Islam and the Ahmadiyya Jama'at: History, Belief, Practice (Columbia/Hurst) - Hardcover

Ross Valentine, Simon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0231700946 ISBN 13: 9780231700948

Publisher: Columbia University Press, 2008

Synopsis

Simon Ross Valentine has written the first scholarly evaluation of the teachings, beliefs, and lifestyle of the Ahmaddiya Jama'at, an Islamic reform group founded in nineteenth-century India that currently boasts millions of followers worldwide. To the great aggravation of other Muslims, the Ahmadis assert that prophets existed after Muhammad, a controversial belief that has led to fierce persecution, especially in South Asia, where the government has declared the Ahmadis to be non-Muslims.

Valentine explores other major claims made by the Ahmadis, including their assertion that Jesus, instead of dying on the cross (as Christians believe) or ascending to heaven after the crucifixion (as mainstream Muslims teach), in fact escaped from the Romans and settled in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir and the alleged location of Christ's tomb. After an account of the life of the movement's founder, Ghulam Mirza Ahmad, Valentine discusses the history of the Ahmadis, their proselytization strategies, the role of mosques and madrasas, the position of women within the religion, and the Ahmadis' doctrine of a peaceful jihad.

About this title

About the Author:

Simon Ross Valentine is a lecturer in religious studies at Bradford University.

Review:

The Ahmadiyya Jama'at is a very personal book, written from the position of a participant observer. It is the first accessible study of this Muslim community and is comprehensive in its coverage of their history, beliefs, and current existence. Simon Ross Valentine offers an inside view that will be of value to non-Muslims working with Muslims, and it is a view given with great respect.

(Francis Robinson, University of London)

About this edition

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0231700946
• ISBN 13: 9780231700948
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256