Overview

Sami Helewa’s book opens anew the Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ (Tales of the Prophets) in terms of the leadership of ancient prophets in a Muslim context of friendship and enmity in the narrative detail of the prophets Joseph, David, and Solomon. Although the Qiṣaṣ genre is not court-based, advice literature, these tales could function as advisory literature through the legendary-prophetic figures. It is hardly surprising that the prophets of ancient times have been moral prototypes for the Judo-Islamic search for religio-political leaders. However, the themes of leadership, friendship, and enmity are embedded in these tales in the writing of great Medieval-Muslims like al-Ṭabarī of Baghdād and al-Thaʿlabī of Nīshāpūr, who were great scholars (ʿulamāʾ) and men of literature (ʾudabāʾ). Like the religious side of these tales, Helewa maintains that the adab side of the Qiṣaṣ has equal importance of meaning to the struggle of ancient prophets in their friendships and hostilities. These tales, as astutely compiled from Baghdād and Nīshāpūr, mirror interesting cultural nuances of expected leadership inherent in these great cities of learning. This book will be a great value for those interested in the Sīra genre, the overall Qiṣaṣ genre, the inheritance of prophets, the adab of religious writing, the advice literature, and the history of Baghdād and Nīshāpūr.

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9781498552660

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Reviews

S. Helewa's book is a brilliant and innovative exposition of the role and significance of the tales of the ancient prophets in medieval Islam. The way that Helewa analyses the tales of the prophets as myths and hagiographical legends is impressive, and equally impressive is the way that the author analyzes the relationship between such myths or legends and other genres of Arabic literature, including Muslim biographies. Helewa is tremendously successful in interrogating the categories that scholars have used to understand the tales of the prophets and in challenging assumptions that scholars have brought to the study of this genre.--Tariq Jaffer, Amherst College

S. Helewa's book is a brilliant and innovative exposition of the role and significance of the tales of the ancient prophets in medieval Islam. The way that Helewa analyses the tales of the prophets as myths and hagiographical legends is impressive, and equally impressive is the way that the author analyzes the relationship between such myths or legends and other genres of Arabic literature, including Muslim biographies. Helewa is tremendously successful in interrogating the categories that scholars have used to understand the tales of the prophets and in challenging assumptions that scholars have brought to the study of this genre. -- Tariq Jaffer, Amherst College

Author Information

Sami Helewa is assistant professor of religious studies and director of Catholic studies at Campion College, University of Regina.

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