Islamic Traditions Rise From Death

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To find the origins of many Muslim traditions, look to Islamic death and funeral rituals. That’s what Associate Professor of History Leor Halevi says in his recent book, Muhammad’s Grave: Death Rites and the Making of Islamic Society. Halevi researched the relationship between religious laws and social practices and found that many Muslim practices were born in the world of death, including views on modesty, privacy and the ways that men and women interact. “In a nutshell, I take traditions about Muhammad and show their historical relevance to the making of Islam after Muhammad’s death,” Halevi says. Muhammad’s Grave has received several book awards, including the 2008 Ralph Waldo Emerson Award from the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion.