Arabic Literature of Africa: The Writings of Eastern Sudanic Africa (Handbook of Oriental Studies. the Near and) [Hardcover]

John O. Hunwick (Author, Editor), Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Salim (Compiler), Albrecht Hofheinz (Compiler), Yahya Muhammad Ibrahim (Compiler), R. S. O'Fahey (Compiler, Editor)

Book Description

Series: Handbook of Oriental Studies. the Near and | Publication Date: August 1, 1997

This is the first volume of the six-volume work, "Arabic Literature of Africa", which provides a survey of Muslim authors writing in Arabic in Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa and a bibliography of their works. Falling within the tradition of the great works of Brockelmann and Sezgin, it forms a basic reference tool for the study of Arabic writing in areas of the African Islamic world that fall outside the parameters of these works. While primarily a reference work it also aims to provide an outline of the intellectual history of Muslim societies in the areas it covers: the Nile Valley, East Africa and the Horn of Africa, West Africa and the western Sahara, from earliest times to the present. This volume covers Eastern Sudanic Africa (mainly the modern Sudan) until approximately 1900. It comprises 12 chapters organized by theme or period and aims to present as complete a coverage as the present state of our knowledge will allow.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'"C'est un travail d'une qualiti exemplaire.'
Jean-Louis Triaud, "Bulletin Critique des Annales Islamologiques.
'"The layout of the work, its clarity together with the easy to check presentation makes of this first volume an invaluable and essential reference work for anyone seriously interested and concerned about Islam in Africa...The series on Arabic Literature in Africa is already indispensable in the study of Islam in the African continent.'
J.L.B., "Islamo Christiana, 1995.
'"The value of this work is not confined to its meticulous listing of authors and titles. It provides also much of the data required for a literary biographical dictionary of the region...O'Fahey and his collaborators have produced a major bibliographical work of reference which is unlikely to be superseded for many years to come.'
P.M. Holt, "Bulletin School Oriental & African Studies, 1995.
'"On ne peut que proclamer son admiration pour le travail prisenti le plus intelligemment possible dans ce livre de rifirences qui fera date dans la science des textes arabes icrits dans la rigion orientale du Sahara.'
"Revue IBLA.
'"Le monde scientifique qui s'intiresse l'Islam et l'Afrique se rijouit de la mise en chantier iditoriale de ce travail titanesque et souhaite qu'il puisse jtre meni bon port.'
Constant Hames, "Studia Islamica, 1995.
'"Ce travail d'irudition exemplaire constitue une avancie importante dans le domaine de l'histoire intellectuelle et littiraire de l'Afrique musulmane subsaharienne'
Jean-Louis Triaud, "Archives de Sciences Sociales des Religions, 1995.
'..".it is a first comprehensive bio-bibliographical survey of Arabic writings in the Sudan, based onpractically all information available at the moment. A praiseworthy innovation of Arabic Literature of Africa" is the English language of the book...[a] valuable reference work.'
Boguslaw R. Zagorski, "Studia Arabistyezne, 1995.
'"The present volume...immediately takes its place as the basic reference work for its subject.'
M.W. Daly, "BRISMES, 1996.
'"The inclusion of the project Arabic Literature of Africa" in the Handbook of Oriental Studies," which since its inception in 1953 has proved to be a handbook in the best sense of the word, vouches for the standard set by the editors of the present project. Africanists will eagerly look forward to subsequent volumes.'
S.V. Sicard, "Journal of Religion in Africa, 1996.
'"Der vorliegende Band, der erste in einer in eindera auf sechs Bdnde angelegten Reihe, stellt einen wichtigen Meilenstein in der Dokumentation arabischer Regionalliteraturen dar.'
Stefan Reichmuth, "Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenldndischen Gesellschaft, 1996.
'..".these two volumes are not only invaluable references for all future research in this field, they also set a very high standard of scholarship for the recording of bibliographical and biographical information which will render future research much more coherent and systematic.'
L.B., "Journal of African History, 1997.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 434 pages
• Publisher: Brill Academic Pub (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9004094504
• ISBN-13: 978-9004094505
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,979,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)