Merits of the Plague
$31.40
- Paperback
288 pages
- Release Date
24 April 2023
Summary
The preeminent meditation on plagues and pandemics from the Islamic world, now in English for the first time.
Six hundred years ago, the author of this landmark work of history and religious thought—an esteemed judge, poet, and scholar in Cairo—survived the bubonic plague, which took the lives of three of his children, not to mention tens of millions of others throughout the medieval world. Holding up an eerie mirror to our own time, he reflects on the origins of plagues—from those of…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780143136613 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0143136615 |
| Author: | Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Joel Blecher, Mairaj Syed |
| Publisher: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Imprint: | Penguin Classics |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 288 |
| Release Date: | 24 April 2023 |
| Weight: | 231g |
| Dimensions: | 15mm x 130mm x 196mm |
Critics Review
“This is the first English-language edition of his work, deservedly bringing it to a wide new audience… . Having lost three of his daughters to the Black Death, [Ibn Hajar] reflects with empathy and grief on examples of plagues from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to his own… . At a time when many ruins of the coronavirus pandemic are yet to be rebuilt, Merits of the Plague helps us to place our experience of the disease in a longer arc of history.” —The Times Literary Supplement
“An outstanding translation that brings Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani’s work to life for a modern audience … Merits of the Plague not only provides a fascinating historical account but also prompts reflection on our contemporary challenges.” —Islamic Insight
“Remarkable … A landmark work of history and religious thought … Surprisingly modern and has a lot to say to us in the era of coronavirus.” —History Unplugged Podcast
“A valuable addition to our understanding of the pandemic and how people reacted to it … This book offers a much-needed perspective from the Islamic world.” —Medievalists.net
“A unique, non-Western medieval perspective on the Black Death and pandemics in general.” —Jara News
Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani
Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalānī (d. 1449)
A medieval polymath, Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalānī was an innovative religious commentator, a historian and biographer, a judge on the highest court in Cairo, an author of spiritual poetry, and a trader from a powerful family of spice merchants. His masterpiece is a twelve-volume commentary on prophetic traditions called Fath al-Bari (The Divine Aid to Victory), parts of which he incorporated into Merits of the Plague.
Joel Blecher (editor/translator)
Joel Blecher is an associate professor of history at The George Washington University and the author of Said the Prophet of God: Hadith Commentary across a Millennium, as well as numerous articles.
Mairaj Syed (editor/translator)
Mairaj Syed is an associate professor of religious studies and the director of the medieval and early modern studies program at the University of California, Davis, and the author of Coercion and Responsibility in Islam.
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