This book offers a fresh perspective on religious culture in the medieval Middle East. It investigates how Muslims thought about and practised at sacred spaces and in sacred times through two detailed case studies: the shrines in honour... more
This book offers a fresh perspective on religious culture in the medieval Middle East. It investigates how Muslims thought about and practised at sacred spaces and in sacred times through two detailed case studies: the shrines in honour of the head of al-Husayn (the martyred grandson of the Prophet); and the (arguably) holy month of Rajab. It explores the diverse expressions of the veneration of the shrine and the month, and the opposition to these cults, from the formative period of Islam until the late Mamluk period. The author pays particular attention to changing political and sectarian affiliations and to the development of new genres of religious literature, juxtaposing the sanctification of space and time in individual and communal Sunni, Ithnaʿashari and Ismaʿili piety.
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... There is no evidence that Diya's shaykhs of Mount Nablus, Ramla and Jerusalem shared the elaborate mystic theosophy developed by Sufis of ... a Portrait of a Contemporary cAlim in Egypt", in Islam, Nationalism and Radicalism... more
... There is no evidence that Diya's shaykhs of Mount Nablus, Ramla and Jerusalem shared the elaborate mystic theosophy developed by Sufis of ... a Portrait of a Contemporary cAlim in Egypt", in Islam, Nationalism and Radicalism in Egypt and the Sudan, ed. Gabriel Warburg and ...
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This chapter presents several accounts of the martyrdom of al-Husayn at Karbala, and the vicissitudes of his severed head. It also lists the sites that commemorate the voyage of this relic to Umayyad Damascus, and to its final – disputed... more
This chapter presents several accounts of the martyrdom of al-Husayn at Karbala, and the vicissitudes of his severed head. It also lists the sites that commemorate the voyage of this relic to Umayyad Damascus, and to its final – disputed – abode.
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Abstract Saladin’s victory over the Crusaders in 1187 made him into a mythological hero, admired in the East and West. Remembered not only as a Muslim devoted to jihad and/or a warrior against colonialism, but also as a generous,... more
Abstract
Saladin’s victory over the Crusaders in 1187 made him into a mythological hero, admired in the East and West. Remembered not only as a Muslim devoted to jihad and/or a warrior against colonialism, but also as a generous, compassionate and tolerant ruler, he gave inspiration to various ideologies. This article reviews shortly Saladin’s figure in medieval Latin, Arabic and Hebrew sources and deals at greater length with his representations in Palestinian folklore and historiography, and in Jewish/ Israeli academic and popular historiography. Palestinians accredit Saladin with the establishment of a means of protecting the land from future foreign incursions: a chain of sites for annual pilgrimage and celebration around the vulnerable season of Easter. On the Jewish side, we find the era of Saladin as a medieval Jewish golden age, and the Sultan as enabling the return of Jews to Jerusalem and the continuity of Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. He is depicted as prefiguring a threat of annihilation on the one hand, and the possibility of Muslim-Jewish cooperation, on the other.
Methodologically, this article calls for the study of early primary sources as a prerequisite for an in-depth study of current myths, whether they commemorate historical figures and events that have been preserved in collective memory for centuries, or – were invented to “substitute” for figures and events purposefully forgotten. Both phenomena demand an explanation.
בעקבות ניצחונו על הצלבנים ב-1187, הפך צלאח אלדין לגיבור מיתולוגי נערץ במזרח ובמערב. זהותו המורכבת - כפי שעוצבה בזיכרון הקולקטיבי של קבוצות שונות – כמוסלם מסור לג'יהאד ו/או לוחם בשלטון קולוניאלי מחד, וכשליט נדיב, חומל וסובלני מאידך, העניקה השראה לאידיאולוגיות מגוונות. מאמר זה סוקר בקצרה את דמותו בספרות הביניימית הלטינית והערבית, ומרחיב בחקר ייצוגה בפולקלור ובהיסטוריוגרפיה הלאומית הפלסטינית, ובהיסטוריוגרפיה ופובליציסטיקה עברית. צלאח אלדין הפלסטיני איננו רק משחרר המולדת, אלא גם מייסד אתרים מקודשים וסדרה של עליות לרגל וחגיגות עממיות (מואסם) שנועדו, כביכול, לבלום מסע צלב נוסף. בצד היהודי נמצא את צלאח אלדין כבן דמותם של שליטי תור הזהב האנדלוסי, ואף של כורש, המלך שאפשר את שיבת ציון. בפובליציסטיקה ישראלית דמותו מסמלת הן את האיום הנשקף לישראל ממנהיג כריזמטי שבכוחו לאחד את הערבים, הן תקווה לשיתוף פעולה יהודי מוסלמי מחודש.
טענה מתודולוגית של מאמר זה היא שמחקר מעמיק של מיתוסים היסטוריים מחייב חזרה למקורות הראשוניים המוקדמים, כזו שתאפשר הבחנה בין מיתוס המנציח אירוע היסטורי או דמות היסטורית שנשמרו בזיכרון הקולקטיבי במשך דורות, לבין מיתוס שבונה דמות או אירוע היסטורי ש"נשתלו" בזיכרון הקולקטיבי במקום אלה שנשכחו והושכחו. שתי התופעות דורשות הסבר.
