Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk Epics
Although the militant jihād remains one of the most popular topics in modern Islamic studies, most of the works focus on ideologies and actions, leaving out the popular perception of this phenomenon. Our study of the storylines about confronting the Franks (<i>ifranj</i>) in the Arabic f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/8/1042 |
| _version_ | 1797583342578696192 |
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| author | Oleg Sokolov |
| author_facet | Oleg Sokolov |
| author_sort | Oleg Sokolov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although the militant jihād remains one of the most popular topics in modern Islamic studies, most of the works focus on ideologies and actions, leaving out the popular perception of this phenomenon. Our study of the storylines about confronting the Franks (<i>ifranj</i>) in the Arabic folk epics, inspired by the Crusades, shows that the protagonists of the epics are presented in the narratives precisely as the holy warriors, i.e., mujāhidūn, whose key attributes are the power of faith, which often goes through tests in the fights against the infidels, as well as the divine support and readiness for martyrdom on the path of jihād. The widespread jihād and anti-Frankish rhetorics in the epics make them a valuable source for the study of the Crusades’ memory in the Medieval Arab culture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:37:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-56cfe95b91d84106aba168fb54323d7e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:37:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-56cfe95b91d84106aba168fb54323d7e2023-11-19T02:51:27ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-08-01148104210.3390/rel14081042Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk EpicsOleg Sokolov0Faculty of Asian and African Studies, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, RussiaAlthough the militant jihād remains one of the most popular topics in modern Islamic studies, most of the works focus on ideologies and actions, leaving out the popular perception of this phenomenon. Our study of the storylines about confronting the Franks (<i>ifranj</i>) in the Arabic folk epics, inspired by the Crusades, shows that the protagonists of the epics are presented in the narratives precisely as the holy warriors, i.e., mujāhidūn, whose key attributes are the power of faith, which often goes through tests in the fights against the infidels, as well as the divine support and readiness for martyrdom on the path of jihād. The widespread jihād and anti-Frankish rhetorics in the epics make them a valuable source for the study of the Crusades’ memory in the Medieval Arab culture.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/8/1042CrusadesArabic folk epicIslamic historyjihad |
| spellingShingle | Oleg Sokolov Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk Epics Religions Crusades Arabic folk epic Islamic history jihad |
| title | Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk Epics |
| title_full | Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk Epics |
| title_fullStr | Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk Epics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk Epics |
| title_short | Vanquishers of the Crusaders: Mujāhidūn Characters in Arabic Folk Epics |
| title_sort | vanquishers of the crusaders mujahidun characters in arabic folk epics |
| topic | Crusades Arabic folk epic Islamic history jihad |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/8/1042 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT olegsokolov vanquishersofthecrusadersmujahiduncharactersinarabicfolkepics |