Islamic Images and Ideas

These 24 studies on specific symbols, images and icons from the Muslim tradition are authored by scholars from around the world. Divided into four sections, the Divine, the Spiritual, the Physical, and the Societal, they examine theological issues, such as divine unity, creation, wrath, and justice, as well as spiritual subjects, such as the straight path, servitude, perfection, the jinn, intoxication, and the status of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Essays also explore the symbolism of physical elements such as water, trees, seas, ships, food, the male sexual organ, eyebrows, and camels; and the significance of more socially-centered subjects such as the center, ijtihad, governance, otherness, Ashura, and Arabic. Drawing from the Qur’an and Sunnah, the essays address these topics with tact and respect from a position that appreciates exegetical diversity while remaining within the realm of unity.

John Andrew Morrow received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. He has worked at numerous colleges and universities in Canada and the United States. He has authored a large number of works, primarily in Hispanic, Native, and Islamic Studies.

Edited by John Andrew Morrow
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 288
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliographies, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-5848-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1288-1
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii
Introduction  (John Andrew Morrow) 1
The Divine
Divine Unity  (John Andrew Morrow) 8
Creation  (Anna Maria Martelli) 16
Wrath  (Amar Sellam) 25
Justice  (Hisham M. Ramadan) 36
The Spiritual

The Path  (John Andrew Morrow) 44
Servitude  (Mustapha Naoui Kheir) 54
Perfection  (John Andrew Morrow) 60
The Jinn  (Anna Maria Martelli) 67
Intoxication  (Matthew Long) 75
Fatimah  (Bridget Blomfield) 101
The Physical

Water  (Cyrus Ali Zargar) 112
The Tree  (Said Mentak) 124
The Sea  (Naglaa Saad M. Hassan) 132
The Ship  (Said Mentak) 139
Food  (Naglaa Saad M. Hassan) 146
The Phallus  (Mahdi Tourage) 156
Eyebrows  (Aida Shahlar Gasimova) 169
The Camel  (Mohamed Elkouche) 183
The Societal
Center  (Hamza Zeghlache) 192
Ijtihad  (Sayyed Hassan Vahdati Shobeiri) 198
Governance  (Zahur Ahmed Choudhri and Zahid Shahab Ahmed) 208
Otherness  (Mohamed Elkouche) 217
Ashura  (Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani) 228
Arabic  (John Andrew Morrow) 251
About the Contributors 269
Index 271