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