Merchants Of Mecca

Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, had nineteen wives. This book, researched from the earliest Islamic sources, explodes many popular myths, leaving the Mothers of the Faithful UNVEILED.Merchants of Mecca maps the biographies of Muhammad's first five wives: the millionaire businesswoman Khadija, who launched the new faith; the child-bride Aïsha, who started a war then shaped Islamic law for posterity; Saowda, the humble perfume-mixer; ascetic Hafsa, custodian of the first Quraan; and Zaynab, a proactive social worker.Why did Muhammad, who was originally faithful to Khadija, later live with several women at once? How did his wives adapt to polygyny, poverty and life in the public eye? Which one served hashish to the dinner guests? Who stripped naked in front of an angel? And who committed a murder?The veils of history are lifted, allowing Muhammad and his wives to spring to life.

The rise of merchant capital in Mecca conditioned the development of Meccan social, economic, religious, and political structure. Mahmood Ibrahim traces the roots of capitalism from the emergence of merchants as the main force in Mecca through the first civil war in Islam (656–661). Through a rereading of original Arabic sources and drawing from modern scholarship on the subject, Ibrahim offers a new interpretation of the rise of Islam. He argues that Islam contributed certain institutional beliefs and practices that unblocked obstacles and helped merchants gain political and economic hegemony over western Asia. Ibrahim contends that, with the conquest of Mecca, the newly formed Muslim state spread its control to the rest of Arabia, which mobilized a significant social force and allowed for further expansion outside Arabia, thus extending merchant control to include new surplus-producing regions, a vast network of trade routes, and wider markets. This extensively researched study offers a new interpretation of the history of Islam, including the formation of Islamic society and the unfolding of the first civil war. In offering a better understanding of the Umayyad Caliphate that ruled Islam for a century to come, Ibrahim helps lay the groundwork for understanding the Middle East as it is today. Of interest to scholars of Middle Eastern studies, this important work will be necessary reading for students of Near Eastern and North African history, as well as students of the history of Medieval Europe.

The rise of merchant capital in Mecca conditioned the development of Meccan social, economic, religious, and political structure. Mahmood Ibrahim traces the roots of capitalism from the emergence of merchants as the main force in Mecca through the first civil war in Islam (656–661). Through a rereading of original Arabic sources and drawing from modern scholarship on the subject, Ibrahim offers a new interpretation of the rise of Islam. He argues that Islam contributed certain institutional beliefs and practices that unblocked obstacles and helped merchants gain political and economic hegemony over western Asia. Ibrahim contends that, with the conquest of Mecca, the newly formed Muslim state spread its control to the rest of Arabia, which mobilized a significant social force and allowed for further expansion outside Arabia, thus extending merchant control to include new surplus-producing regions, a vast network of trade routes, and wider markets. This extensively researched study offers a new interpretation of the history of Islam, including the formation of Islamic society and the unfolding of the first civil war. In offering a better understanding of the Umayyad Caliphate that ruled Islam for a century to come, Ibrahim helps lay the groundwork for understanding the Middle East as it is today. Of interest to scholars of Middle Eastern studies, this important work will be necessary reading for students of Near Eastern and North African history, as well as students of the history of Medieval Europe.

A text for students or a review for retailing practitioners. Revises the second edition of 1983 on basic buying and merchandising principles. A new interpretation of the rise of Islam. Mahmood (history, Birzeit U., the West Bank) traces the roots of capitalism from the emergence of merchants as the main force in Mecca through the first Islamic civil war (A.D. 656). Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The attacks on 9/11 were part of a 1,400 year Islamic jihad against the non-Islamic world. Since 9/11 there have been over 10,000 additional violent jihads. In addition, there have been thousands of "soft jihads" where Muslims have attempted to replace Western culture with that of Islam. The jihadists are motivated by the core principles of Islam with the goal of converting, killing, or subjugating all non-Muslims. Unfortunately, too many non-Muslims have reverted to a pre-9/11 mentality and do not see the necessity of an offensive war in Iraq or Afghanistan, or of a defensive war at home. Non-Muslims are going to have to decide to fight for their cultures, freedoms, and values or they are going to lose them. Dr. Crandall has been teaching sociology at the college and university level for over 30 years. The focus of some of his other books have been in the area of gerontology, the physiological and psychological consequences of running, and Inuit art. The attacks on 9/11 changed the focus of his research, and he has spent the last seven years researching and writing this book.

A biography of Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

Examining the close relationship between religious beliefs and political doctrine in Islamic countries, this introductory book offers a clear account of how Islamic political thought has developed from the politico-religious structure established by Mohammed and his immediate successors.

First Published in 2004. These essays deal with the Western penetration of Asia from the earliest times to the recent past in the quest for trade, and by means of opening up routes and communications to bridge East and West, thereby influencing societies, economies and cultures. The relevant sections cover West Asia, Central Asia and Afghanistan, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.