The Role of Holy Places in the Search for Muslim Identity in Confrontation with the Crusaders

Document Type : Research/Original/Reqular Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Literature and Humanities of Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor of department of history of Islamic civilization, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies of University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Religious structures such as mosques, shrines of prophets and saints (maqāmāt, mazārāt), and the residences of sayyids and Muslim shuyūkh have long functioned not only as symbols of Islamic religious identity but also as powerful markers that distinguished Muslim communities from others. Throughout Islamic history, any act of desecration or insult toward these sites has elicited strong, often unified reactions across disparate Muslim regions. The experience of the Crusades in the medieval period-marked by the occupation of Islamic cities and their sacred landmarks by Christian forces-vividly exemplifies this phenomenon. This article examines the significance of the sacred places of Bilād al-Shām (Greater Syria) in shaping Muslim resistance against the Crusaders and in fostering a renewed sense of collective Islamic identity. Utilizing a historical-interpretive method, the study demonstrates that Muslim belief in the sanctity of certain sites played a critical role in generating emotional and communal solidarity, galvanizing public sentiment, and inspiring religious fervor and jihād-oriented responses. These dynamics were especially pronounced in the case of al-Quds, where the intersection of spiritual devotion and geopolitical struggle reached its zenith.

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References

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Iranian Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization
Volume 57, Issue 2
February 2025
Pages 157-179

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 September 2024
  • Revise Date: 19 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 16 February 2025

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