Proximity, Resemblance, Sidebars and Clusters: Ibn al-Nadim’s Organizational Principles in Fihrist 3.3

The Kitāb al-Fihrist of Ibn al-Nadīm (d. 380/990), one of the most important bio-bibliographical works in Arabic, is an invaluable source for the study of the first four centuries of Arabic writerly culture and of medieval Islamicate history. Ibn al-Nadīm divides his work into 10 parts (and 30 chapters), organised according to different fields of knowledge and scholarship. He also subdivides the notices, entries and titles very deliberately, typically chronologically. Here, I describe another organisational phenomenon discernible in the third chapter of the third part of the Fihrist, namely organization based on notions I term ‘proximity’ and ‘resemblance’, which yield ‘sidebars’ and ‘clusters.’ This organisation yields valuable information about the writerly culture of the 3rd/8th, 4th/9th and 5th/10th centuries

Khidr: The History of an Ubiquitous Master

An essay on the history of the character (Khidr) who appears in ch. 18 of the Qur'a

The New Noah [a translation of Adonis, ‘Nuh al-jadid’, with Translator’s Note]

A translation of Adonis’ 1957 poem 'Nuh al-jadid', accompanied by a note regarding the translatio

Travel in the Medieval Islamic World: The Importance of Patronage as Illustrated by ‘Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi (and other littérateurs)

Discussion of travel in the Middle Ages has typically focused on pilgrimage, travel in search of knowledge, or adventure. This article draws attention to patronage as an important, understudied, motivator of travel. It also proposes other motivators

'The Fall" (Translation of Adonis, 'al-Suqut')

A translation of Adonis’ poem, 'al-Suqut

Seeking Refuge from Evil: The Power and Portent of the Closing Chapters of the Qur’an

Chapters 113 and 114 of the Quran are frequently described as a pair. This article reviews the ways in which they are similar and proposew ways in which they are different

'The Inimitable Rose’, being Qur’anic saj‘ from Surat al-Duhâ to Surat al-Nâs (Q. 93–114) in English rhyming prose

An attempt to apply the principles of saj' (rhyming, rhythmic prose) to English translations of the last 22 suras of the Qur'an