The power of oratory in the medieval Muslim world
By: Linda G. Jones
Series: Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 298
ISBN-13: 9781107023055
Subjects: HISTORY / Middle East / General; Rhetoric; Islamic preaching; Arabic language; History
Description: "A remarkable book analyzing the importance of oratory for transmitting religious knowledge, legitimizing rulers, and inculcating moral values in the medieval Islamic world"--

""And my brother Aaron - He is more eloquent in speech than I: so send him with me as a helper, to confirm (and strengthen) me: for I fear that they may accuse me of falsehood." (Q 28:34)"The Prophet said, 'I have been given the keys of eloquent speech and given victory with awe (cast into the hearts of the enemy) ...'" The sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam portray eloquent speech as one of the attributes or instruments of the charismatic authority of the prophets. Though Moses was one of God's elect, a "friend of God" (Q 4: 125; Ex. 33:11), the Qur'an and the Bible coincide in reflecting his fears that his mission before Pharaoh would fail if not buttressed by the oratorical eloquence of his brother Aaron. Similarly, the ?adith show Mu?ammad acknowledging the power of eloquent speech and associating this charismatic gift with the victory of his own prophetic mission"--
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: Introduction; 1. Laying the foundations; 2. The khutba: the 'central jewel' of medieval Arab-Islamic prose; 3. The khutba: rhetorical and discursive strategies of persuasion; 4. Putting it all together: the khutba, texts, and contexts; Part I. Canonical Questions: 5. Putting it all together: the khutba, texts, and contexts; Part II. Thematic and Occasional Orations: 6. Homiletic exhortation and storytelling: challenging the 'popular'; 7. 'The good eloquent speaker': profiles of pre-modern Muslim preachers; 8. The audience responds: participation, reception, contestation; Conclusion.