S. A. Mourad (Smith College, MA): The Muslims’ Holy Land (al-Ard al-Muqaddasa): The Invention of New Memories and Conceptualizations

The Holy Land (al-Ard al-Muqaddasa in Arabic) is a concept that we frequently encounter in Islamic religious literature, especially in the context of discussions of biblical history and the religious significance of Jerusalem and Palestine. In my presentation, I will examine the ways Muslims viewed the Holy Land, its geographical boundaries and its importance, and how they established connections to it and created their own memories that led them to think of themselves as its custodians.