Early Days : From Al – Bidayah wan – Nihayah (H/B)

In a sweeping and vivid survey, renowned historian Bernard Lewis charts the history of the Middle East over the last 2,000 years, from the birth of Christianity through the modern era, focusing on the successive transformations that have shaped it.

This book is an account of the author’s adventurous journey in the Arab world, and about his ‘home-coming’ to Islam. This book is more than an autobiography, which the Times Literary Supplement calls a “narrative of great power and beauty”.

Over the fourteen centuries of its existence, Islamic scholarship has produced numerous individuals who have distinguished themselves by acquiring broad knowledge and deep insight.

•  However, true distinction is only achieved through a lasting influence, particularly when the area of scholarship is a religion that presents itself as being suited to all communities at all times.
• The selection has to start with the founders of the eight schools of jurisprudence who have had a continuous following over the centuries up to the present day.
• This book introduces nine scholars from these schools and adds two more from a much later era whose influence extended far beyond the area of pure scholarship.
• In simple language, this book gives a clear picture of how the Islamic schools of jurisprudence differ in their methodologies, showing at the same time how much interaction they project.
• It serves as a primary source for those who wish to follow a course in Islamic studies, this book is indispensable for others who wish to have a fair but concise idea about the most important personalities who have shaped Islamic scholarship for centuries.