Saladin’s victory over the Crusaders in 1187 made him into a mythological hero, admired in the East and West. Remembered not only as a Muslim devoted to jihad and/or a warrior against colonialism, but also as a generous, compassionate and tolerant ruler, he gave inspiration to various ideologies. This article reviews shortly Saladin’s figure in medieval Latin, Arabic and Hebrew sources and deals at greater length with his representations in Palestinian folklore and historiography, and in Jewish/ Israeli academic and popular historiography. Palestinians accredit Saladin with the establishment of a means of protecting the land from future foreign incursions: a chain of sites for annual pilgrimage and celebration around the vulnerable season of Easter. On the Jewish side, we find the era of Saladin as a medieval Jewish golden age, and the Sultan as enabling the return of Jews to Jerusalem and the continuity of Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. He is depicted as prefiguring a threat of annihilation on the one hand, and the possibility of Muslim-Jewish cooperation, on the other.
Methodologically, this article calls for the study of early primary sources as a prerequisite for an in-depth study of current myths, whether they commemorate historical figures and events that have been preserved in collective memory for centuries, or – were invented to “substitute” for figures and events purposefully forgotten. Both phenomena demand an explanation.
בעקבות ניצחונו על הצלבנים ב-1187, הפך צלאח אלדין לגיבור מיתולוגי נערץ במזרח ובמערב. זהותו המורכבת - כפי שעוצבה בזיכרון הקולקטיבי של קבוצות שונות – כמוסלם מסור לג'יהאד ו/או לוחם בשלטון קולוניאלי מחד, וכשליט נדיב, חומל וסובלני מאידך, העניקה השראה לאידיאולוגיות מגוונות. מאמר זה סוקר בקצרה את דמותו בספרות הביניימית הלטינית והערבית, ומרחיב בחקר ייצוגה בפולקלור ובהיסטוריוגרפיה הלאומית הפלסטינית, ובהיסטוריוגרפיה ופובליציסטיקה עברית. צלאח אלדין הפלסטיני איננו רק משחרר המולדת, אלא גם מייסד אתרים מקודשים וסדרה של עליות לרגל וחגיגות עממיות (מואסם) שנועדו, כביכול, לבלום מסע צלב נוסף. בצד היהודי נמצא את צלאח אלדין כבן דמותם של שליטי תור הזהב האנדלוסי, ואף של כורש, המלך שאפשר את שיבת ציון. בפובליציסטיקה ישראלית דמותו מסמלת הן את האיום הנשקף לישראל ממנהיג כריזמטי שבכוחו לאחד את הערבים, הן תקווה לשיתוף פעולה יהודי מוסלמי מחודש.
טענה מתודולוגית של מאמר זה היא שמחקר מעמיק של מיתוסים היסטוריים מחייב חזרה למקורות הראשוניים המוקדמים, כזו שתאפשר הבחנה בין מיתוס המנציח אירוע היסטורי או דמות היסטורית שנשמרו בזיכרון הקולקטיבי במשך דורות, לבין מיתוס שבונה דמות או אירוע היסטורי ש"נשתלו" בזיכרון הקולקטיבי במקום אלה שנשכחו והושכחו. שתי התופעות דורשות הסבר.
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The paper explains how of the shrine of the Kaʿba became part and parcel of the monotheistic religion of Islam and walks through its rituals, as well as some of the rituals that accompanied the departing caravans and returning pilgrims.... more
The paper explains how of the shrine of the Kaʿba became part and parcel of the monotheistic religion of Islam and walks through its rituals, as well as some of the rituals that accompanied the departing caravans and returning pilgrims. It surveys visitation (ziyāra) of places connected with the Prophet, other cities important to Islam, and tombs of earlier prophets and later religious figures, a practice that has been and still is contested among Muslim scholars, yet enjoyed great popularity, especially in Muslim societies influenced by Sufism. Some sites became the focus of annual communal celebrations known as mawālid (in honor of the anniversary of the birth/death of holy men) or mawāsim (seasonal gatherings). In the twentieth century, against the backdrop of nation-building projects and national conflicts in the Middle East, some pilgrimages became highly politicized. A couple of examples from Palestine and Israel to demonstrate this point.
