Garnet Publishing Ltd

Translated by Dr Asadullah Yate and Dr Sameh Mustafa Asal.

Edited by Dr Dheen Mohamed.

Compiled in the fourteenth century AD by a prominent Syrian scholar al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya is a full examination, in chronological order, of the background, life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Drawn from the earliest and most reliable Arabic sources, it offers the fullest available account of the historical circumstances and personalities most important in the founding of

Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi was a 11th-century, scholar, diplomat, judge, Qur’anic interpreter who wrote on many subjects, including Qur’anic interpretations, religion, government, public and constitutional law, language and ethics. This is the first English translation of one of his key texts and is an acknowledged classic on the structure and nature of government in the Islamic tradition.

As the title indicates, The Key to Medicine and a Guide for Students was written as an introduction to medicine, intended for students. After extolling the virtues of having a profession in general and of medicine in particular, Ibn Hindu (d. 423/1032) discusses various disciplines that a medical student should be familiar with, including a lengthy digression into philosophy and logic. He then deals with matters specifically medical, devoting separate sections to anatomy, diseases, pulse, and names of medicinal substances.

“Al-‘Iqd al-Farid” (“The Unique Necklace”) is one of the classics of Arabic literature. Compiled in several volumes by an Andalusian scholar and poet named Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih (246-328 A.H. / 860-940 C.E.), it remains a mine of information about various elements of Arab culture and letters during the four centuries before his death. Essentially it is a book of adab, a term understood in modern times to specifically mean literature but in earlier times its meaning included all that a well-informed person had to know in order to pass in society as a cultured and refined individual.

Three Treatises on the I’jAz of the Qur’An contains three important Arabic treatises from the fourth and fifth centuries of Islamic history, published here in English translation for the first time. They deal with the Islamic concept of I’jaz, that is, the inimitability of the Qur’An because of its sublime style and divine content. While analyzing I’jaz, they also partake in the development of the science of rhetoric in Arabic and the evolution Arabic literary criticism.

Al-Itqan is the most important work of al-Suyuti in the field of Qur’anic Sciences. The work found its way to many circles both near and far in the Islamic world. It was first published in the years 1271, 1278, 1279, 1306, 1317 and 1318 AH, in two volumes, but the translation presented here is of a publication of four volumes published in 1387 AH (1967 AD). The translation at hand is of the first volume. Al-Itqan is perhaps the most outstanding work of its kind in the field of Qur’anic Sciences.

One of the greatest exponents of Arabic prose of all time, Al-Jahiz is also know for his scholarship, the breadth of his interests, and his ability to express his ideas and arguments with vigour and humour. The Book of Misers is his comical masterpiece, and one of the earliest works of fiction from the Islamic world. Generosity is regarded by Arab society as one of the principle virtues, and this satire on miserliness has a clear social purpose.

The author of the “Epistle on Sufism, Abu ‘l-Qasim al-Qushayri” (376/986-465/1074), was a famous Sunni scholar and mystic (Sufi) from Khurasan in Iran. His Epistle is probably the most popular Sufi manual ever.