COSMIC AND ANIMAL PIETY IN ISLAM: Everything Glorifies God

Examines the concept of praise (tasbīḥ) in Islam, encompassing its human and nonhuman expressions Provides a census and explanation of Qur'anic verses on cosmic piety Explores case studies on dogs and cats based in hadith literature and Muslim culture Reveals the bond between zoology and theology in Islam Engages with hermeneutic tools from Hebraic and Syriac literature 'Do you not realise [Prophet] that who is in the heavens and who is on earth prostrate before God: the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the beasts and many human beings.' (Q 22:18) This book offers an original perspective on animal studies, Islam and the extensions of religion, engaging with ideas and narratives in which nonhuman creatures (both animate and inanimate) are portrayed as the ideal worshippers of God. Moreover, it argues that this piety of animals and the wider worshipping cosmos not only represents an ideal form of worship, but also serves as a model for more fallible human piety.