Sunni opponents of tomb-worship, beginning with the influential fundamentalist
thinker of the early 14th century Ibn Taymiyya, blame the Shiʿis for having introduced
this unwarranted "innovation" into the practice of Muslims. Some art-historians also
tend to attribute to Shiʿa Islam a prominent role in the development of monumental
funerary architecture, typical of pilgrimage destinations. While these conjectures are
debated, there is no doubt that Shiʿi Islam encourages visits to the graves of its Imams
(spiritual leaders) and martyrs as venues for devotion to the house of ʿAli, and its holy
places certainly deserve special attention in the context of Islamic pilgrimage. Also
worthy of attention is the phenomenon of shared sacred sites, which – despite the
animosity between Sunnis and Shiʿis, and the tensions between Muslims, Christians,
and Jews – drew a mixed batch of pilgrims and patrons
Sunni opponents of tomb-worship, beginning with the influential fundamentalist
thinker of the early 14th century Ibn Taymiyya, blame the Shiʿis for having introduced
this unwarranted "innovation" into the practice of Muslims. Some art-historians also
tend to attribute to Shiʿa Islam a prominent role in the development of monumental
funerary architecture, typical of pilgrimage destinations. While these conjectures are
debated, there is no doubt that Shiʿi Islam encourages visits to the graves of its Imams
(spiritual leaders) and martyrs as venues for devotion to the house of ʿAli, and its holy
places certainly deserve special attention in the context of Islamic pilgrimage. Also
worthy of attention is the phenomenon of shared sacred sites, which – despite the
animosity between Sunnis and Shiʿis, and the tensions between Muslims, Christians,
and Jews – drew a mixed batch of pilgrims and patrons
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This short excursus elaborates on the central role of istighfār (pleading for forgiveness) in Islamic prayer rites, especially during the sacred months, when God is particularly merciful, and the shafāʿa (intercession) of angels readily... more
This short excursus elaborates on the central role of istighfār (pleading for forgiveness) in Islamic prayer rites, especially during the sacred months, when God is particularly merciful, and the shafāʿa (intercession) of angels readily available. It is largely based on the work of Constance Padwick.
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This chapter presents Rajab as one of the three holy months of pre-Islamic Arabia. The taboo on manslaughter during Rajab allowed safe travel, fairs, and the performance of the pilgrimage known as ʿumra. Rajab's sanctity survived the... more
This chapter presents Rajab as one of the three holy months of pre-Islamic Arabia. The taboo on manslaughter during Rajab allowed safe travel, fairs, and the performance of the pilgrimage known as ʿumra. Rajab's sanctity survived the transition from Jahiliyya to Islam, but remained contested for centuries. Muslims commemorated it by fasting, ritual slaughter, supplications, iʿtikāf in mosques, and special sermons. Devotional works, written by Shiʿis and Sunnis from the ninth-century onwards, promise the remittance of sins and other great rewards, for rites performed in Rajab.
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This excursus provides a list of six ninth- to fifteenth-century manuscripts and published works compiled in praise of Ascalon (Faḍl ʿAsqalān), or containing a chapter dedicated to this end. The authors include Abū al-Ḥasan al-Madāʾinī... more
This excursus provides a list of six ninth- to fifteenth-century manuscripts and published works compiled in praise of Ascalon (Faḍl ʿAsqalān), or containing a chapter dedicated to this end. The authors include Abū al-Ḥasan al-Madāʾinī (d. 225/839–40), Abū Muḥammad al-ʿAsqalānī (d. 325/937?), ʿAlī Ibn ʿAsākir (d. 571/1176), Taqī al-Dīn al-Shahrazūrī (d. 643/1245), Shams al-Dīn al-Asyūṭī (d. 880/1475–6), and an anonymous author.
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Ibn Taymiyya, a well known critic of saint and tomb veneration, devoted several fatwas and polemical treatises to disparage the cult of the head of al-Husayn and the sacredness of his shrines in Ascalon and Cairo. He argues that the... more
Ibn Taymiyya, a well known critic of saint and tomb veneration, devoted several fatwas and polemical treatises to disparage the cult of the head of al-Husayn and the sacredness of his shrines in Ascalon and Cairo. He argues that the erection of shrines and the rites of ziyara originate in Shiʿi and Christian polytheistic ways, that the cult is a bidʿa, and that the relic is not authentic.
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This appendix-II of the book Islamic Piety in Medieval Syria Mosques, Cemeteries and Sermons under the Zangids and Ayyūbids (1146-1260) includes dynastic tables and maps. It contains three maps depicting: The Ayyūbid State in 583/1187 and... more
This appendix-II of the book Islamic Piety in Medieval Syria Mosques, Cemeteries and Sermons under the Zangids and Ayyūbids (1146-1260) includes dynastic tables and maps. It contains three maps depicting: The Ayyūbid State in 583/1187 and 589/1193, Settlements of Bilād al-Shām in the thirteenth century, and Damascus and its surroundings in the thirteenth century. The book is a study of a past Middle Eastern society, that of Bilād al-Shām, present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the West Bank, in the Zangid and Ayyūbid period.Keywords: Ayyūbid period; Bilād al-Shām; Islamic Piety; Medieval Syria mosques
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This chapter surveys scholarship about pilgrimage, Islamic shrines, liturgical calendars and the Islamic annual cycle, and some of the typologies suggested by scholars of Islam. It claims that modern researchers did not devote much... more
This chapter surveys scholarship about pilgrimage, Islamic shrines, liturgical calendars and the Islamic annual cycle, and some of the typologies suggested by scholars of Islam. It claims that modern researchers did not devote much attention to Muslim non-canonical devotions, including those of the month of Rajab.
