Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies

Fadel Mubaraka has here given us a study of the linguistic survivals of Aramaic in the Arabic dialect of the town of Sadad, in Syria, home to a large Syrian Orthodox community. Arranged alphabetically in the style of a dictionary, Mubaraka lists hundreds of different Arabic words, defines them, and then discusses their Aramaic etymology. Although the focus is on the specific dialect of Sadad, Mubaraka’s work and the words he discusses are not necessarily only to be found in this one location. This work will therefore be of great value to all interested in Arabic dialectology, the Aramaic influence on colloquial Arabic, and in the cultural history of the Levant.

This is a translation into Arabic of Wort und Wahrheit: Revue for Religion and Culture, Supplementary Issue Number 1, which contained the papers and minutes of the first non-official ecumenical consultation between Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic theologians, sponsored by Pro Oriente, the ecumenical foundation. This volume contains a number of papers by Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic theologians relating to Christology, Monophysitism and Dyophysitism, and the acceptance of the Council of Chalcedon.

This book is a reprint of Murad’s Arabic-Syriac dictionary, the first such dictionary ever composed, and the only work of the author. The present volume extends from the letter alif to the beginning of the letter sin; the second half of the dictionary has unfortunately been lost. For each Arabic word given, a number of Syriac equivalents are recorded. The dictionary also gives Syriac equivalents to Arabic idioms.

Written by the eminent Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Accepting the Other, offers an eloquent and alternative perspective to the question of religious co-existence and the so-called ‘Clash of Civilizations.’ Bishop Gregorios’ book begins with an historical overview of the presence of Christians in the Middle East and their rich cultural contributions to the region, stretching back to the days of the Roman Empire and discusses the Islamic conquests and the Crusades from the little-heard yet extremely important Middle Eastern Christian perspective; he also offers examples of Christian-Muslim co-existence and discusses the question of citizenship.

In the days when many Americans were first becoming aware of the larger religious world, Sailer introduced them to Islam. Reaching for an understanding of how the two religions relate, he begins this study with an introduction to the Muslim world. Sailer approaches the subject with a respect for Islam and its believers. Aiming to prepare missionaries for Muslim regions, he writes for a general readership. Understanding, he believes, begins with an overview of Muslim life and the character and influences on Islam. Designed as a short adult course on the subject, this booklet has instructions for the leader of an adult group on the topic. Interested in the impact of Christianity on Islam, Sailer explores what churches might do. Taken all together, this little booklet spells out a plan of action for what the author saw as a missionary opportunity.

From one of the leading scholars of Islam in the last century comes this exploration of Christianity and Islam. Right from the beginning Becker notes that there are different points of view on the subject. Examining the nature of the subject and the historical connections between the religions, he turns to the meeting of the two faiths. Emerging outlooks at the time demonstrated just how much these religions affected each other. Those interested in the history of western religions will find this a refreshing resource. Also useful to students, this informative booklet is a welcome find.

This pamphlet is designed to help guide Churchmen and women in their reading on the Muslim world. At a time when, as Addison pointed out, Islam was throwing off the inertia of centuries and actively seeking to adopt the ways of the West, it was especially necessary to understand the beginnings, developments, and trends in that faith. Addison, who was one of the leading students of Islam in the Episcopal Church of his day, wrote this brief essay and appended it to descriptions of a few well selected books intended to give readers an understanding of the world of Islam.

In his zeal to convert Muslims to Christianity, Zwemer was unmatched and this book helps to explain why. Not shy about admitting that the three major monotheistic religions share the concept of one God, he begins an examination of Islamic ideas about God, from a Christian perspective. Starting with the premise of the singularity of Allah, Zwemer discusses the Muslim ideas of the divine essence. In a chapter about the ninety-nine names of Allah he explores the similarity to the rosary and Islamic ideas of divine justice. Passing next to the attributes of Allah, Zwemer examines and analyzes what Muslims assert regarding God. In further chapters he deals with how Allah interacts with the world, the concept of the Trinity, and predestination. Determining that the completed idea of God in Islam is incomplete, Zwemer concludes with a case for the God of Christianity.

Wishing to educate the western world to the wonders of Islam, Lord Headley penned several books on the religion. In the present volume he volunteers the various attributes that made Islam a viable option for a western citizen. Understanding the religion would ultimately undermine fears others felt toward the unfamiliar faith. Taking traditional areas of concern to task, he addresses peacefulness, women’s place in Islam, willful misrepresentations, self-control, fear, law and order, converts, praise and thanksgiving, and the continuation of God’s blessings. Such a strong case suggested to his readers that society’s fears stemmed from misunderstanding.

Written by a well-known convert to Islam, this little study traces the connections between the major prophets of each of the monotheistic faiths. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. He discusses the moral influences of these founders on their followers and the impact they had on their world. Headley next considers the way that these founders died or left the world and also what they had taught about the next world. Special attention is given, naturally, to the advent of Islam and what happened after the founding of the faith. Headley ends with a brief sketch of the life of Muhammad. A compact study written from the Islamic point of view, this book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the relations between the three monotheistic religions.

Having lived for many years in Beirut, John Wortabet grew to know much about the Islamic world. Recognizing the wisdom and integrity of the people and religion of what was then known as Syria, Wortabet set about to preserve the essentials of Arabic wisdom in this little book. The wisdom saying, a literary form of ancient pedigree in this part of the world, is generally a brief but pointed statement of a truth distilled from careful observation. Wortabet here presents these saying arranged according to topic, with the goal of facilitating understanding between the wider world and those who live in what has become a very unsettled region.

A sympathetic account of how Islam has historically viewed Jesus, this little book sets out to present material from the Quran and other major sources that directly reference Jesus. Passages are presented in the order that they occur rather than being arranged in any artificial, chronological order. Selections from Thalabi’s Stories of the Prophets and one passage from Abu al Fida’s Universal History are included as well.

