“Legendary Biographies of Tamerlane” Timur, or Tamerlane, is a very important figure in Islam, not only because of his personal achievements, but also because his deeds are told in fictional stories venerating him in addition to explaining very important themes. In the article “Timur’s Legendary Biographies” by Scott Levi and Ron Sela, the authors tell the story of young Timur and his adventures through his youth. Before telling the story, the authors give information about the background of these stories and why they arose. They also describe certain themes the stories contain such as, how people should act during times of peril. This writing follows the life of a little boy named Timur. Timur goes to Bukhara in which he settles into one of …show more content…
He takes the ruby, thinking that he can sell it, upon which a man with a dagger comes in and takes the ruby from Timur. Timur chases after him, even though he is given several warnings not to. He learns that the man is Baraq Khan, son of prince Bayan-Quli Khan, and he is known to be a very bad person of which he sets fire to houses of Muslims for fun. No one attempts to get Baraq in trouble, as he is the son of the prince and the next in line for the throne. However, Timur wants to change it and petitions to the dadkhan. When he goes to the dadkhan he tells him to go to Amir Bayan Salduz of the noyans. This pattern continues multiple times and he collapses out of hunger at the mosque. The next morning he finds Malham Paradoz, as instructed by a dervish the night before. He tells his story, and Malham orders each person Timur talked to to be brought to him and is given the utmost respect to him. Once everyone tells their side of the story they bring Baraq Khan to him, who denies …show more content…
The story tells of many themes while still containing entertaining elements. Additionally, one can clearly see the authors of the article, Scott Levi and Ron Sela, did not clearly state his argument. However, one can observe the themes and subjects the authors talk about in the beginning of the article are clearly represented in the story itself. The article itself is not a secondary source, but rather draws material from different primary sources about the fictional biographies of Timur, or Tamerlane, and some specific themes associated with him. These sources are from 18th century manuscripts, written in both Persian and Chaghatay Turkic, and arose when there was a time of great peril besieging the regions associated with Central Asia. However, before these stories were put on manuscript, in-class it was stated these stories were told orally before they were finally written down. The authors of these stories are unknown and continue to remain anonymous. Therefore, it is hard to gauge if these authors were biased or not. The structure of the article is simple because there are only two parts, an introduction and the story. The first part is a short introduction to the text, and gives a little background to the purpose of the stories. The first part also introduces the reader to some specific themes one might encounter in the text. One of these themes is
People who practice the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam collectively comprise over one half of the world’s population, and while disparities between these three religions are widely spread and politicized, the similarities between their religious texts outweigh their differences. A crucial similarity between these three religions is their view on Abraham as their spiritual patriarch (lecture). The Koran makes use of both the Tanakh and the New Testament, and while minor differences exist between these texts, the perspectives they share are far more significant. The Koran retains many of the core ideas found in the Tanakh and the New Testament, specifically in regards to the perception of Abraham, the status of God, and the role of women. Any religious text can be interpreted in any number of ways, and while it is easy to pull apart texts of different faiths and dissect the differences, finding common ground and similarities is arguably more important.
The Byzantine Empire was a primarily Christian empire whose reign started in 330 A.D and ended in 1453 A.D with the capturing of the its capital, Constantinople by the Muslim Sultan Mehmed II. In the years following the fall of the Byzantines, many of the Christian basilicas were transformed into mosques for Islamic worship, inspiring many artists to create works that embodied their religious politics. One of the pieces created following the fall of the Byzantine Empire is the painting of Yusuf Fleeing Zulayhka, created in 1488 by Kamal al-Din Bihzad, a famous Persian painter who worked under the patronage of several Persian sultans. The illustration depicts Yusuf’s struggle to escape his master’s wife Zulaykha as she chases him through her elaborate palace in an attempt to seduce him. The representation was made using paint, ink and gold, and features jewel-like colors in order to portray the extravagancy of the palace Zulayhka has built specifically for the seduction of Yusuf (Stokstad 286). This essay will assess three accounts of the story of Yusuf and Zulaykha and the reasoning behind why the narrative is often labelled as a cautionary tale and of what kind.
Markham, as a child, and then as a young woman, hunts with the native Murani people. Once while hunting for boar with Arab Maina, Arab Kosky, and her dog, Buller, Markham comes face to face with a dangerous, lone lion. In this section, Beryl is extremely descriptive and recalls the memory in a fashion that allows the reader to see the events unfolding through her eyes at a lifelike pace. “Buller and I crouched behind them, my own spea...
Volgar, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Studio City: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
is a study on this character. The story is of a young boy and girl who
Historical record is not always an accurate representation of fact. An example of this would be the long reign of the Dowager Empress Tz’u-hsi, in which there were hundreds of documents written about her life. These documents have been taken and used in the production of numerous books, especially among Western historians. It was these early historians who have established the widely accepted perspective that Tz’u-hsi hungered for power, abused it, and retained it using any means necessary. This understanding is echoed today by authors such as W.G. Sebald, author of The Rings of Saturn. There are many differences between the accounts of the Western perspective and that of Sebald’s, but the overall idea of Tz’u-Hsi as a conniving and unworthy Empress is intact between the two. Still, the investigation is not over. There happens to be an abundance of historical documentation and opinion that contradicts the Western view on Tz’u-hsi. First, Western accounts of the major issues in Tz’u-hsi’s reign will be examined; following this will be a look at how unreliable these sources are by showing their inconsistencies, where the arguments came from, and the all the other evidence supporting a different perspective on the great Empress. It is possible the Empress was everything that her enemies said she was, but the evidence at hand does not support image of a sinister Tz’u-hsi.