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Ascalon was regained by the Muslim in 1187, and abandoned again in 1192, when Saladin's men razed its walls in accordance with his agreement with Richard Lionheart. Badr al-Din's minbar was sent to Hebron. The empty shrine of... more
Ascalon was regained by the Muslim in 1187, and abandoned again in 1192, when Saladin's men razed its walls in accordance with his agreement with Richard Lionheart. Badr al-Din's minbar was sent to Hebron. The empty shrine of al-Husayn remained standing, and the site was visited by Muslim travellers throughout the Mamluk period. Ascalon was not rebuilt, yet retained its religious prestige.
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This chapter focuses on the alleged unearthing of the head of al-Husayn by the Fatimid vizier Badr al-Din al-Jamali in Ascalon, as recorded in a epigraph of 484/1091, inscribed on a wooden minbar. Positioning this episode in the career of... more
This chapter focuses on the alleged unearthing of the head of al-Husayn by the Fatimid vizier Badr al-Din al-Jamali in Ascalon, as recorded in a epigraph of 484/1091, inscribed on a wooden minbar. Positioning this episode in the career of al-Jamali, and in the geo-political circumstances of Egypt and Syria under the imam-caliph al-Mustansir, and in light of the attitude of Muslims towards Ahl al-Bayt, it concludes by suggesting that the shrine established for the relic was intended as an 'ecumenical' Islamic sacred space.
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This chapter records the search for extant evidence that pre-dates Badr al-Din's inscription and refers to the burial of al-Husayn's head in Ascalon. Having only found reference to a shrine in honour of Christian decapitated... more
This chapter records the search for extant evidence that pre-dates Badr al-Din's inscription and refers to the burial of al-Husayn's head in Ascalon. Having only found reference to a shrine in honour of Christian decapitated martyrs there in the early fourth-century (marked on Madaba Map), and to the town's prestige as a destiny of ribāṭ for pious 'defenders' in the Umayyad and early Abbasid period - it argues that the Islamic shrine was constructed on the basis of a newly 'invented tradition', on previously consecrated grounds. Its merits were listed in compilations known as Faḍāʾil ʿAsqalān.
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This chapter deals with the many rites of Rajab that were developed during the Fatimid period, especially in Cairo. Official ceremonies included caliphal audiences, processions, banquets, the distribution of food, the kindling of lights... more
This chapter deals with the many rites of Rajab that were developed during the Fatimid period, especially in Cairo. Official ceremonies included caliphal audiences, processions, banquets, the distribution of food, the kindling of lights in mosques, Ismaʿili 'sessions of wisdom' (majālis al-ḥikma), and the sending off of the kiswa to Mecca. An unofficial rite - ṣalāt al-raghāʾib (the prayer for great rewards) on the first Thursday night of the month – was inaugurated in Jerusalem.
Research Interests: Ancient History and Rite
This chapter shifts from the 'microscopic' to the 'macroscopic' perspective, to make several observations on medieval Islamic constructions of the 'sacred'. It demonstrates similarities between the understanding of... more
This chapter shifts from the 'microscopic' to the 'macroscopic' perspective, to make several observations on medieval Islamic constructions of the 'sacred'. It demonstrates similarities between the understanding of sacred place and time, points out the common vocabulary describing them, and lists the shared set of rites performed in them. Recurrent themes - such as references to the benevolent presence of angels, events of sacred history, the apparition of holy men, the remittance of sins, God's excessive mercy and baraka - are noted here. The chapter also summarizes the opinions of the Hanbali-Sunni Ibn Taymiyya and the Shiʿi Ibn Tawus on these beliefs and practices. Notwithstanding pious devotions, festivities associated with sacred times and places served also political ends, communal purposes, and the formation of identities.
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The re-Sunnification of Cairo, initiated by Saladin after the overthrow of the Fatimids in 1171, did not impede the veneration of the Husayni shrine and mosque. It ceased to constitute a source of political legitimation, but remained a... more
The re-Sunnification of Cairo, initiated by Saladin after the overthrow of the Fatimids in 1171, did not impede the veneration of the Husayni shrine and mosque. It ceased to constitute a source of political legitimation, but remained a popular pilgrimage site (as depicted by Ibn Jubayr). Under the Ayyubids and Mamluks it was frequented by Sufis, and by a circle of students of Islamic law. Some jurists, prominent among them Ibn Taymiyya, denied the authenticity of the relic and criticized the cult in its shrine.
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This chapter explores the practicality of applying the inspiring theories and original terms developed by the anthropologist Victor Turner to research on medieval pilgrimage. It ends with the conclusion that concepts such as... more
This chapter explores the practicality of applying the inspiring theories and original terms developed by the anthropologist Victor Turner to research on medieval pilgrimage. It ends with the conclusion that concepts such as 'communitas', 'catchment area', and 'peripheral shrine' stimulate thought and creative reading of the sources, even if cannot be properly sustained on the basis of data collected from sporadic medieval excerpts.
