Rediscovering the Islamic Classics: How Editors and Print Culture Transformed an Intellectual Tradition

Arab editors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries revolutionized Islamic literature by printing forgotten works and defining the classical canon of Islamic thought. This book explores the contributions of these editors and intellectuals, who recovered and disseminated nearly lost works for agendas of linguistic, ethical, and religious reform.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 20 December 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Islamic book culture has a rich history dating back to late antiquity, when Muslim scholars began writing down their doctrines on parchment, papyrus, and paper. Over time, they developed increasingly elaborate analyses and commentaries on these ideas. The adoption of movable type in the Middle East occurred in the early nineteenth century, but it was in the second half of the century that the first works of classical Islamic religious scholarship were printed there. However, it was in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that a significant revolution took place in Islamic literature, thanks to the efforts of Arab editors.

Ahmed El Shamsy, in his book "Rediscovering the Islamic Classics," provides a comprehensive account of the effects of print and the publishing industry on Islamic scholarship. He tells the fascinating story of how a small group of editors and intellectuals brought forgotten works of Islamic literature into print and defined what became the classical canon of Islamic thought. El Shamsy's book explores the contributions of these individuals, who included some of the most important thinkers of their time.

Through the lens of the literary culture of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Arab cities, particularly Cairo, a hotbed of the nascent publishing business, El Shamsy examines the impact of these editors on Islamic scholarship. He highlights how they sought to recover and publish classical literature that had been nearly lost over time. By doing so, they not only preserved these works for future generations but also disseminated them widely, contributing to agendas of linguistic, ethical, and religious reform.

El Shamsy's book is an absorbing examination of the central role printing and its advocates played in the intellectual history of the modern Arab world. It sheds light on the agents and events that shaped the development of Islamic literature during this period and provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between print technology, intellectual discourse, and cultural transformation.

In conclusion, the story of how Arab editors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries revolutionized Islamic literature is a testament to the power of print and the impact of intellectual discourse on cultural transformation. Through their efforts to recover and publish forgotten works of Islamic literature, these editors not only preserved these works for future generations but also played a crucial role in shaping the classical canon of Islamic thought. El Shamsy's book "Rediscovering the Islamic Classics" is a valuable contribution to our understanding of this important period in Islamic intellectual history.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691241913