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This book traces the rise of the political dynasty in the Middle East and, in the process, provides the context for the current Arab uprising. The author shows that a father-to-son transfer of power has no basis in Islam, and yet the idea of dynastic power became entrenched in the Middle East.

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Introduction: The Prophet´s Lost Legacy 1. Companions to Caliphs: The Prophet´s First Successors 2. Dynasty: The Origins of the One-Party State 3. A Dangerous Liaison: The Monarchy and Their Military 4. On the Other Side of Power: The Arab World from Imperialism to Independence 5. Patterns of Power, 1945-2010: Republics and Royalty 6. God is Greater: The Politics of Prayer Epilogue: Reclaiming the Prophet´s Legacy

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"M.E. McMillan gives us a new and challenging perspective on the long story of Islamic history and shows how the political ideas of the Prophet and his successors were subverted by the dynastic imperative. In doing so, in this lively and interesting book, she positions the ´Arab Spring´ in the light of a long tradition of tension between openness and authoritarianism in Arab society." - Hugh Kennedy, SOAS, University of London, UK, author of The Great Arab Conquests (2007)

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M. E. McMillan is a freelance translator.

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