Category Archives: Scholars

Online Books in Halle

October 16, 2021Archaeology and Antiquities, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Islamic Economics, Islamic History, Islamic Law, Islamic Sciences, Islamic Texts, Literature, Scholars, Sufism, Syria, Turkey, Yementabsir

At least 337 Books published in Germany on Islam and history of the Middle East are available to read online or download. Most are in German but a few are in English. To check out what is available, click below:

https://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/iud

al-Qazwini Manuscript

August 10, 2021Animals, Books You Should Read, Calligraphy, Folklore and Proverbs, Islamic Sciences, Islamic Texts, Miniatures, Plants, Scholarstabsir

Hanbali Resource

July 5, 2021Books You Should Read, Ethics, Islamic Law, Islamic Texts, Scholarstabsir

This is a useful source with pdfs of books from and about the Hanbali school. including a number by Ibn al-Jawzi.

Varisco on the Baghdadi Ratl

July 2, 2021Conferences and Talks, Iraq, Islamic Economics, Islamic Law, Islamic Texts, Muhammad, Scholars, Traditions (hadith literature), Yementabsir

On Thursday, July 8 , 2021 (4 pm Berlin time, 10 am New York time) I will be giving an online presentation on my search for the metric weight of the Baghdadi ratl, the most widespread measure for international trade in the Red Sea/Indian Ocean network during the Abbasid and Mamluk/Rasulid eras. Although several Western scholars since the mid-19th century have suggested the metric measure of the dirham, a basic unit of the ratl, there is disagreement. Most of the research has focused on the numismatic use of weights with much less on use in the market. Western scholars have ignored the Islamic legal interpretation of two measures used by the Prophet Muhammad (the sa‘ and mudd), which were later interpreted by Muslim religious scholars according to the Baghdadi ratl for zakat and alms. My talk is more of a prolegomena to future study of Islamic metrology than a definitive rendering. I would be pleased to send a copy for comments to anyone interested.

Googling Ibn Majid

April 1, 2021Film and Video, Oman, Poetry, Scholars, Travel, YouTube Watchtabsir

One of the most famous Arab navigators is the Omani Ahmad b. Majid, who flourished in the latter half of the 15th century. If you google his name on Youtube you will find a variety of videos, cartoons and films. Above is a brief sample.

Handbook of Sufi Studies

March 6, 2021Books You Should Read, Ethics, Islam: Introduction, Islamic Rituals, Islamic Sects, Islamic Texts, Scholars, Sufismtabsir

Brill has recently published a Handbook of Sufi Studies. One of the editors, Alexander Knysh, discusses the new volume here.

The Al-Khalidi Library in Jerusalem

February 2, 2021Islamic Texts, Palestine, Scholarstabsir

There is a recent article in the Arab New s on the Al-Khalidi library in Jerusalem.

You can also visit the website of the library here. I attach the description from the library website. There are several online works in Arabic by Tarif Khalidi.

“The Khalidi Library (Al Khalidiyya), established in Jerusalem in 1900 by Haj Raghib al Khalidi (d.1951), is the first Arab public library established by private initiative in Palestine. The Khalidiyya is located in the Old City of Jerusalem in Tariq Bab al Silsilah about 150 yards away from Bab al Silsilah, one of the main gates to al Haram al Sharif. The Khalidiyya contains the largest private collection of Arabic manuscripts in Palestine and one of the largest such collections in the world. The Khalidiyya MS holdings contain approximately 1200 titles, the oldest of which is about 1000 years old, while its printed collection, mostly of 19^th century vintage, contain around 5,500 volumes. In addition there is a massive archival corpus of family papers going back to the early 18^thCentury.”