The Intensification and Reorientation of Sunni Jihad Ideology in the Crusader Period

"The edition and translation of the Arabic text of Ibn 'Asakir's al-Arba'una hadithan fi l-hathth 'ala l-jihad in the second part of the book is of a high quality and it is a welcome addition to the sources available on jihad." Harald Motzki in Ilahiyat Studies 4.1 (2013).

"...this is an important and groundbreaking piece of scholarship [...]." Niall Christie in Bulletin critique des Annales islamologiques 28 (2012).

"This book describes how twelfth-century scholars were actively involved in legitimizing certain political actions through concepts that were crystallized in the Muslim tradition and shaped intra-Muslim relations well as the empire's relationships with its neighbors... In introducing the historical setting, Mourad and Lindsay describe in impressively minute detail the politics involved in producing texts during the reign of Sultan Nur al-Din at a time when the latter was rallying Muslim populations, and elites in particular, against the Crusaders." Bashir Saade in Al-Abhath 60-61 (2012-2013), p. 202-204.

"... a most welcome addition to the study of the idea of religiously motivated warfare in the twelfth century. This text is of particular importance because Ibn 'Asakir was the most important scholar of his time in the Egyptian/Syrian lands-at least he was the most prolific.[...] Overall this book not only makes a new text available to a larger audience, but it offers a brilliant reinterpretation of a text that might seem at first glance boringly repetitive." Konrad Hirschler in Journal of the American Oriental Society 135.1 (2015)

"Like any primary source, Ibn 'Asakir's text and its very readable translation offer modern readers an indication of how contemporaries perceived the issues of the day, so the book is part of a welcome trend in crusading studies to present Islamic perspectives on the topic. It will also appeal to anyone interested in jihad more generally." Christopher J. van der Krogt in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, 29 July (2015).

"Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt ein wichtiges Werk aus der Geschichte dieses Konzeptes in einer verlasslichen Edition zur Verfugung". Rudiger Lohlker, University of Vienna