What is it about?
Alexander the Great has been adopted by various cultures around the world. The same is true for the medieval Islamic world. He is considered a prophet whose ancestor is Abraham and a king of Greco-Iranian heritage. This article explores this multi-faceted heritage in one of the most famous medieval Lives of the Prophets written by the exegete and polymath Abu Ishaq Tha'labi
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Why is it important?
Tha'labi is one of the most important medieval exegetes and biographer of the lives of prophets. His version of Alexander the Great's story follows the world conqueror's itinerary as prophet and Greco-Iranian king. The article traces the techniques Tha'labi uses to convince his readers of Alexander the Great's multiple status and heritage, since there were different traditions and views about this in circulation. Doing so, I believe, can help us better understand Tha'labi's views of prophethood and kingship and medieval literary techniques.
Perspectives
I had fun writing this article. It isn't often I get to pull together early Islamic exegesis, medieval historiography, biography, and epic and for a figure as fascinating as Alexander the Great. It was fun analyzing all of Tha'labi's techniques to convince his reader of his own personal opinions about such a complex figure.
Dr. Ghazzal Dabiri
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Modelling Prophets: Alexander the Great as a Proto-Sufi Saint-King in Thaʿlabi’s Lives of the Prophets, November 2023, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004685758_013.
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