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Following the conquest of Ascalon by the Crusaders in 1153, al-Husayn's head was transferred to Cairo and interred by the tombs of the Fatimid imam-caliphs. Its shrine became a major sacred venue for the celebration of Shi`i festivals... more
Following the conquest of Ascalon by the Crusaders in 1153, al-Husayn's head was transferred to Cairo and interred by the tombs of the Fatimid imam-caliphs. Its shrine became a major sacred venue for the celebration of Shi`i festivals and Fatimid official ceremonies. It is argued that the commemorative rites performed there - such as al-ʿAshura, ʿId Ghadir Khumm - were imbued with particular Shi`i-Isma`ili symbolism and meaning.
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This chapter briefly surveys the definitions of 'sacred', as offered by leading scholars of religion. Whereas these accentuate the dichotomy between sacred and profane, the Arabic emic terms describe far-ranging degrees of... more
This chapter briefly surveys the definitions of 'sacred', as offered by leading scholars of religion. Whereas these accentuate the dichotomy between sacred and profane, the Arabic emic terms describe far-ranging degrees of holiness that were attributed to places and times.
Research Interests: Arabic and Emic and etic
It is generally assumed, in various cultures, that death has a cleansing affect, and that consequently, the dead enjoy some moral advantage over the living and can take advantage of their closeness to God in order to intercede for the... more
It is generally assumed, in various cultures, that death has a cleansing affect, and that consequently, the dead enjoy some moral advantage over the living and can take advantage of their closeness to God in order to intercede for the living. The notion that the intercessory powers of those persons were most accessible at their graves made cemeteries and mausolea into central arenas of religious life. Shrines - mashhads (memorial structures, with or without a tomb) and maqāms (monuments that commemorate an event in the life of a prophet or saint, or are constructed around a relic associated with him) - were established in their honor. In the corpus of sources surveyed for this chapter women indeed fulfill leading roles in the establishment and upkeep of sanctuaries, but there is no clear evidence that they practiced ziyāras more than men.Keywords: cemeteries; Shrines
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Focusing on the construction of sanctity and its manifestations in individual devotions, formal ceremonies and communal rites, this book offers a fresh perspective on religious culture in the medieval Middle East. It investigates Islamic... more
Focusing on the construction of sanctity and its manifestations in individual devotions, formal ceremonies and communal rites, this book offers a fresh perspective on religious culture in the medieval Middle East. It investigates Islamic thinking about and practice in sacred places and times through the detailed research of two contested case-studies: the shrine(s) in honour of the head of al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAli, and the (arguably) holy month of Rajab. The narrative spans the formative period of Islam until the late Mamluk period, attuned to changing political contexts and sectarian affiliations, and to the input of the social sciences and the study of religion. The juxtaposition of sacred place and time reveals that the two expanses were regarded as complementary venues for similar religious devotions, and imagined by a common vocabulary.
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The material is organized along the yearly calendar and the life-cycle. It is based on descriptions of rituals that, according to the historical sources, actually took place in twelfth-thirteenth century Syria, minimally supplemented with... more
The material is organized along the yearly calendar and the life-cycle. It is based on descriptions of rituals that, according to the historical sources, actually took place in twelfth-thirteenth century Syria, minimally supplemented with prescriptive works and secondary literature. Wealthy citizens hosted the poor and communal dinners were held in madrasas. The very devout would spend the whole day at the mosque, and give alms. On the feasts of the Assumption and the Nativity of the Virgin, Muslims - according to Burchard of Strasburg (the emissary of Frederic I to Saladin) - visited Saydanāya, a village outside Damascus, housing a famed icon of the Virgin, which Franks had also valued. The marriage of members of the ruling elite were lavishly celebrated. Some people prepare their own shrouds in advance, usually if they possessed a garment or a fabric that carried, in their eyes, special blessings.Keywords: Liturgical Calendar; rituals
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From the break of dawn, when the first Allāhu akbar pierced the air announcing the new day, the call of the muezzin marked the flow of time in the medieval Muslim city. J. Pedersen concedes that the mosque, despite the increase in its... more
From the break of dawn, when the first Allāhu akbar pierced the air announcing the new day, the call of the muezzin marked the flow of time in the medieval Muslim city. J. Pedersen concedes that the mosque, despite the increase in its sanctity, remained a place of public assembly, visited for many purposes other than that of worship. This chapter unquestionably supports his view. Almost each and every Muslim in the society studied here had reason to enter the mosque. The great mosques of Damascus and Jerusalem, the Umayyad Mosque and al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, loom large in the chapter. Mosques also served as an asylum for the homeless, the vagabond, the insane and the refugee. Relics were displayed in mosques and their cult was openly practiced in public. Yāqŭt lists a whole inventory of relics, tombs and hallowed spots in his passage in praise of the congregational mosque of Damascus.Keywords: Damascus; medieval Muslim; mosques; relics; society
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This paper describes religious innovations introduced by Muslims in the (arguably) holy month of Rajab, and by Jews on the High Holidays of the month of Tishrei, in eleventh-century Jerusalem. Using a comparative perspective, and... more
This paper describes religious innovations introduced by Muslims in the (arguably) holy month of Rajab, and by Jews on the High Holidays of the month of Tishrei, in eleventh-century Jerusalem. Using a comparative perspective, and grounding analysis in the particular historical context of Fatimid rule, it demonstrates how the convergence of sacred space and sacred time was conducive to “religious creativity.” The Muslim rites (conducted on al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf / the Temple Mount) and the Jewish rites (on the Mount of Olives) shared a particular concern with the remission of sins and supplication on behalf of others, and a cosmological world view that envisioned Jerusalem as axis mundi. The Jewish rite was initiated “from above” by the political-spiritual leadership of the community, was dependent on Fatimid backing, and was inextricably tied to specific sites. The Muslim rite sprang “from below” and spread far, to be practiced in later periods all over the Middle East.
