The Special Status of Muhammad: Shihab al-Din al-Qastallani’s The Divine Bounties

This book examines the special status of the Prophet Muḥammad, as described by the Cairene Sufi mystic Shihāb al-Dīn al-Qasṭallānī (d. 1517). It examines spiritual, material, and theological aspects of love for the Prophet as expressed in his al-Mawāhib al-laduniyya bil-minaḥ al-muḥammadiyya (“The Divine Bounties [Granted] Through the Gifts of Muḥammad”). Discussing an unknown layer in the religious literature written in the late Mamluk period, the author explores the vast intellectual legacy of a scholar hitherto ignored. Using intertextuality, the book delves into his complex insights and relationships with contemporaries and scholars in the post-classical period, as well as locating him within the debates and developments of post-classical Islamic theory and theology. This study joins previous ones arguing that literary activity within the Mamluk sultanate was vibrant and dynamic. Offering valuable insights, this work will be of interest to researchers and scholars of Middle East History, Mysticism, Sufi Studies, Religion, Islam and Theology.