Imam Shamil, The First Muslim Guerrilla Leader

by Muhammad Hamid

A biography of the great Muslim Chechen leader who conducted jihad against the Russian invaders in the early 1800s. This book tells in details his exploits leading the small army of Muslims to repel the Russians seeking to colonize and enslave their country.

The tragedy that overtook and continues to befall on Muslims in the shape of the destruction of their independence and power would have been sufficient to kill their will to live, were it not for a group of fighters who refuse to concede that slavery can be the destiny of Muslims. Imam Shamil's story of jihad against the Russians is a part of the same story. Little is known of the Muslims of Chechnya and the occupation of their lands by the Tsarist Russian invaders. The Sufi movement in the Caucasus in the eighteenth century was not a Muslim cult occupied merely in chanting God's praise: their jihad movement led by Imam Shamil is an epic story of faith in God and a legacy that Muslims cherish, to be retold from generation to generation.

Genres: Islam, Biography, History, Religion

211 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[ctwayfarer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I appreciate the effort put in by the author and publishers who present from a Muslim viewpoint, this book could be done better with maps and illustrations. Half the time one does not know where they are.

It is a difficult read without separately referencing maps elsewhere. There are some maps of the various battles online and likewise one needs to frequently orient oneself with the Caucasian Imamate map with regard to city/village names.

There are a few grammatical mistakes and typos as well in the book.

Hopefully they are rectified in a newer edition. Overall the book seems well researched.

[Ibrahim Hisham · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional and inspiring book that captures the remarkable life of Imam Shamil, an iconic figure in muslim history.

The author masterfully captures the essence of Imam Shamil's indomitable spirit, showcasing his unwavering commitment to justice, freedom, and the preservation of his people's cultural identity. Through meticulous research and rich storytelling, the book paints a vivid portrait of Imam Shamil's remarkable journey, from his humble beginnings to becoming a revered leader and symbol of resistance against the Russian Empire.

[Ismail Khan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly this book is a missed opportunity. The story of Imam Shamil is interesting and worth reading, but I'll have to shelf this particular book for now. Had there been proper editing by a native English speaker/writer in sentence structure and overall readability then the message of the author would tell a less convoluted narrative. Events are transpiring with little semblance of overall form and it's challenging to stay on track with all the editorial errors in this book.

[Abu · Rating 1 out of 5]

While it's an important historical time for our Ummah who many Muslims sadly do not know, the problem with this book is it's filled with basic spelling mistakes and errors, sentences don't make sense or fill together, this book definitely needs to be rewritten and edited by someone who's from the region and knows the language and history.

[Maha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Imam Shamil from Dagestan Avars nationality but the author does not know about Imam Shamil not remedied read this book there maybe many errors

[Muhammad Hisham · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent read for those interested in Muslim history. Imam Shamil was an icon for Russain Muslims in his era . He fought bravely with Russian forces and during his reign which lasted over 20 years made many structural changes to governance.. He is an Icon of Gorilla warfare of his time .. Author has made immense effort in researching, though some facts have contradictions' in history but still a great effort to bring a lesser known figure to readers.

[Younus]

good