With contributions from specialists in different areas of classical Islamic thought, this accessible volume explores the ways in which medieval Muslims saw, interpreted and represented the world around them in their writings. Focusing mainly on the eighth to tenth centuries AD, known as the ‘formative period of Islamic thought’, the book examines historiography, literary prose and Arabic prose genres which do not fall neatly into either category. Filling a gap in the literature by providing detailed discussions of both primary texts and recent scholarship, Writing and Representation in Medieval Islam will be welcomed by students and scholars of classical Arabic literature, Islamic history and medieval history.
Author(s): Julia Bray
Edition: 1
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 288
Book Cover......Page 1
Half Title......Page 2
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Notes on Contributors......Page 8
Introduction......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 13
Note on Conventions......Page 14
Part I: Fact and Fiction......Page 16
1. Ibn Zunbul and the Romance of History......Page 18
2. History, Fiction and Authorship in the First Centuries of Islam......Page 31
3. Writing Medieval Women: Representations and Misrepresentations......Page 62
Part II: Appearance and Truth......Page 104
4. Al-Jahiz’s Kitab Al-Bayan Wa Al-Tabyin......Page 106
5. The Maqamat as a Nexus of Interests: Reflections on Abdelfattah Kilito’s Les Seances......Page 168
6. The Physical World and the Writer’s Eye: Al-Tanukhi and Medicine......Page 230
Index......Page 266
