Classical Islam - A Sourcebook of Religious Literature (Electronic book text)

This sourcebook presents more than 50 authoritative translations of key Islamic texts. Edited and translated by three leading specialists and clearly contextualized for introductory-level students, it illustrates the growth of Islamic thought from its 7th-century origins through to the end of the medieval period. Eight thematically organized sections cover the Qur'an and its interpretation, the life of Muhammad, hadith, law, ritual, mysticism and Islamic history. Among the selections are Ibn 'Abbas's account of the heavenly journey; al-Taftazani on the uncreatedness of the Qur'an as God's speech; al-Farabi' on the faculties of the soul; and extracts from Rumi's "Mathnawi."; "Classical Islam" includes a glossary, extensive bibliography and explanatory prefaces for each text. It pays special attention to the literary genres of medieval Muslim scholarship, within whose creative variations Islamic doctrine took form and matured.