Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Garden the Fire 2. Visions of the Afterworld 3. Material Culture and an Islamic Ethic 4. Otherworldly Landscapes and Earthly Realities 5. Humanity, by Servants 6. Individualized Gardens and Expanding Fires 7. Legacy of Gardens Epilogue Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

Promotional Information

Islamic conceptions of heaven and hell began in the seventh century as an early doctrinal innovation, but by the twelfth century, they had evolved into a highly formalized ideal of perfection. In tracking this transformation, Nerina Rustomji reveals the distinct material culture and aesthetic vocabulary Muslims developed to understand heaven and hell and identifies the communities and strategies that took shape around the promise of a future world after death. She also conducts a meticulous study of texts and images and carefully connects the landscape and social dynamics of the afterworld with earthly models and expectations. By employing material culture as a method of historical inquiry, Rustomji points to the reflections, discussions, and constructions that actively influenced Muslims' picture of the afterworld, culminating in a distinct religious aesthetic.

About the Author

Nerina Rustomji is associate professor of history at St. John's University in Queens, New York.

Reviews

A timely publication, highly recommended for specialists and non-specialists alike. -- Youssef Choueiri Times Higher Education Supplement This gem of a book offers a thorough, evocative study... Essential. Choice A delightful book. -- David Reisman Journal of Islamic Studies A wide-ranging... welcome addition to a small and growing body of scholarship. -- Brannon Wheeler American Historical Review Rustomji has filled a real gap in the secondary literature... [The Garden and the Fire] is one of the best introductions to the Islamic eschatological literature. -- Walid Saleh Journal of the American Academy of Religion Highly useful not only to students and educated lay people but also to comparativists and specialists. -- Frederick S. Colby Journal of Religion