In conclusion, these two short stories written by Shirley Jackson and Salman Rushdie have expressed the idea of what rebellion and conformity has affected the relationship between religion and individuals through the characters who expressed their feelings towards things that did not seem to fit in their societies. Through the similarities, differences, and resolutions that these two stories both share, the real message that can only be summarized in one way: do not be afraid to express your true feelings and don’t let things like religion take over your entire life. Things like spiritual guidance can really take a toll on an individual’s behavior and few of their own lives as we saw in Jackson’s “The Lottery”. Through these stories we now know that the relationship between religion and individuals can be very strong in some cases.
No one can catch him or out run him. Kasbich is undefeatable, because the wonderful horse lends him its power. When Asamat steals the horse from Kasbich, Kasbich is crushed. He grieves as though he had lost a loved one, which he had. But he lost much more than just a beloved friend. He and his horse were not just close companions; the horse was his strength, his speed, and his cunning. Karagyoz, while they were together, gave Kasbich strength and vitality, but when the horse was gone, he was nothing.
Critics have already begun a heated debate over the success of the book that has addressed both its strengths and weaknesses. The debate may rage for a few years but it will eventually fizzle out as the success of the novel sustains. The characters, plot, emotional appeal, and easily relatable situations are too strong for this book to crumble. The internal characteristics have provided a strong base to withstand the petty attacks on underdeveloped metaphors and transparent descriptions. The novel does not need confrontations with the Middle East to remain a staple in modern reading, it can hold its own based on its life lessons that anyone can use.
There are two declarations of faith in Islam: That there is only one God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. In Memories of Muhammad, Omid Safi explores the ways in which Muhammad – both the historical and spiritual Muhammad – is remembered, commemorated, and contested by Muslims throughout the centuries. Safi focuses on the movements and moments in Muhammad’s life and after his death that for many Muslims best exemplify the teachings of Islam. He succeeds in opening up the dialogue to correct the negative portrayals of Muhammad and the religion of Islam, calling it a “Muhammad problem” in his introduction. Furthermore, he provides a book that is accessible and intelligible to both Muslims and non-Muslims, drawing from historical and spiritual sources, and addresses relevant issues contested between Muslims in relation to other religions, presenting Muhammad as a historical figure and one who is beloved by the Umma.
Further, the context in which the myth was written must be taken into account when reading the story. Bronislaw Malinowski in his essay “The Role of Myth in Life” says that “The text, of course, is extremely important, but without the context it remains lifeless” (Malinowski 201). The context that needs to be addressed when reading the myth are the cultural and sociological components that surround a mythological text. This context, consisting of the understanding of the culture in which the myth exte...
Thomas W. Lippman gives an introduction to the Muslim world in the book Understanding Islam. He has traveled throughout the Islamic world as Washington Post bureau chief for the Middle East, and as a correspondent in Indochina. This gave him, in his own words, "sharp insight into the complexities of that turbulent region." However, the purpose of the book is not to produce a critical or controversial interpretation of Islamic scripture. It is instead to give the American layman an broad understanding of a religion that is highly misunderstood by many Americans. In this way he dispels many myths about "Muslim militants," and the otherwise untrue perception of Islamic violence. In this way the American reader will become more knowledgeable about an otherwise unfamiliar topic. However, the most significant element of Lippman’s book is that it presents Islam in a simple way that makes the reader feels his awareness rise after each chapter. This encourages him to continue learning about the world’s youngest major religion. Understanding Islam dispels many misconceptions about the Muslim world, and presents the subject in a way that urges his reader to further his understanding of Islam through continued study.
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources is an award-winning 1983 biography of the Islamic prophet Muhammad by Martin Lings. The book provides a new account of the sira or the life of Muhammad, with details that had not been elaborated in other accounts. It is based primarily on old Arab sources that go back to the 8th century, of which some passages are translated for the first time. It is not contradictory to other accounts but rather offers new insights and new details. The book also includes excerpts from original English translations of speeches by men and women who lived close to Muhammad, heard him speak, witnessed his actions, witnessed the way he interacted with situations and witnessed events he encountered throughout various
In this book , Esposito provides a succinct, up-to-date survey of the Islamic experience, an introduction to the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its origins to its contemporary resurgence. He traces the emergence and development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics. He discusses the formation of Islamic belief and practice (law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism), chronicling the struggle of Muslims to define and adhere to their Islamic way of life. Equally important is the essential information Esposito provides on the contemporary world of Islam, from Muslim responses to the challenges of colonialism and modernization to the reassertion of Islam in politics and society.
Religion is an important factor in many lives in today’s society. A particular western religion that is taken very seriously by many is known as Islam. Essentially, Islam means “submission”, or in other words a person is to abide by God and peace will follow. In order to comprehend the Islamic religion, it is consequential to view the major themes associated with this religion. By going through the central themes of Islam it could help others comprehend what is involved with this specific religion.