Synopsis
This definitive sourcebook presents more than 50 authoritative new translations of key Islamic texts. Edited and translated by three leading specialists and clearly contextualized for introductory-level students, it illustrates the flowering of Islamic thought from its 7th-century origins through the medieval period. Eight thematically-organized sections cover topics such as the Qur'ân and its interpretation, the life of Muh?ammad, h?adîth, law, ritual, mysticism and Islamic history. Among the selections are such gems as Ibn 'Abbâs's account of the heavenly journey, al-Taftâzânî on the uncreatedness of the Qur'ân as God's speech, al-Fârâbî' on the faculties of the soul, and extracts from Rûmî's Mathnawî. Complete with a helpful glossary, extensive bibliography and explanatory preface to each section, this book focuses on the literary genres of Muslim scholarship, within whose creative variations Islamic doctrine took form and matured. With many extracts translated here for the first time into English, fresh from Arabic and Persian sources, Classical Islam is an essential resource for an appreciation of early and medieval Islam and its legacy.