In the constitution of medina, however, various authors, noted below, contend that they found not only a kernel, but rather the paydirt of historical truth. While muslims view the disjointed nature of the quran as one of the proofs of its. Particular attention is paid to works dealing with history, geography, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, law, literature, religion, philosophy, international relations, environmental and developmental issues, as. Islam ma exam reading list western michigan university. The new cambridge medieval history the fourth volume of the new cambridge medieval history covers the eleventh and twelfth centuries, which comprised perhaps the most dynamic period in the european middle ages.
Islam ma exam reading list overview hodgson, marshall g. Gordon, the rise of islam lucid survey with excerpts from primary sources. For balanced introductions to the contentious topic of the dhimmi experience in early islam and muslim perceptions and portrayals of nonmuslims, see r. How digitization has changed the cataloging of islamic. While the existence of the islamic prophet muhammad is established by contemporaneous or nearcontemporaneous historical records, attempts to distinguish between the historical elements and the ahistorical elements of many of the reports of muhammad have not been very successful. Stephen humphreys cochair, adam sabra cochair, baki tezcan, ahmad ahmad, edward english professional appointments 201819 lecturer, departments of history and religious studies, ucsb. This book is dedicated to those who openmindedly seek knowledge wherever it is. This book is an essential reference for anyone with interest in doing any type of study in the history of islam from 6001500. In addition to his books on the subject, he has contributed numerous journal articles, book chapters, and encyclopaedia articles on a wide number of subjects in the field. I will be speaking primarily about the history of the islamic middle east, both medieval and modern, since that is the field i know best. Little is professor of arabic language and islamic history, institute of islamic studies, mcgill university, montreal.
This book presents the true islamic events and their actual causes before the english readers because the other books in the english language found on the islamic history have been written by such authors and compilers who did no justice in presenting the true picture of islamic era but their prejudice prevented them from doing so. Patricia crone, medieval islamic political thought, 2004 chapters, 78, 1022. The formation of the islamic world sixth to eleventh centuries since the 1970s, the study of early islamic history has been transformed by new methods and sources. A framework for inquiry by r stephen humphreys, london, 1995. Jon mehrdad armajani professor department of theology college.
Middle east history, islamic law, medieval european history committee. If our goal is to comprehend the way in which muslims of the late 2nd8th and 3rd9th centuries understood the origins of their society, then we are very well off indeed. Volume 1 of the new cambridge history of islam, which surveys the political and cultural history of islam from its late antique origins until the eleventh. Volume 1 of the new cambridge history of islam, which surveys the political and cultural. At a time, when there is tough competition among the nations of the world to excel one another, the muslim, despite having the most glorious history, appear to be detached. We take immense pride in the riches of the islamic manuscript tradition, and yet, we lament about the primary sources actually available for research r. Nevo a comprehensive skeptical theory on the genesis of islam1 abstract at the turn of the twentieth and twentyfirst century, the field of arabic and islamic studies became enriched by a number of multifacetted scholarly theories challenging the traditional account on the early centuries of islam. Stephen humphreys is an american historian specializing in the history of southwest asia and north africa. Affan in three abbasid chronicles until relatively recently medieval islamic chroniclers were viewed by modern historians in much the same way that muslims view muhammad as transmitter rather than author. Islamic context and muslim sensibilities cannot be ignored.
Historical dimensions of islam hardcover november 1, 2009 by r. Stephen humphreys is professor of history and islamic studies at the university of california, santa barbara, and author of islamic history. Download this book will be immensely helpful to those who wish to orient themselves to what has become a very large body of literature on medieval islamic history. Since the 1970s, the study of early islamic history has been transformed by new methods and sources. A good introduction to the sources and methods for doing islamic history. Stephen humphreys, another mamlukist, has been obliged to remind us recently, little interim progress has been made in demonstrating how action may have been linked to order in medieval middle east society. The academic study of islamic history tradition and innovation in the study of islamic history.
A colloquium held at all souls college, june 28 july 2, 1965, published under the auspices of the near eastern history group, oxford, and the near east center, university of pennsylvania. The iberian peninsula and north africa 581 eduardo manzano moreno contents. Humphreys hasnt written yet another drab, stale survey book. Hence the historicity of muhammad, aside from his existence, is debated.
Islam a brief overview of the history of islam the origin of islam is placed around 610 ce when muhammad, a highly spiritual and religious man who spent months in praying and self contemplation in a secluded cave near the town of mecca, is thought to have received divine messages. Humphreys received a phd from the university of michigan in 1969. If our goal is to comprehend the way in which muslims of the late 2nd8th and 3rd9th centuries islamic calendar christian calendar understood the origins of their society. The topics selected represent a crosssection of islamic historical studies, and range from the struggles for power within the early islamic community to the life of the peasantry. Fifty different tellings of the quran indiafactsindiafacts. He was the abd alaziz alsaud professor at the university of california, santa barbara and is now an emeritus professor at that institution. Drawing on archaeological evidence and contemporary documents in arabic, armenian, coptic, greek, hebrew, aramaic, latin and syriac, crone and cook depict an early islam very different from the traditionallyaccepted version derived from muslim historical.
The evolution of north amercian scholarship since 1960, a lecture at the university of tokyo, by professor r. Although autograph manuscripts are very rare in middle eastern and. Our ebooks editions are available from these online vendors. Stephen humphreys department of history, uc santa barbara. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an. The making of the islamic world is a 1977 book about the early history of islam by the historians patricia crone and michael cook. A brief history of islam the spread of islam javad haghnavaz department of islamic thoughts faculty jolfa branch islamic azad university jolfa, iran abstract islam is a religion for all people from whatever race or background they might be. It is on this basis that the author hopes his book to be of some significance to those concerned with area studies, orientalism, history, culture, comparative religion and islam. To historicize the koran would in effect delegitimize the whole historical experience of the muslim community, says r. Our ebooks editions are available from these online. A framework for inquiry second edition, 1991 among other works. Stephen humphreys, king abdul aziz al saud professor of islamic studies and professor of islamic history, university of california santa barbara, on the occasion of his sixtyfifth birthday, college of st. These sources relate to the development of islamic rule under the early caliphs.
History stands as the most effective and valuable source of putting nation on the course of progress and prosperity and saving them from the path of disgrace and degradation. He was the abd alaziz alsaud professor at the university of california, santa barbara and is now an emeritus professor at that institution humphreys received a phd from the university of michigan in 1969 humphreys between memory and desire. The sources that we have from this period for example, documents, archaeology, and christian writings. This is a history of europe, but the continent is interpreted widely to include the near east and north africa as well. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. Problems of method are then examined in a series of chapters, each exploring a broad topic in the social and political history of the middle east and north africa between a.
Of all published articles, the following were the most read within the past 12 months. A framework for inquiry 1988, concisely summed up the issue that historians confront in studying early islam. Stephen humphreys, professor of islamic and middle eastern history, university of california, santa barbara both impressive and intellectually exciting, decline and fall of the sasanian empire is a major, even pathbreaking, work in the. Stephen humphreys university of california at santa barbara. Stephen humphreys, a professor of islamic studies at the university of california at santa barbara. A framework for inquiry, revised edition, londonnew york, i. Many of our ebooks are available through library electronic resources including these platforms. Covers the seventh through the sixteenth christian centuries. Stephen humphreys, a highly regarded historian of islam. The first seventy years by jeremy johns abstract the rarity of material evidence for the religion of islam during the rst seventy years of the hijra 62292 ce has been used to attack the traditional positivist account of the rise of.