Book Notes

The Vernacular Qur'an: Translation and the Rise of Persian Exegesis by Travis Zadeh, 2012. (Qur'anic Studies Series ed. Omar Alí-de-Unzaga, vol. 7.) New York: Oxford University Press in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, xxii + 674 pp., maps, ills., £65. ISBN: 978-0-19-726512-3 (hbk).

This study aims to uncover the history of how, and why, translations and studies of the Qur'an became available in Persian. Zadeh deals with debates on the practices of translating the Qur'an in the early Islamic period. This follows his contention that, contrary to received wisdom among Western scholars, early Muslims did indeed make the Qur'an available in the vernacular. The result is a sustained reflection upon, and analysis of, the socio-linguistic processes involved in conveying the message of the Qur'an while preserving its sacredness. The volume, in addition to its introduction and conclusion, comprises twelve chapters organised into two parts. The first five chapters cover theoretical issues and the last seven chapters concern models for translation. This work is a specialist work that will be of most interest to researchers in various fields of Qur'anic studies.

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The Perfect Guide to the Sciences of the Qur'an trans. Hamid Algar, Michael Schub, and Ayman Abdel Haleem, 2011. (The Great Books of Islamic Civilization.) Reading: Garnet Publishing, xxxiii + 301 pp., £60.00, $74.95. ISBN: 978-1-85964-241-2.

This book is a partial English translation of al-Itqan fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an by Jalal-al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman al-Suyuti (849-911 AH / 1445-1505 AD) - an outstanding work in the field of Qur'anic sciences and one of al-Suyuti's most important works. The translation corresponds to the first volume of the four-volume 1387 AH (1967 AD) edition. As well as providing a high quality of translation, the translators have also provided an outline of al-Suyuti's life, cultural and educational background, and scholarly achievements.

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The Transmission and Dynamics of the Textual Sources of Islam: Essays in Honour of Harald Motzki ed. Nicolet Boekhoff-van der Voort, Kees Versteegh, and Joas Wagemakers, 2011. (Islamic History and Civilization, vol. 89.) Leiden & Boston: Brill, xvi + 495 pp. ISBN: 978-90-04-20389-1 (hbk).

Harald Motzki is renowned for his studies in the transmission of early Islamic texts (especially hadiths) and for grappling with issues related to the extent to which reliable historical information can be extracted from those texts. His approach, one that he has called isnad-cum-matn analysis, focuses on tracing isnad patterns and textual variations in order to determine the mode of the earliest transmission of the material. The essays gathered in this volume honouring him reflect the themes of his work and many of the essays develop his insights by employing his approach. Divided into four sections, 'Production', 'Transmission', 'Interpretation', and 'Reception', nineteen scholars have contributed essays that treat a diverse range of subjects, covering classical topics including the Qur'an, exegetical material, the biography of Muhammad, hadith collections and collectors, the early conquests, and life in medieval times. In addition, other essays cover many themes of modern interest: Salafis, the Nation of Islam, human rights, religious authority, Muslim youth, computer communications, and the status of women. There is certain to be something of academic value for virtually every scholar of Islam in this volume.

ANDREW RIPPIN
Department of History, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Essays in Arabic Literary Biography, 925-1350 ed. Terri DeYoung & Mary St. Germain, 2011. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, vol. 1, vii + 371 pp., €68.00. ISBN: 978-3-441-06598-6 (hbk.)

This series is a compilation of essays on notable Arabic authors. This volume spans what would typically be called the late Abbasid period, except that this term is rejected on the grounds that, by the tenth century, the Abbasids wielded only marginal influence on Arabic literature, and that this literature was rooted in earlier Arabic literary forms. The essays list the authors' works, including contemporary editions of these works and translations into European languages, and analyse their work and...