Mekka, in de tweede helft van de negentiende eeuw : schetsen uit het dagelijks leven

In Knowledge Triumphant, Franz Rosenthal observes that the Islamic civilization is one that is essentially characterized by knowledge ('ilm), for ''ilm is one of those concepts that have dominated Islam and given Muslim civilization its distinctive shape and complexion.

Ignaz Goldziher wrote his book Die Zahiriten in 1883. The English translation of this standard work on Islamic jurisprudence appeared in 1971. The book has been in print ever since. This new edition in the Brill Classics in Islam series shows that The hir's has not lost any of its actuality. The individual that adheres to the principles of madhhab al- hir, the Islamic legal school, is called hir?. Goldziher gives an extensive presentation of the hir?te school, its doctrine and the position of its representatives within orthodox Islam. hirism accepts only the facts clearly revealed by sensible, rational and linguistic intuitions, controlled and corroborated by Qur nic revelation. This history of Islamic theology sheds light on the hir?te legal interpretation vis-a-vis other legal schools and gives an interesting insight in questions like are all prescriptions and prohibitions in Islamic law commanded or forbidden? "

Goitein s selection of studies dealing with Islamic history, religion, and institutions offers a wide-ranging, sensitive, and highly original introduction to a civilization by one who lived all his life studying and observing Islam. Eschewing simplistic notions, Goitein poses fundamental questions vis- -vis Muslim religious thought and practice, the evolution of the Islamic state in the early Middle Ages, the characteristic facets of the civilization, and the periodization of its history. Although all but one of the essays deal with the first seven centuries of Islamic history, Goitein frequently draws important connections between the past and the present. A professional educator as well as researcher and scholar, Goitein with a clarity and orderliness makes his subtly reasoned conclusions accessible to students and scholars alike. He provides the reader with an opportunity to acquaint himself not only with the results of research, but also with the methods by which they were obtained. With a new foreword by Norman A. Stillman. Contents: Preliminary Material I. The Four Faces Of Islam II. The Intermediate Civilization/The Hellenic Heritage In Islam III. Prayer In Islam IV. Ramadan, The Muslim Month Of Fasting, Its Early Development And Religious Meaning V. The Origin And Nature Of The Muslim Friday Worship VI. The Birth-Hour Of Muslim Law VII. The Sanctity Of Jerusalem And Palestine In Early Islam VIII. A Turning-Point In The History Of The Muslim State IX. The Origin Of The Vizierate And Its True Character Appendix X. Attitudes Towards Government In Islam And Judaism XI. The Rise Of The Middle-Eastern Bourgeoisie In Early Islamic Times XII. The Mentality Of The Middle Class In Medieval Islam XIII. The Working People Of The Mediterranean Area During The High Middle Ages XIV. The Documents Of The Cairo Geniza As A Source For Islamic History Appendix XV. The Unity Of The Mediterranean World In The "Middle" Middle Ages XVI. Medieval Tunisia The Hub Of The Mediterranean XVII. Letters And Documents On The India Trade In Medieval Times XVIII. The Beginnings of the Kārim Merchants and the Nature of their Organization XIX. The Present Day Arabic Proverb As A Testimony To The Social History Of The Middle East Index And Glossary Brill Classics In Islam

Erken İslam'da Mizah, esas olarak Hicri II./Miladi VIII. yy.'da yaşadığı sanılan ünlü bir Arap mizahçısı Eş'eb hakkında bir monografi denemesidir. Franz Rosenthal, bu kitabında İslam mizahına ait çalışmaların 1950'lere dek olan gelişimini incelediği bir bölümle, Eş'eb'e mal edilen 161 hikayeyi içeren bir metin çevirisini eklemiştir. Rosenthal, bu metinlerden hareketle Eş'eb döneminin Medinesi'nin ve daha genel olarak Arap dünyasının sosyal-kültürel bir tasvirini de yapmaya çalışmıştır. Kitap, İslam dünyasında gülme konusundaki kuramların kısaca incelendiği bir bölümle sona eriyor. Kendi alanında yazılmış sınırlı yapıtlardan biri.

"Man versus Society in Medieval Islam" brings together all the monographs and articles by Franz Rosenthal (1914-2003) in which he investigates the tensions and conflicts that existed between individuals and society as the focus of his study of Muslim social history.