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Islamikon Verlag is delighted to introduce a remarkable new volume in its series Contributions to the Cultural History of the Near East.

The latest publication in the series addresses shoes as cultural signifiers. Shoes have played an important role in the Orient from prehistory through antiquity to the Islamic-influenced present as carriers of power. It was not least for this reason that the American president George W. Bush was pelted with two shoes in 2008. In the present diachronic cultural-historical study, the author analyzes the shoe as a fundamental and, in particular, magico-religious symbol. Following introductory reflections on aspects of purity and impurity, the archaic significance of soles and footprints, and barefootedness, the multivalent symbol of the shoe is examined within three thematic complexes: shoes as emblems of power, authority, and sanctity; shoes as symbols of fertility; and shoes as bearers of good and ill fortune. These aspects are illustrated by numerous images.

Please note that this book is published in German.

Secure your copy now! Contact us for an order!

The retail price of the book is €49.

Islamikon Verlag is pleased to present an outstanding new work in the book series Contributions to the Cultural History of the Near East:

ʿĀʾiša and Muḥammad: Sunni and Shiite Traditions on the Age of Marriage

by Dr. Miriam Gräfenstein

The latest publication in the series addresses the highly debated topic of ʿĀʾiša’s age at marriage, the beloved wife of the Prophet Muḥammad. It examines the authenticity of reports dating her marriage age to six or seven years and the consummation of the marriage at nine years. By applying the Isnād-cum-Matn analysis, the book traces the historical development of these traditions from the 7th to the 13th century.

Discover how these early established traditions continue to shape Islamic theological debates today. This work is an essential addition to any academic library focusing on historical-critical Islamic studies, early Islam, and Sunni and Shiite law.

Please note that this book is published in German.

Secure your copy now! Contact us for an order!

The retail price of the book is €89.