The Oral and the Written in Early Islam (Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Literatures)

Made up of a number of seminal articles that are translated for the first time in English, this prestigious book from Gregor Schoeler gives a reasoned, informed and comprehensive overflow of how the written and the spoken interacted, diverged and received cultural articulation among the Muslim societies of the first two centuries of the Hijra. Over the last few decades a number of books have appeared on aspects of the written and the oral within pre-modern Islamic societies and their intellectual ideas. Traditionally, these books have focused mainly on the religious dimensions, on literature and the development of genres, on the transmission of scholarly ideas and practices, or the intellectual foundations of the Islamic sciences. To date, however, there are no books available in English which provide an authoritative, reasoned and comprehensive overview of how written and the oral interacted in early Islam. The Oral and Written in Early Islam fills this void and investigates the diverged and received cultural articulation among Muslims and within Muslim intellectual life of the early centuries of the Islamic Era which includes the seventh to ninth centuries of the Common Era. This volume is a translation of six German articles by Professor Gregor Schoeler the majority of which have not been translated into English before. Each article has been brought up to date, made accessible as possible to the non-specialist, and includes a glossary of key terms. The work also benefits from a substantial introduction by James Montgomery."Publisher description." Preface -- Editor's Introduction -- 1. The Transmission Of The Sciences In Early Islam : Oral Or Written? -- 2. The Transmission Of The Sciences In Early Islam Revisited -- 3. Writing And Publishing : On The Use And Function Of Writing In Early Islam -- 4. Oral Poetry Theory And Arabic Literature -- 5. Oral Torah And Ḥadīt : Transmission, Prohibition Of Writing, Redaction -- 6. Who Is The Author Of The Kitāb Al-ʻayn? -- Glossary -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index. Gregor Schoeler ; Translated By Uwe Vagelpohl ; Edited By James E. Montgomery. Translation Of Six German Articles. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 222-241) And Index. Routledge Studies in Middle Eatern Literatures Series Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 Editor鈥檚 introduction 10 1. The transmission of the sciences in early Islam: oral or written? 37 2. The transmission of the sciences in early Islam revisited 54 3. Writing and publishing: on the use and function of writing in early Islam 71 4. Oral poetry theory and Arabic literature 96 5. Oral Torah and Hadit: transmission, prohibition of writing, redaction 120 6. Who is the author of the Kitab al-鈥榓yn? 151 Glossary 173 Notes 178 Bibliography 231 Index 251 REVELATION Preface Glossary Editor's introduction 1. The transmission of the sciences in early Islam: oral or written? 2. The transmission of the sciences in early Islam revisited 3. Writing and publishing: on the use and function of writing in early Islam 4. Oral poetry, theory, and Arabic literature 5. Oral Torah and Ḥadīt: transmission, prohibition of writing, redaction 6. Who is the author of the Kitāb al-ʻayn? Notes Bibliography Index. Made up of a number of seminal articles that are translated in English for the first time, Gregor Schoeler gives a comprehensive overflow of how the written and the spoken interacted, diverged and received cultural articulation among the Muslim societies of the first two centuries of the Hijra.