The Cutting Edge Of The Poet’s Sword: Muslim Poetic Responses To The Crusades (the Muslim World In The Age Of The Crusades)

In__The Cutting Edge of the Poet's Sword__Osman Latiff assesses anti-Frankish Muslim poetry during the crusades, specifically the topic of__faḍāʾil al-Quds__('merits of Jerusalem') and__jihād__as they relate to the occupation and reconquest of Jerusalem. In This Comprehensive Analysis Of Arabic Poetry During The Period Of The Crusades (sixth/twelfth Century), Osman Latiff Provides An Insightful Examination Of The Poets Who Inspired Muslims To Unite In The 'jihad' Against The Franks. 'the Cutting Edge Of The Poet?s Sword' Not Only Contributes To Our Understanding Of Literary History, It Also Illuminates A Broad Spectrum Of Religiosity And The Role Of Political Propaganda In The Anti-frankish Muslim Struggle. Latiff Shows How Poets, Often Used By The Ruling Elite To Promote Their Rule, Emphasised The Centrality Of Islam?s Holy Sites To Inspire The Muslim Response To The Occupation And Later Reconquest Of Jerusalem, And Expressed Some Surprising Views Of Frankish Christians. Introduction: Setting The Scene -- Poetry And Poetics In Medieval Arabic Discourse -- Theories And Principles Of Jihad And The Quest For Martyrdom -- Formative Muslim Responses: Franks (faranj), Christians (rum) And The Making Of A Christian Enemy -- Poeticising The Reconquest And Future Expectations -- Literary Underpinnings Of The Anti-frankish Jihad -- The Place Of Egypt In Sixth-/twelfth- And Seventh-/thirteenth-century Discourse -- Shattered Dreams: Jerusalem, The Umma, And New Enemies -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Arabic Poems. By Osman Latiff. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Includes Text In English And In Arabic. In this comprehensive analysis of Arabic poetry during the period of the crusades (sixth/twelfth-seventh/thirteenth centuries), Osman Latiff provides an insightful examination of the poets who inspired Muslims to unite in the jihād against the Franks. The Cutting Edge of the Poet's Sword not only contributes to our understanding of literary history, it also illuminates a broad spectrum of religiosity and the role of political propaganda in the anti-Frankish Muslim struggle. Latiff shows how poets, often used by the ruling elite to promote their rule, emphasised the centrality of Islam's holy sites to inspire the Muslim response to the occupation and later reconquest of Jerusalem, and expressed some surprising views of Frankish Christians. In The Cutting Edge of the Poet's Sword Osman Latiff assesses anti-Frankish Muslim poetry during the crusades, specifically the topic of fail al-Quds ('merits of Jerusalem') and jihd as they relate to the occupation and reconquest of Jerusalem. In The Cutting Edge of the Poet's Sword Osman Latiff assesses anti-Frankish Muslim poetry during the crusades, specifically the topic of faḍāʾil al-Quds ('merits of Jerusalem') and jihād as they relate to the occupation and reconquest of Jerusalem.