Fihrist of al-Nadim. A Tenth-Century Survey of Muslim Culture

Description

In this tenth-century work is a compendium of the knowledge possessed by a learned Arab of Baghdad, knowledge in great part derived from earlier cultures, particularly Hellenic and Roman. Not only is the work extremely valuable for a knowledge of the culture of medieval Islam and of the literary personalities of the period but it gives important information about the classical material available for transmission through Muslim culture to the Western world. Al-Fihrist is thus a true “record of civilization.” Volume I Contents Foreword by W. T. H. Jackson Preface Introduction The Fihrist of al-Nadîm SUMMARY OF BOOK CHAPTER I Section 1. Language and Calligraphy Section 2. The Torah, the Gospel, and Other Scriptures Section 3. The Qur’an CHAPTER II Section I. Grammarians of al-Basrah Section 2. Grammarians of al-Kûfàh Section 3. Grammarians from Both Schools CHAPTER III Section I. Historians and Genealogists Section 2. Government Officials Who Wrote Books Section 3. Court Companions, Singers, and Jesters CHAPTER IV Section 1. Poets of Pre-Isläm and the Umayyad Period Section 2. Poets of the ‘Abbasid Period CHAPTER V Section 1. Muslim Sects; the Mu'tazilah Section 2. The Shiah, Imâmîyah, and Zaydîyah Section 3. The Mujbirah and al-Hashawiyah Section 4. The Khawärij Section 5. Ascetics CHAPTER VI Section 1. Mälik ibn Anas Section 2. Abü Hanïfah Section 3. Al-Shâfi‘ï Section 4. Dä’üd ibn ‘Ali Section 5. Legal Authorities of the Shiah; the Ismâ'ïlïyah Section 6. Jurists Depending upon the Hadïth Section 7. Al-Tabari Section 8. Jurists of the Shurät Volume II Contents CHAPTER VII Section 1. Philosophy; the Greek Philosophers, al-Kindi and Other Scholars Section 2. Mathematics and Astronomy Section 3. Medicine: Greek and Islamic CHAPTER VIII Section 1. Story Tellers and Stories Section 2. Exorcists, Jugglers, and Magicians Section 3. Miscellaneous Subjects and Fables CHAPTER IX Section 1. The Säbians, Manichaeans, Daysânïyah, Khurramïyah, Marcionites, and Other Sects Section 2. Information about India, Indochina, and China CHAPTER X Bibliography Glossary Appendix Biographical Index General Index