The Outrider

Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās

By Christopher Paul Clohessy

A biography of Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās, the half brother, diplomat, and negotiator of al-Ḥusayn.

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Publisher: Gorgias Press LLC

Availability: In stock

SKU (ISBN): 978-1-4632-4621-1

Publication Status: In Print

Series: Islamic History and Thought34

Publication Date: May 1,2024

Interior Color: Black

Trim Size: 6 x 9

Page Count: 208

Languages: English

ISBN: 978-1-4632-4621-1

Price: $114.95

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Concealed behind his half-brother al-Ḥusayn, elusive and enigmatic, as though reluctant to draw attention to himself, Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās would eventually be propelled into pre-eminence by history, revered by millions as ‘the water bearer’, ‘the father of excellence’, and ‘the moon of the Hashemites’. A silently valiant man who rarely speaks although, when necessary, is the first to do so, Abū al-Faḍl, named by ʿAlī his father for his lion-like ferocity, would be for al-Ḥusayn a diplomat and negotiator, the carrier of the standard and an archetype of selflessness, the intrepid outrider for water, and the last man standing. His unflagging support for his half-brother is iconic, no less so than his stance as the anti-model for those who betrayed al-Ḥusayn’s cause.

This is his story.

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This is his story.

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	Contributor	Biography
	ChristopherClohessy	Christopher Clohessy is a South African Catholic priest who holds a BST from the Pontifical Urbanianum University in Rome and a PhD from the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), also in Rome. He is at present a faculty member of that Institute, lecturing there in Shīʿī Islamic studies, Qurʾānic Studies, Islamic Ethics and Christian-Muslim dialogue, and he is visiting lecturer at the Pontifical Beda College in Rome, where he lectures in Fundamental Theology, Ecclesiology, Islam and Mariology. He is author of three books: Fāṭima, Daughter of Muḥammad (2009, 2018 2nd edition), Half of My Heart: The Narratives of Zaynab bt. ʿAlī (2018) and Angels Hastening. The Karbala’ Dreams (2021), all published by Gorgias Press. In 2021 he was one of the recipients of the Iranian World Book Award, with the nomination ‘Distinguished Researcher’.

Preface..................................................................................... ix
System of Transliteration ......................................................... xi
List of Abbreviations .............................................................. xiii
Chapter One. Introduction ........................................................ 1
Chapter Two. The Mother and Her Sons .................................. 15
Chapter Three. The Field of Karbalāʾ....................................... 61
Chapter Four. The Water-Bearer ........................................... 103
Chapter Five. Conclusion ...................................................... 145
Bibliography ......................................................................... 163
Books ............................................................................ 163
Articles .......................................................................... 168
Primary Sunnī and Shīʿī Arabic Sources ......................... 172
Secondary Sunnī and Shīʿī Arabic Sources ..................... 183
Index of Proper Names .......................................................... 185

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