Two promising books that I found in my searches, both to-be-released within the next few months.
They are quite expensive, but they may be worth it!
From al-Andalus to Khurasan
Documents from the Medieval Muslim World
Edited by Petra M. Sijpesteijn, Lennart Sundelin, Sofía Torallas Tovar and Amalia Zomeño
Description from Publisher:
As in many areas of pre-modern history, the study of medieval Islamic history has been critically hindered by the lack of available evidence. Unlike many parallel fields, however, the shortage of contemporary documentary evidence for medieval Islam has less to do with the survival of documents and archives as with their accessibility.
A rich documentary legacy survives, but because of its inaccessibility and unfamiliarity to all but the most specialised scholars in the field, it has remained sadly underutilised. This volume contributes to the redressing of that problem. It collects papers given at the conference “Documents and the History of the Early Islamic Mediterranean World,” including editions of unpublished documents and historical studies, which make use of documentary evidence from al-Andalus, Sicily, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, Syria and Khurasan.
Till God Inherits the Earth
Islamic Pious Endowments in al-Andalus (9-15th Centuries)
Alejandro García Sanjuán
Description from Publisher:
Till God Inherits the Earth deals with the origins and evolution of the Islamic institution of pious endowments in al-Andalus, analysing its juridical basis and its social-economic role.
Evidence is primarly drawn from Andalusi Maliki jurisprudence and from narrative and biographical traditional sources as well.
Separate chapters examine private and public donations and special importance is given to the analysis of the public goals of the institution, namely, charitative, religious (mosques, rabitas), educational and for the jihad. The book is completed with several appendices including complementary information, translations of Arabic texts and figures.
This study provides us with a complete knowledge of several and important issues such as the relevance of Islamic jurisprudence as an historical source, the structure of economic property, the idea of charity, the Islamic concept of general or common interest and the social and juridical role of men of religion.
November 17th, 2006 - 2:31 am
Salaams Yursil
al hamdu lillah, both books look really interesting. Brill books are brill, but far too expensive for us mere mortals. Insha Allah, I’ll try and get hold of them myself
Abdur Rahman
November 17th, 2006 - 1:29 pm
Walaikumassalaam Abdur Rahman!
Yes there is also a travelogue from the 19th Century in Makkah coming out from them, that looks very interesting too.. I don’t know too much about Brill books but I hope the price is worth it
November 17th, 2006 - 6:34 pm
Salaams Sidi Yursil,
EJ Brill are a major academic publisher from Holland. Their books are almost always heavyweights, academically speaking. However, in the UK at least, they’re very expensive (which is probably why they’re mostly for the University library market). It wouldn’t surprise me in these books cost about £100 (in hardback, or hardcover as you say on that side of the Atlantic)! What’s that in dollars? $200? $250?
I regularly go to the School of Oriental & African Studies library in London (al hamdu lillah). Next time I go, insha Allah, I’ll look them up.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman