Jadid al-Islam: The Jewish ''New Muslims'' of Meshhed

Jadid al-Islam eplores the Meshhed Jewish community, which was attacked by Muslims in 1839. After murdering thirty-six Jews, the Muslims forced the survivors to convert. This event, known as Allahdad, traumatically altered the lives of the Jewish community which had, until then, lived peacefully in the Muslim holy city of Iran for about one hundred years.

Using original, unpublished Persian sources, Patai documents the history, traditions, tales, customs, and institutions of the Jadid-al Islam (the "New Muslims"). Interviews with members of the existing Meshhed community in Jerusalem and New York add insight to the text.