The Jewel of Men: Weaponry as Material Religion among Muslim Communities

Warcraft, crafting weapons, and weapon-handling have considerable literary, intellectual, and religious history among Muslim communities. Accordingly, Muslims have formed traditions, practices, laws, and locally situated meanings around weaponry since the advent of Islam. In this chapter, I explore the materiality of weaponry as they shape religious and cultural expressions such as masculinity and how their materiality intervenes in the emergence of political subjectivities. Following weapons, as objects with a considerable presence in Muslim societies, and dedicated believers, with an interest in armed resistance, I explain the material ecology that expresses religiosity and reveals sociocultural attitudes toward violence and life at large.