Assignment for Section:
Friday, September 19, 1997

Reading Assignment: Lewis, Islam, 1:149-83

As you are reading the assignment, think about the inherent tensions between the society envisioned in the Qur'an and hadith (an ideal "community of the faithful") and the political realities of empire, power, existing administrative structures, pre-Islamic vested interests, tribal struggle for ascendency, etc. How did these tensions reveal themselves during the conquest and in the early history of the caliphate? How did the leaders strike a balance between these conflicting elements?

Now write an essay of 200-300 words in which you address the following:

Characterize the role and function of a caliph. Do the sources that you have read portray him as a political authority, a religious authority--or both? Does the office of caliph more closely resemble that of a pope, king, pharoah, prime minister or president? What is the relationship between the caliph and: (1) the law; (2) the jurists and scholars; (3) the Muslim community?

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