8vo. [4 pp., Contents], 227 pp., Arabic text within borders, edited by Hamad al-Fayoum al-’Ijmawi, hard back binding, rubbed and worn at spine, LACKING TITLE & FIRST PAGE of main text, first 8 pages with frail edges, otherwise copy in overall good condition, Al-Matba'a al-’Amira al-Sharqiyyah, Cairo, 1300 AH [1883].

Synopsis

An early example of Islamic history, the Kitab al-Ma’arif (“Book of Knowledge”) of ibn Qutayba has a prominent place. Ibn Qutayba al-Dinawari al-Marwazi (828-889) was a prolific Arabic scholar who wrote on many issues and topics. Born in Kufa (Iraq), he was a teacher in Baghdad and among the first formal historians.
This particular work ambitiously covers topics from the beginning of creation and facts about the period before the appearance of Islam (Jahiliyya) to the names of the companions of the prophet Mohammed, famous jurists and masters of the oral tradition associated with the prophet (Hadith). This early manual of history is sure to be of interest to anyone considering the impact of early Islamic historical writing on the enterprise of history writing in general or on Islamic outlooks from the ninth century.