of the Masts, the bloody campaigns in Armenia, the Caucasus, and Khurasan are all here, in narratives that shift constantly between hard reporting and pious legend. Muslim forces retain the offensive, but there are no more easy victories; henceforth, suffering and endurance will be the hallmarks of the hero. Most evocative in the light of 'Uthman's fate is the moving account of the murder of the last Sasanian king, Yazdagird III--a man betrayed by his nobles and subjects, but most of all by his own character. A discounted price is available when purchasing the entire 39-volume History of al-Tabari set. Click Here for more information or contact mail@kitaabun.com Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari was a
scholar of the highest repute he studied hadith literature, he also
studied many other subjects to further his knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and the
religion of Islam. During the end of his days, he was known as a commentator on
the Holy Qur'an, an expert in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), and as a famous
historian. He was also the author of many books; the most famous of them was his
Tafseer of the Holy Qur'an and the other was this
encyclopedia on Islamic history. |
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