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Titles: al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ (The biographies of distinguished men); Ibn Rajab, Dhayl T. abaqāt al-H. anābila (An addendum to the biographical dictionary of H. anbalīs [lit. "to the generations of H. anbalīs"]); al-Maqdisī,... more
Titles: al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ (The biographies of distinguished men); Ibn Rajab, Dhayl T. abaqāt al-H. anābila (An addendum to the biographical dictionary of H. anbalīs [lit. "to the generations of H. anbalīs"]); al-Maqdisī, al-H. ikāyāt al-Muqtabasa fī Karāmāt Mashāyikh al-Ard. al-Muqaddasa (The cited tales of the wondrous doings of the shaykhs of the Holy Land) Genre: Didactic and entertaining literature (biography)
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This paper describes religious innovations introduced by Muslims in the (arguably) holy month of Rajab, and by Jews on the High Holidays of the month of Tishrei, in eleventh-century Jerusalem. Using a comparative perspective, and... more
This paper describes religious innovations introduced by Muslims in the (arguably) holy month of Rajab, and by Jews on the High Holidays of the month of Tishrei, in eleventh-century Jerusalem. Using a comparative perspective, and grounding analysis in the particular historical context of Fatimid rule, it demonstrates how the convergence of sacred space and sacred time was conducive to "religious creativity." The Muslim rites (conducted on al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf / the Temple Mount) and the Jewish rites (on the Mount of Olives) shared a particular concern with the remission of sins and supplication on behalf of others, and a cosmological world view that envisioned Jerusalem as axis mundi. The Jewish rite was initiated "from above" by the political-spiritual leadership of the community, was dependent on Fatimid backing, and was inextricably tied to specific sites. The Muslim rite sprang "from below" and spread far, to be practiced in later periods all over the Middle East.
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This essay demonstrates Ibn Taymiyya’s engagement of historiography in iftāʼ. It draws upon fatwās on pilgrimage to Ascalon, travel to shrines of al-Ḥusayn in Ascalon and Cairo, and visits to Jerusalem and Hebron. Ibn Taymiyya weaves... more
This essay demonstrates Ibn Taymiyya’s engagement of historiography in iftāʼ. It draws upon fatwās on pilgrimage to Ascalon, travel to shrines of al-Ḥusayn in Ascalon and Cairo, and visits to Jerusalem and Hebron. Ibn Taymiyya weaves sophisticated historical narratives into his legal reasoning against visiting tombs of prophets and Ahl al-Bayt. He exposes lacunas, contradictions and unreasonable assertions in truisms about bodies of prophets and saints and their cults. He argues against ziyāra to such sites, blaming Shīʿīs for spreading the innovation at a particularly vulnerable time for Islam. His attack on notions of the religious merits of Jerusalem and of murābaṭa hinges upon his reconstruction of the history the Dome of the Rock and of the Islamic frontier. History leads him to stress the temporality of territorial definitions and their dependence on context. His argumentation resonates in works of later writers, demonstrating the continuing relevance of his fatwās.
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In this study, I explore the contribution of the work of the team of the Survey of Western Palestine, and especially that of the native-speaker Numan al-Qasatli, to the study of ethnography and religious life in late Ottoman Palestine. I... more
In this study, I explore the contribution of the work of the team of the Survey of Western Palestine, and especially that of the native-speaker Numan al-Qasatli, to the study of ethnography and religious life in late Ottoman Palestine. I focus on al-Qasatli’s description of a two-and-a-half-day-long celebration around shrines in the vicinity of Ascalon, which he observed in April 1875. It is treated here both as a chapter in the history of the thousand-year old shrine of the head of al-Husayn b. Ali (the martyred grandson of the Prophet Muhammad), and as a case study of a Palestinian local annual festivity (mawsim), and its transformations in the era of nationalism.
