ePub The Usborne Book of Explorers from Columbus to Armstrong (Famous Lives) by Felicity Everett; Straun Reid in History

Description

The 'Alids are the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad; the elite family of Islam. The respect and veneration they are accorded is unparalleled in Islamic society; regardless of political or religious affiliation. They have played a major role in Islamic history: famous early rebels and founders of major Islamic sects; and many rulers - such as the 10th-century Fatimids in Egypt; the current kings of Jordan and Morocco; Ayatollah Khomeini and the Aga Khan - all claimed 'Alid descent.This first in-depth study of the 'Alids focuses on the crucial formative period from the Abbasid Revolution to the Saljuq period; 750-1100. Exploring the rise of the 'Alids as a social phenomenon; the author asks how this family attained and extended its status over the centuries.