Summary Of Sunni Re-Centering In Samarkand By Amir Malouf

Sunni re-centering was a period in Islamic history where Sunnis were considered the modern representation of the prophet Muhammed’s teachings after Shi’i groups were adjudicated for heresy. Amir Malouf makes several references concerning the process of Sunni re-centering in his novel Samarkand. Throughout the novel, the different beliefs and practice of Islam is made evident through the actions and interaction of characters such as Omar Khayyam and Hassan al-Sabbah. Despite the many instances of Sunni re-centering recorded in the novel, Amir Malouf vividly depicts some of the main ideas that gave rise to its formation. Some of the main points conveyed in the novel regarding the topic of Sunni re-centering was the expansion of
People of Sunni Islam viewed the Quran and the message of the prophet Muhammed with such high regard that anyone who showed a glimpse of skepticism toward its teachings were faced with persecution and sometimes execution. As a result, men like Omar Khayyam and Jaber who were more scientifically minded and liked to question the state of the world feared for their life. Any forms of opposition toward the belief or practice of Sunni Islam were destroyed without hesitation since opponents of Sunni Islam such as Hassan al-Sabbah were labeled as Kufr or unbelievers. Those that were not destroyed eventually converted to Sunni Islam which continued from one region to the other until Sunni Islam became the main sect of Islam. The strength and power of the Turkish empire also contributed to the Sunni re-centering due to their dominance and expansion across different territories at the time. By means of the Turkish empire, Sunni re-centering truly began to take shape and spread to all parts of the middle east. Despite being non-fictional, Amir Malouf also seemed to have used Hassan al-Sabbah’s character and his impenetrable Alamut to symbolize strict obedience to the teachings of the Quran. Thus, all of these factors helped contribute to the development of Sunni re-centering within the Islamic world as conveyed