Product Description

In a comprehensive study of early Islamic history, Wilferd Madelung examines the conflict which developed after Muhammad’s death for the leadership of the Muslim community. He pursues the history of this conflict through the reign of the four ‘Rightly Guided’ caliphs to its climax in the first inter-Muslim war. The outcome of the war, which marked the demise of the reign of the Early Companions, resulted in the lasting schism between Sunnite and Shi’ite Islam. Contrary to recent scholarly trends, the author brings out Ali’s early claim to legitimate succession, which gained support from the Shi‘a, and offers a convincing reinterpretation of early Islamic history. This book will make a major contribution to the debate over succession. Wilferd Madelung’s book The Succession to Muhammad has been awarded the Best Book of the Year prize by the Islamic Republic of Iran for the year 1997.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50102 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Review
‘Never before have the first thirty years in the life of the Muslim community been more meaningfuly interpreted. All students of Islam will want to keep this book within arm’s reach.’ Choice

Customer Reviews

Thorough
Madelung starts off in the introduction with how a lot of things regarding the Shia-sunni conflict have been taken for granted, citing the major works in the area, such as Lammens and Caetani. He then gradually works his way from the time of the death of the Prophet till the martyrdom of Ali. Madelung feels that the earlier Historians took only those facts which were undisputed to reconstruct their histories and hence have barely scratched the surface. To him, this approach is injustice to the subject which is the basis of the main split in Islam.

This book is thorough to say the least. Madelung refers almost entirely to the primary sources, and often transliterates the actual arabic too. He takes nothing for granted, questioning even the most widely believed dogma. This is a truly scientific and scholarly work. Madelungs attention to detail is meticulous. He analyses each hadith from many different points of view and then sometimes gives alternate reports (or explanations) in the footnotes i.e. he lays down all the facts well before he makes his commentary on them. Hence one is left free to make ones own opinion on whatever information is available.

Reading this book together (or after) the book Origins and Early development of Shia Islam by H M Jafri, would help greatly in understanding the book. Madelung does not discuss the life of the Prophet in great detail. Hence the readers will miss out on a number of events which occured during the life of the Prophet which the Shia claim indicate his nomination of Ali as his successor. Most notable of these events being that of Ghadir Khumm.

A refreshing look at the succession issue
A most comprehensive and prolific piece of work. The author should be congratulated for picking up on an area that is essential for the proper understanding of the Shia and their beliefs. Although, I did not agree with the author's analysis of certain historical events, nevertheless this work should be viewed as a platform upon which further research shall be based. This book shall challenge the 'packaged' history that the Western academics and Orientalists have accepted about Islam. The book also illustrates a wider principle of the extent to which interested parties can influence the recording of historical events and the interpretation that is attached to them. I have rated the book 10 due to the scholarship and the independence/originality of the work.

A Historian's view
I have read this book and found it a good and painstaking work of historical value.

If you read it as a Muslim, Shia or Sunni, you may like or dislike some of its contents because it does not wholly represent your beliefs. That does not mean that the entire presentation is biased or based on incredible sources.

Whilst I agree with the views expressed by Dr. Siddiqi about certain points raised by him, I cannot totally reject the entire work for some blemishes on the part of the researcher. Can anyone name any work of research of a subject, over a century old, which is one hundred percent right?

Undoubtedly Prof. Madelung has picked certain sources which were either biased or unreliable but he surely did not force the reader to accept them. A researcher's job is to present what he finds and leave the reader to make his own conclusions.

It is never fair to appreciate or condemn any work just on the basis of a small amount of its contents. Fairness demands that the whole work should be judged and opinion formed

The most revealing part of the book for me was that about Mua'wiya spread over nearly 80 pages who proclaimed himself to be Khalifatul-Muslimeen and I really cannot understand how and why muslims accepted him as one. It clearly demonstrates that the people at large of Muawiya's time were either totally misled or were not true muslims! And yet, even today some people still insist to give respect to him as a Companion of the Prophet and as a 'khalifa'. Should a person of his character be allowed to retain the piety of being the companion of the Prophet?