9781422281130

1

On Selecting Heroes

T he dictionary defines hero as “a person admired for his or her achievements and noble qualities; one who displays courage.” That definition seems straightforward enough. But in going from the abstract to the concrete—that is, in saying a particular per- son does or does not qualify as a hero—a measure of subjectivity inevitably comes into play. Heroism is, to a great extent, in the eye of the beholder. While one observer might focus on an individual’s achievements, another might focus on the individual’s mistakes and setbacks. Where one observer sees evidence of a noble quality, anoth- er may discern faults or a baseness of character. It cannot even be said that courage means the same thing to everyone: one person’s courage is another’s foolhardiness or fanaticism. If obtaining agreement on who should or should not be consid- ered a hero is always somewhat elusive, selecting a small group of heroes representative of a major nation or culture or religion is an

Opposite: The purpose of this book is to introduce readers to various aspects of Islamic history and civilization through brief biographies of important figures. The book by no means constitutes a comprehensive list of Islamic heroes, but it can serve as a starting point for further research.

9