The full title of this work indicates the scope of its contents: A Catalogue of the Arabic, Persian and Hindustany Manuscripts of the Libraries of the King of Oudh, Compiled by Order of the Government of India. This first volume was the only part of the project completed by editor Aloys Sprenger, and it contains the Persian and Hindustani poetry. This catalogue includes biographies of Persian and Urdu poets, a chapter of works of Persian poets, and a brief chapter on the work of Hindustani poets, which concludes the works.

As a representation of Arabic verse art, this exploration by Freytag serves as a useful introduction to Arabic poetry for German readers. Following an introduction that presents the basics such as metrical considerations, verse structure, and important characters in the development of Arabic verse, Freytag moves on to specific examples. On all of these topics Freytag writes with authority and sets the standard for works that follow in this field. Useful for beginning students of Arabic and researchers alike, this volume will make a welcome supplement to any library on Arabic verse.

Undertaking the classic question of the relationship of Islam to Judaism, Geiger begins his treatment with the intertwined questions of what Islam wishes to do, is able to do, and is permitted to do with Judaism. Concepts and opinions such as faith beliefs, moral and legal regulations, and concepts of life are all considered as they moved from Judaism to Islam. A well-regarded early work in the field of comparative religions, Geiger’s work is not to be missed by anyone with an interest in Judaism and its relationship to Islam.

Les Calligraphes et les Miniaturistes de l’Orient Musulman is a highly regarded exploration of the Islamic art of calligraphy. Compiled by the noted Orientalist Clément Huart, the main body of the work is dedicated to the exploration of various schools of the art form throughout history.

Part travelogue, part missionary account, this book recounts the experiences of a nineteenth-century traveler in the Ottoman Empire. Indeed, Hamlin’s account begins with a description of the origin and extent of the Ottoman Empire, including a consideration of the social issues it faced. An encounter with Islam, with a sympathetic reading of the Quran, leads Hamlin to conclude with the misrepresentation of the Ottomans that he has discovered to be problematic. An intimate glimpse into the Ottoman world of the nineteenth century, this historic travelogue will be welcomed by students of missionary activity and the rapidly changing region of Turkey.

Considered one of the greatest works of the Sufi writers, Saadi’s Bostan (The Orchard) is an astounding poetic collection of wisdom that includes anecdotes, proverbs, and quotations that engage the rules of life and psychological observations of individual behavior. Saadi (or Abu Muslih bin Abdallah Shirazi, 1184 – 1283/1291?) was a Persian poet and traveler. Here Bostan is presented in German translation, the work of one of Germany’s great poets, Friedrich Rückert, who also had the distinction of being a professor of oriental languages. The lover of medieval poetry will find this supreme accomplishment of Persian poetry irresistible.

Taking his interest in the Islamic conquest to its northwestern frontier, Lane-Pool here considers the history of the Moors in Spain. The famous battles and their various outcomes are recorded. A gripping account for students of history, this treatment of the Islamic presence in Europe is a solid piece of research that has stood the test of time.

Moslem Women is built around six main chapters; half are devoted to the place and experiences of Moslem women, and half consider the Christian mission to these women. The Zwemers acknowledge some of the great women of Islamic history, such as Rabia, the famous early mystic, and Nurah Mahal, wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. They speak in glowing terms about advances in the women’s situation in post-Ottoman Turkey. Their work is dedicated to serving Muslims and to seeing them as people rather than as faceless numbers; it is an excellent model for today’s Christians who feel called to engagement with Islam.

Ignaz Goldziher was a pre-eminent scholar of Islam during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This book encapsulates his own lifetime of work and provides something of an historical commentary on his epoch in the Western academic study of Islam. One of its strengths is that Goldziher’s investigation of historical development probes into underlying religious motivations and allied theological issues. The book quickly became a classic of its day. It remains a classic that, in our day, is well worth re-visiting as it can still inform our understanding of contemporary Islam, whose roots lie in all that Goldziher covers.

Temple Gairdner’s The Rebuke of Islam, published in 1920, has long been recognized as one of the classics of Christian response to Islam in the early 20th century. Part of its significance is that Gairdner’s approach sums up the very best of earlier approaches (especially in the 19th century), but breaks significantly new ground and therefore points forward to approaches that have been developing between his time and the present day.

Based on lectures delivered in Chichester Cathedral, this book mirrors typical nineteenth century English attitudes toward the non-European space. This needed Christianity and European political oversight, or its people would remain backward and spiritually lost. The book shows how someone whose inclinations were liberal could look at Islam and dislike what he saw. On the other hand, the book also shows that a non-specialist scholar in the second half of the nineteenth century could write seriously if not impartially about Islam using material available in European languages. This suggests that Islam was a subject of increasing interest in Victorian England.

A convert to Christianity from the Qadiri Order, John A. Subhan is well-known for his seminal work, Sufism: Its Saints and Shrines. Sufism prepared him for faith in Jesus and his Injil. His Sufi background and intimate knowledge of its beliefs and practices enabled him to explain Sufism to others. All ten chapters in Sufism are interesting, including chapter eight, which contains a comparative discussion of Sufism in the broader Hindu context. It is a must read for all, not only because it is a window into the world of a great Sufi convert but also because his insight is still relevant today.

The present volume includes the papers of the first PRO ORIENTE Colloquium Syriacum, which took place in Salzburg, Austria and concentrated on the Syriac Churches’ experiences with Islam. The papers in this volume survey the whole history of these two communities from the times of the Four Caliphs through the Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman periods. Topics include the personal status of Christians under Islam, the ecclesiastical response to the rise of Islam, the Indian experience and the present situation.