THE GARDEN AND THE FIRE

Islamic conceptions of heaven and hell began in the seventh century as an early doctrinal innovation, but by the twelfth century, th ese notions had evolved into a highly formalized ideal of perfection. In tracking this transformation, Nerina Rustomji reveals the d istinct material culture and aesthetic vocabulary Muslims developed to understand heaven and hell and identifies the communities and strategies of defense that took shape around the promise of a future world. Ideas of the afterworld profoundly influenced daily ...