The Nativist Prophets of Early Islamic Iran: Rural Revolt and Local Zoroastrianism

by Patricia Crone

Patricia Crone's latest book is about the Iranian response to the Muslim penetration of the Iranian countryside, the revolts subsequently triggered there, and the religious communities that these revolts revealed. The book also describes a complex of religious ideas that, however varied in space and unstable over time, has demonstrated a remarkable persistence in Iran across a period of two millennia. The central thesis is that this complex of ideas has been endemic to the mountain population of Iran and occasionally become epidemic with major consequences for the country, most strikingly in the revolts examined here, and in the rise of the Safavids who imposed Shi'ism on Iran. This learned and engaging book by one of the most influential scholars of early Islamic history casts entirely new light on the nature of religion in pre-Islamic Iran, and on the persistence of Iranian religious beliefs both outside and inside Islam after the Arab conquest.

Genres: History, Religion, Islam, Iran, Nonfiction, Middle East

586 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Patricia Crone was Professor Emerita in the School of Historical Studies, where she served as the Andrew W. Mellon Professor from 1997 until her retirement in 2014. Crone’s insightful work, compellingly conveyed in her adventurous and unconventional style, shed important new light on the critical importance of the Near East—in particular on the cultural, religious and intellectual history of Islam—in historical studies. Her influence is strongly felt at the Institute, where, along with Oleg Grabar (1929–2011), Crone helped to establish the Institute as a recognized center for the pursuit of the study of Islamic culture and history.


https://www.ias.edu/scholars/patricia...

Reviews

[محمدحسین بنـکدارتهرانی]

از هر حیث سنجیده محققانه و درس اموز. به راستی در هر صفحه از کتاب دست‌کم درسی و نکته‌ای پژوهشگرانه نهفته است.

[Christine B.]

This book is dense and brilliant. I am amazed that it can both be so broad and yet have such depth. It will take me awhile to assess some of the larger arguments that she made, but they're super interesting. This book took me a long time to finish (mostly due to the density) but I think I will need to revisit some of the broader arguments.

[Agita.M]

به به از این کتاب خانم کرون.. با تسلط بسیار بر منابع مکتوب ایرانی، عربی و غربی درباره‌ی فرهنگ زردشتی و پیشازردشتی و دین خرمی و اثر فرهنگی این دین حتی تا امروز، سخن می‌گوید و اثبات می‌کند. کتاب بسیار خوب اما سخت‌خوان، چرا که برای فهمیدنش باید چیزهای زیادی از تاریخ ایران بدانیم.

[Ali]

A thorough discussion around the ideological world that underpinned revolts against early Islamic rule in Iran. What could be a narrow topic becomes broader and broader, as Crone argues that it is in a popular form of Zoroastrianism that ideas that then underpin Mazdakian ideas, and then later revolts, emerge. She argues these ideas/culture include polyandry; communal sharing and a belief in reincarnation. This brings her into discussing theology; anthropology; history and historiography over more than a millenia. This is a book aimed at professional academics, but thankfully Crone is trying to speak to many different disciplines, making the book pretty accessible to a general audience. While the early material is quite persuasive, Crone steps into weaker ground when she discusses the survival of these ideas into modern Shi'ia thought. A fascinating and enriching read, from an academic whose mind is razor sharp and writing is clear with the right dose of wry.

[Abu Raihan Khalid]

Amazing book!

I did not know that people like that existed or that such events occurred. But they were not trivial occurrences. These are events that affected hundreds of thousands of lives.

Amazing claims were made; even the most creative fiction writer of today would not dare to go where these rural Iranian people claimed. 'Hollywood' is only barely catching up in 'Stargate SG1', etc.

These are the stories of Dajjals of 7th and 8th centuries in region encompassing today's Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan etc. They claimed to be incarnations of Allah Rabbul Alamin.

I thank author for bringing us these amazing news.

Having said that, as with all Eurocentric authors we have studied on Islam the Author seems to have very poor understanding of the Qur'an Majid, the source of Islam.

For example at Chapter 19 titled 'Iranian Religion versus Islam and Inside It' she states "(T)his explanation gave the Zoroastrians a trump card that monotheists had trouble matching, for there is no way of resolving (as opposed to masking) the contradiction between an all-powerful deity who is entirely good and the manifest presence of evil in the world that he alone has created. Dualism was the single most successful doctrinal export of Iran in antiquity".

The author means that Islam, and other monotheist religion cannot answer the question how can there be evil in the world of an all power full God?

It is not correct. Allah Rabbul Alamin clearly revealed in the Qur'an Majid that Allah Tayala has employed the Devil to dissuade people from the path of Allah Tayala in order to test who can resist such persuasion.

See for example Verse No. 112 of Sura Al-an'am, aujubillahi minashaitanir rajim, bismillahir rahmanir rahim

"Wakathalika jaAAalna likulli nabiyyin AAaduwwan shayateena alinsi waaljinni yoohee baAAduhum ila baAAdin zukhrufa alqawli ghurooran walaw shaa rabbuka ma faAAaloohu fatharhum wama yaftaroona"

Translation: "Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy evil ones among men and Jinns inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone" (Yusuf Ali translation).

Text, pronunciation & translation: https://www.alim.org/quran/compare/su...

Example No. 2: bismillahir rahmanir rahim

"inna jaAAalna alshshayateena awliyaa lillatheena la yuminoona", Sura Al-ar'af, Verse No. 27, last part.

Translation: "We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith".(Yusuf Ali translation)

Text, pronunciation & translation: https://www.alim.org/quran/compare/su...

Example No. 3: bismillahir rahmanir rahim

"Alam tara anna arsalna alshshayateena AAala alkafireena taozzuhum azzan", Sura Maryam, Verse 83

Translation: "Seest thou not that We have set the Evil Ones on against the Unbelievers to incite them with fury?" (Yusuf Ali translation).

Text, pronunciation & translation: https://www.alim.org/quran/compare/su...

A very rare account. Highly recommended for people who are interest in how the present civilization would end; soon.

[Pushtigban]

http://ia600301.us.archive.org/4/item...

[Ali]

Great read and it is very thought provoking. I would like to read a counter argument.