The book in the Islamic world : the written word and communication in the Middle East

The Book in the Islamic World brings together serious studies on the book as an intellectual entity and as a vehicle of cultural development. Written by a group of distinguished scholars, it examines and reflects upon this unique tool of communication not as a physical artifact but as a manifestation of the aspirations, values, and wisdom of Arabs and Muslims in general. The Islamic system of book production differed from that of the West. This volume shows the peculiarities of book making and the intellectual principles that governed a book's inner structure, mysteries, and impact on culture. Investigated and explained are the issues involved in printing; the compilation of the Koran, the most important book in Islam; attitudes toward books; the oral versus the written tradition; metaphors of the book in literature; biographical dictionaries, an important genre of Islamic books; the grammatical tradition; women's contribution to calligraphy; scientific manuscripts; the transition from scribal to print culture; publishing in the modern Arab World; and the new electronic media, a non-book vehicle of communication, and its impact on education -- Publisher description This book explores Muslims'conception of themselves as'the people of the book'and explains the multifaceted meanings of this concept. Published jointly with the Library of Congress, it is an illustrated history of the book and the written word in the Islamic world.The Book in the Islamic World brings together serious studies on the book as an intellectual entity and as a vehicle of cultural development. Written by a group of distinguished scholars, it examines and reflects upon this unique tool of communication not as a physical artifact but as a manifestation of the aspirations, values, and wisdom of Arabs and Muslims in general.The Islamic system of book production differed from that of the West. This volume shows the peculiarities of book making and the intellectual principles that governed a book's inner structure, mysteries, and impact on culture. Investigated and explained are the issues involved in printing; the compilation of the Koran, the most important book in Islam; attitudes toward books; the oral versus the written tradition; metaphors of the book in literature; biographical dictionaries, an important genre of Islamic books; the grammatical tradition; women's contribution to calligraphy; scientific manuscripts; the transition from scribal to print culture; publishing in the modern Arab World; and the new electronic media, a non-book vehicle of communication, and its impact on education.George N. Atiyeh is the head of the Near East Section at the Library of Congress. He has authored and edited a number of books and articles, among which are al-Kindi, the Philosopher of the Arabs; The Contemporary Middle East, 1948-1973: A Bibliography; and Arab Civilization: Challenges and Responses. Title Page......Page 1 Contents......Page 3 Figures......Page 5 Abbreviations......Page 9 Introduction......Page 11 1. From the Manuscript Age to the Age of Printed Books - Muhsin Mahdi......Page 17 2. The Koranic Text: From Revelation to Compilation - Jacques Berque......Page 33 3. "Of Making Many Books There Is No End": The Classical Muslim View - Franz Rosenthal......Page 49 4. Oral Transmission and the Book in Islamic Education: The Spoken and the Written Word - Seyyed Hossein Nasr......Page 73 5. The Book of Life-Metaphors Connected with the Book in Islamic Literatures - Annemarie Schimmel......Page 87 6. Biographical Dictionaries: Inner Structure and Cultural Significance - Wadād al-Qāḍī......Page 109 7. The Book in the Grammatical Tradition: Development in Content and Methods......Page 139 8. Women's Roles in the Art of Arabic Calligraphy - Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Munajjid......Page 157 9. Some Illustrations in Islamic Scientific Manuscripts and Their Secrets - David A. King......Page 165 10. A Royal Manuscript and Its Transformation: The Life History of a Book - Priscilla P. Soucek and Filiz Çağman......Page 195 11. Fāris al-Shidyāq and the Transition from Scribal to Print Culture in the Middle East......Page 225 12. The Book in the Modern Arab World: The Cases of Lebanon and Egypt - George N. Atiyeh......Page 249 13. Mass Higher Education and the Religious Imagination in Contemporary Arab Societies - Dale F. Eickelman......Page 271 14. The Book in the Islamic World: A Selective Bibliography - Michael W. Albin......Page 289 Appendix: Ottoman Imperial Documents Relating to the History of Books and Printing......Page 299 Contributors......Page 309 Index......Page 313 Edited By George N. Atiyeh. Consists Of Papers Presented At A Conference Held November 8-9, 1990 At The Library Of Congress, Washington, D.c. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 273-281) And Index.