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,מדוע הפך צלאח אלדין לסמל עבור קבוצות ואידאולוגיות נבדלות מן המאה ה-12 ועד ימינו ? וכיצד לומדים מיתוסים היסטוריים
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This article follows the transmutations of narratives, material structures and rituals focused on Mashhad Ḥusayn. It begins with the alleged discovery of the head of the martyred grandson of the Prophet by the Ismāʿīlī Fāṭimids at the end... more
This article follows the transmutations of narratives, material structures and rituals focused on Mashhad Ḥusayn. It begins with the alleged discovery of the head of the martyred grandson of the Prophet by the Ismāʿīlī Fāṭimids at the end of the eleventh century in Ascalon, spans the millennium and ends with the recent revival of pilgrimage to the site, dominated by tourists affiliated with the Bohra Dāʾūdiyya. It is based on medieval and modern historical, ethnographi-cal and geographical accounts, hagiography, epigraphy, archaeology, travelers' and pilgrims' itineraries, state and military archives, maps, photographs and oral accounts. The establishment of the shrine in Ascalon, the transferal of the relic to Cairo and the visitation of the site under the Sunni Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans are studied in their political and religious contexts. The final part of the article explores the development of a Palestinian popular celebration (mawsim) in the vicinity of the shrine in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, the demolition of the shrine by the IDF in 1950 and the establishment of a commemorative prayer dais in 2000 ‒ the result of a joint initiative of the 52nd dāʿī muṭlaq of the Dāʾūdī Bohras from India and an Israeli entrepreneur of tourism. Many thousands of Ismāʿīlī Shīʿīs, members of the Bohra Dāʾūdiyya sect, have traveled since 1980 from India and Pakistan to an obscure pilgrimage site located in the backyard of a hospital in the Israeli town of Ashqelon. The site they ven-erate ‒ reviving thereby a tradition initiated in the late-eleventh century ‒ was allegedly the temporary burial place of the head of the martyred Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī.
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Jews and Muslims have developed similar perceptions about the divine origins of their respective sacred scriptures, including their aural and graphic forms. How to transcribe the accurate and authentic text was debated and eventually... more
Jews and Muslims have developed similar perceptions about the divine origins of their respective sacred scriptures, including their aural and graphic forms. How to transcribe the accurate and authentic text was debated and eventually prescribed in detail in each tradition, but ultimately each religion adopted a different strategy. The Jew-ish tradition—which distinguishes between liturgical reading and study—developed two discrete formats of the Pentateuch. The ancient form of the scroll with the text inscribed in scripta defectiva was reserved for liturgical use, while the newer codex, written in scripta plena with vocalization and cantillation marks, was accepted for all other purposes. Muslim scholars were less concerned with preserving an 'authentic' form, and gradually allowed massive embellishment of the basic script, and a wide variety of designs. The two traditions regard a few early copies of their scriptures, notably the ʿUṯmānī Musḥaf (s) of the Qurʾān and the Aleppo Codex of the Torah, as particularly awe inspiring and holy, according them the role of " master copy " on the scholarly level, and bestowing them the veneration due sacred relics, on the popular level.
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Arab Muslim historiography of the crusading era evokes the memory of earlier generations who struggled for the glory of Islam, reproducing the myths of the campaigns of the Prophet, the great conquests, and the martyrs of the... more
Arab Muslim historiography of the crusading era evokes the memory of earlier generations who struggled for the glory of Islam, reproducing the myths of the campaigns of the Prophet, the great conquests, and the martyrs of the Byzantine-Umayyad and early ʿAbbasid frontier. By highlighting continuity with the Islamic golden age, chroniclers served as propagandists for the counter-crusade and its leaders, contributed to the consolidation of the collective identity of the Muslims of Syria, and partook in a discourse of piety, typical of their age.
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Center and Periphery in the Abrahamic Religions
Program of Workshop on Ritual Objects in the Medieval Middle East, May 24-27, 2021
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Workshop organized by Johannes Pahlitzsch, Youval Rotman, Daniella Talmon-Heller. This workshop will explore notions of sacred time by comparing cases within the different religions and cultures of the pre-modern Middle East. The idea... more
Workshop organized by Johannes Pahlitzsch, Youval Rotman, Daniella Talmon-Heller.
This workshop will explore notions of sacred time by comparing cases within the different religions and cultures of the pre-modern Middle East. The idea that time is not homogenous – that some moments, days, or months are privileged than others, and the sanctification of such times by special rites – seems to be a universal cultural phenomenon. Yet, the construction of time as sacred, the choice of the specific time units to set apart, and the means by which these are distinguished from profane time, are diverse and dynamic, and should be studied within their historical-cultural contexts.
Generally, sacred times are acknowledged in calendars that regulate routine religious devotions, feasts, fasts, pilgrimage, commemorations, and other types of ritual worship at regular intervals (such as the Sabbath, Ramadan, saint-days and anniversaries). Astrological events, such as the winter solstice, or the change of seasons, and significant natural phenomena (such as the flooding of the Nile) were also regarded as religiously potent, as are certain moments in the life-cycle of the individual, or the history of the community. Sacred time can also be sporadic and singular, tied to occasional events and situations that mark divine intervention, or call for it.
