You have no items in your shopping cart.
Close
Search
Filters

Language and Heresy in Ismaili Thought

The Kitab al-Zina of Abu Hatim al-Razi


The heretofore unpublished Kitab al-Zina, virtually unknown in western scholarship, is a glossary of important Islamic terms by the 9th/10th-century Ismaili polymath Abu Hatim al-Razi. Some lament that Razi’s historical approach to etymology failed to catch on and that had it done so, the face of Arabic dictionary writing might have been altered for the better. His organization of material was uniquely Ismaili as he took pains to synthesize contradictory information into a harmonious whole. This study examines sections of Razi’s work with a view towards his contributions to the field of grammar and linguistics.
Publisher: Gorgias Press LLC
Availability: In stock
SKU (ISBN): 978-1-59333-781-0
  • *
Publication Status: In Print
Publication Date: Jun 17,2013
Interior Color: Black
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Page Count: 210
Languages: English
ISBN: 978-1-59333-781-0
$135.00
Your price: $81.00
Ship to
*
*
Shipping Method
Name
Estimated Delivery
Price
No shipping options

The heretofore unpublished Kitab al-Zina, until now virtually unknown in Western scholarship, is a glossary of important Islamic terms by the 9th/10th-century Ismaili polymath Abu Hatim al-Razi. Some lament that Razi’s historical approach to etymology failed to catch on and that had it done so, the face of Arabic dictionary writing might have been altered for the better. His organization of material was uniquely Ismaili, as he took pains to synthesize contradictory information into a harmonious whole. Though unlike any other work in its tradition, Zina was at the same time a product of its environment, and studying it brings new insights regarding intellectual trends and debates of the era.

This book examines sections of Kitab al-Zina, each chosen for its contribution to our understanding of Razi’s world. After introductory chapters on Razi and the intellectual milieu in which he lived, Chapter 4 examines Razi’s entry on the word “kalima.” This entry illuminates the broader debate regarding the use and meanings of “kalima,” “kalim” and “kalam.” Chapter 5 covers Razi’s creative views on the etymology of place names. Chapter 6 explores Razi’s views on grammar, his place in the grammatical tradition, and his affiliation with the Kufan school. Chapter 7 discusses Zina’s heresiographical section, which deals with the names of Islamic sects. This section reveals information about the term “Murji’a” which clarifies other previously problematic Shi’i texts. The conclusion shows how Razi expressed Ismaili doctrine subtly in a text that is preponderantly devoid of outright advocacy for the Ismaili cause. The book contains a foreword by Ismail Poonawala of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jamal Ali teaches Arabic at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. in Arabic from UCLA. His research interests include the history of Arabic linguistic and religious thought.

The heretofore unpublished Kitab al-Zina, until now virtually unknown in Western scholarship, is a glossary of important Islamic terms by the 9th/10th-century Ismaili polymath Abu Hatim al-Razi. Some lament that Razi’s historical approach to etymology failed to catch on and that had it done so, the face of Arabic dictionary writing might have been altered for the better. His organization of material was uniquely Ismaili, as he took pains to synthesize contradictory information into a harmonious whole. Though unlike any other work in its tradition, Zina was at the same time a product of its environment, and studying it brings new insights regarding intellectual trends and debates of the era.

This book examines sections of Kitab al-Zina, each chosen for its contribution to our understanding of Razi’s world. After introductory chapters on Razi and the intellectual milieu in which he lived, Chapter 4 examines Razi’s entry on the word “kalima.” This entry illuminates the broader debate regarding the use and meanings of “kalima,” “kalim” and “kalam.” Chapter 5 covers Razi’s creative views on the etymology of place names. Chapter 6 explores Razi’s views on grammar, his place in the grammatical tradition, and his affiliation with the Kufan school. Chapter 7 discusses Zina’s heresiographical section, which deals with the names of Islamic sects. This section reveals information about the term “Murji’a” which clarifies other previously problematic Shi’i texts. The conclusion shows how Razi expressed Ismaili doctrine subtly in a text that is preponderantly devoid of outright advocacy for the Ismaili cause. The book contains a foreword by Ismail Poonawala of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jamal Ali teaches Arabic at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. in Arabic from UCLA. His research interests include the history of Arabic linguistic and religious thought.

Write your own review
  • Only registered users can write reviews
*
*
Bad
Excellent
*
*
*
*
ContributorBiography

JamalAli

Jamal Ali teaches Arabic at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. in Arabic from UCLA. His research interests include the history of Arabic linguistic and religious thought.

Ismail Poonawala

  • Table of Contents (page 5)
  • Foreword by Ismail Poonawala (page 9)
  • Acknowledgments (page 15)
  • Abbreviations (page 17)
  • 1. Introduction (page 19)
  • 2. Razi the Lexicographer (page 31)
  • 3. Kitab al-zina: Content (page 49)
  • 4. The entry on kalima (page 75)
  • 5. Razi the Etymologist (page 93)
  • 6. Razi the Grammarian (page 109)
  • 7. Razi the Heresiographer (page 143)
  • 8. Conclusion (page 169)
  • Bibliography (page 179)
  • Index (page 187)
Customers who bought this item also bought
Picture of Women in Drag

Women in Drag

From Jael’s tent peg to Judith’s sword, biblical interpreters have long recognized the power of the "lethal women" stories of the Hebrew Bible and related literature. The tales of Jael and Judith, female characters who assassinate enemy commanders, have fascinated artists, writers, and scholars for centuries, no doubt partly because of the gender of the characters doing the killing. Tamber-Rosenau presents the first systematic study, both text-centered and deeply engaged with a variety of queer-theoretical frameworks, of the motif of the woman-turned-warrior in ancient Jewish literature. Through analysis from queer-theoretical perspectives and comparison with Ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman literature, Women in Drag shines new light on three strong female characters from the Hebrew Bible and the early days of Jewish literature.
$114.95 $68.97
Picture of Reconstruction of a Source of Ibn Isḥāq’s Life of the Prophet and Early Qurʾān Exegesis

Reconstruction of a Source of Ibn Isḥāq’s Life of the Prophet and Early Qurʾān Exegesis

This important work is a source-critical study of a group of traditions (aḥādīth) found in Ibn Isḥāq's Biography (Sīra) of the prophet Muḥammad, widely considered one of the most important early historical texts on the Prophet's life. Through a meticulous isnād-cum-matn analysis, the author reveals that Ibn Isḥāq relied on Muḥammad b. Abī Muḥammad, a hitherto undocumented source of his. Important new light is also shed on problems with Ibn Hishām’s recension of Ibn Isḥāq’s Sīra.
$47.00 $28.20
Picture of Muslims, Jews and Pagans

Muslims, Jews and Pagans

Muslims, Jews and Pagans examines in much detail the available source material on the 'Āliya area south of Medina on the eve of Islam and at the time of the Prophet Muḥammad. It provides part of the necessary background for the study of the Prophet's history by utilizing in addition to the Prophet's biographies, various texts about the history, geography and inhabitants of this area.
$78.00
Picture of Princely Authority in the Early Marwānid State

Princely Authority in the Early Marwānid State

‘Abd al-‘Azīz b. Marwān (d. 86/705) reigned as the amīr of Egypt and walī al-‘ahd (heir apparent) to the Islamic caliphate for over 20 years. This book intends to revive this largely forgotten amīr and demonstrate the critical role he played in the formation of the Marwānid dynasty. The founding thesis of this study is that ‘Abd al-‘Azīz was appointed the amīr of Egypt and second heir apparent due to the legitimacy his maternal lineage brought the nascent dynasty.
$140.00 $84.00