Narrating Muammad's Night Journey

This book provides an exhaustive examination of the historical development of a key story in the life of Muammad, the tale told of his journey to the divine realm and back. It shows how in the early centuries of the Islamic community, both Sunn and Sh' Muslims appropriated this fascinating story and interpreted it to suit their own ends. In particular, the book traces the development of a critical and influential strand of this rich ascension literature ascribed to one of Muammad's famous companions, the scholar known as Ibn Abbs. Frederick S. Colby demonstrates that this version of the tale originated in the early period and spread throughout the Islamic world, affecting how people from Spain to Afghanistan came to think about Muammad and his legacy. Colby also includes translations of richly textured ascension narratives that have never before appeared in English.