Manifestations of sacred time play an important role in the formation of communal identity, and in community-life. Yet, traditions of sacred time appear not only as demarcations between groups, but can also be a product of acculturation and within inter-faith dynamics. They create what can be termed ‘ritual coherence’ on the one hand, and produce inter-religious conflicts, due to clashing concepts of sacred time and different calendars, especially between groups who shared the same geographical space, on the other hand.
Another issue that needs to be addressed in respect to sacred time is its relation to a global perception of time and history. More specifically we would like to ask how the scheduling of sacred time in the life of a community serves as means to place what can be termed ‘human sacred time’ within the framework of a ‘cosmic sacred time.’ This is especially important in the celebration of historical events, thus making the history of a particular community sacred.
In the workshop we are suggesting, we wish to investigate the different meanings assigned to privileged time, and practices marking sacred time, in the late antique and medieval Middle East. Special focus will be given to the conceptualization of sacred time in theological, legal and devotional works, and to debates and questions pertaining to the sanctity of specific times. We would like to address the following questions: How could we conceptualize and identify the notion of sacred time in medieval societies? How was the notion of sacred time constructed in specific historical and cultural contexts? Which needs, of both individuals and communities, call for defining sacred time? What functions did it fill, and in what ways?
This workshop will explore notions of sacred time by comparing cases within the different religions and cultures of the pre-modern Middle East. The idea that time is not homogenous – that some moments, days, or months are privileged than others, and the sanctification of such times by special rites – seems to be a universal cultural phenomenon. Yet, the construction of time as sacred, the choice of the specific time units to set apart, and the means by which these are distinguished from profane time, are diverse and dynamic, and should be studied within their historical-cultural contexts.
Generally, sacred times are acknowledged in calendars that regulate routine religious devotions, feasts, fasts, pilgrimage, commemorations, and other types of ritual worship at regular intervals (such as the Sabbath, Ramadan, saint-days and anniversaries). Astrological events, such as the winter solstice, or the change of seasons, and significant natural phenomena (such as the flooding of the Nile) were also regarded as religiously potent, as are certain moments in the life-cycle of the individual, or the history of the community. Sacred time can also be sporadic and singular, tied to occasional events and situations that mark divine intervention, or call for it.
Manifestations of sacred time play an important role in the formation of communal identity, and in community-life. Yet, traditions of sacred time appear not only as demarcations between groups, but can also be a product of acculturation and within inter-faith dynamics. They create what can be termed ‘ritual coherence’ on the one hand, and produce inter-religious conflicts, due to clashing concepts of sacred time and different calendars, especially between groups who shared the same geographical space, on the other hand.
Another issue that needs to be addressed in respect to sacred time is its relation to a global perception of time and history. More specifically we would like to ask how the scheduling of sacred time in the life of a community serves as means to place what can be termed ‘human sacred time’ within the framework of a ‘cosmic sacred time.’ This is especially important in the celebration of historical events, thus making the history of a particular community sacred.
In the workshop we are suggesting, we wish to investigate the different meanings assigned to privileged time, and practices marking sacred time, in the late antique and medieval Middle East. Special focus will be given to the conceptualization of sacred time in theological, legal and devotional works, and to debates and questions pertaining to the sanctity of specific times. We would like to address the following questions: How could we conceptualize and identify the notion of sacred time in medieval societies? How was the notion of sacred time constructed in specific historical and cultural contexts? Which needs, of both individuals and communities, call for defining sacred time? What functions did it fill, and in what ways?
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program of workshop
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Center and Periphery in the Abrahamic Religions
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full program of "Arabic Day" - a series of short lectures and workshops at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 10.4.19 [in Arabic]
The 14th Annual Workshop of the Department of Middle East Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev aspires to bring together historians, art historians and archaeologists, whose work is based on the combined research of narrative... more
The 14th Annual Workshop of the Department of Middle East Studies at
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev aspires to bring together
historians, art historians and archaeologists, whose work is based on
the combined research of narrative and material sources. It stems from
the conviction that the study of many aspects of the history of Islamic
societies, pre-modern and modern, is enriched by methodologies that
integrate textual and non-textual sources, such as archeological sites,
architecture, and artifacts of sorts (coins, relics, talismans, arms
and armor, funerary steles, war memorials, works of art, items for mass
consumption, and many more). The workshop aims to advance acquaintance
with the varied case studies of such interdisciplinary works, to
provoke comparative approaches, to promote discussion of research
opportunities and difficulties, and to encourage creative collaborative
projects.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev aspires to bring together
historians, art historians and archaeologists, whose work is based on
the combined research of narrative and material sources. It stems from
the conviction that the study of many aspects of the history of Islamic
societies, pre-modern and modern, is enriched by methodologies that
integrate textual and non-textual sources, such as archeological sites,
architecture, and artifacts of sorts (coins, relics, talismans, arms
and armor, funerary steles, war memorials, works of art, items for mass
consumption, and many more). The workshop aims to advance acquaintance
with the varied case studies of such interdisciplinary works, to
provoke comparative approaches, to promote discussion of research
opportunities and difficulties, and to encourage creative collaborative
projects.