The qussas of early Islam / / by Lyall R. Armstrong.

• Author: Armstrong, Lyall R.
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2017]
• Year of Publication: 2017
• Language: English
• Series: Islamic History and Civilization 139.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (353 pages)

The Islamic qāṣṣ (preacher/storyteller) has been viewed most commonly as a teller of stories, primarily religious in nature and often unreliable. Building on material of over a hundred quṣṣāṣ from the rise of Islam through the end of the Umayyad period, this book offers the most comprehensive study of the early Islamic qāṣṣ to-date. By constructing profiles of these preachers/ storytellers and examining statements attributed to them, it argues that they were not merely storytellers but were in fact a complex group with diverse religious interests. The book demonstrates how the style and conduct of their teaching sessions distinguished them from other teachers and preachers and also explores their relationship with early religio-political movements, as well as with the Umayyad administration.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- 1 Qaṣaṣ: Textual Evidence -- 2 Quṣṣāṣ Associations: With Whom Are the Quṣṣāṣ Associated? -- 3 Qaṣaṣ Sessions: The Skills and Conduct of the Quṣṣāṣ -- 4 The Quṣṣāṣ: Conformists or Innovators? -- 5 The Quṣṣāṣ during the Umayyad Period -- 6 Conclusion -- Appendix: Biographical Sketches of the Quṣṣāṣ of Early Islam -- Bibliography -- Index of Modern Authors -- Index of Sources -- Index of Subjects.