Classical Islam: a Sourcebook of Religious Literature.

AuthorGordon, Matthew
PositionBook review

Classical Islam: A Sourcebook of Religious Literature. Edited and translated by NORMAN CALDER, JAWID MOJADDEDI, and ANDREW RIPPIN. London: ROUTLEDGE, 2003. Pp. x + 275. $110 (cloth); $34.95 (paper).

As the subtitle suggests, this new work is intended for introductory-level students. To succeed, any such work needs to resolve three problems: the identification of representative texts, of appropriate length, and which cohere in some fashion, so as to illustrate properly the themes and development of a given genre (e.g., Sira, Tafsir); the translation of often formal texts in a language suited to the audience (one with little patience with lexical puzzles and strings of transliterated terms); and a level of annotation that throws sufficient light on the texts without giving the game away. The uneven quality of most previous collections of (classical) Islamic texts suggests impatience with one or more of these steps. On all counts, the present volume works very well. It is strongly recommended, particularly for junior instructors of Islamic studies. More established colleagues may find it difficult to part with their own, oft-tried, readings. Should they cast caution to the wind, however, they will likely find this collection a worthy substitute.

There is some question as to the history of the book's production. Its genesis lies, according to the general preface, in an agreement to produce a book of readings between Norman Calder and a publisher--an agreement left unsigned, sadly, with Calder's untimely death in 1998. Apparently on Jawid Mojaddedi's initiative, he and Andrew Rippin resolved to join a small collection of texts on which Calder had worked with a larger body of material of their choosing. These texts include selections from Rumi's Masnavi from Mojaddedi's recent translation of its first part. Rippin's role is left unclear. In any case, he and Mojaddedi, with the apparent support of Calder's family, have produced a volume that bespeaks a congenial collaboration and which properly reflects Calder's legacy.

The volume itself is handsome, if expensive for a book of its kind, its contents clearly organized. The division and naming of chapters (e.g., "The Life of Muhammad," "Law and Ritual") are uncontroversial and clear. The bibliography, extensive and up-to-date, is divided across the readings, a questionable decision as it is possible to miss the location of a given title. Certain texts, among them Ibn Ishaq's Sira and al-Tabari's...

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