Abstract: Like many of his contemporaries, Rizq Allah Hassun (1825−80) set out to transcribe the classics into a refreshed Arabic idiom. In Ashʻar al-shiʻr (The most poetical of poetry), he chooses to recast selected Old Testament texts in an accessible poetic form. The book of Job is prominently featured in the collection because, as the author says in his foreword, it ranks with Homer and Shakespeare as a monument of world literature. Hassun’s translation of the story of Job into Arabic poetry is not intended as a Bible reading for the devout, but rather as a demonstration of the richness and adaptability of the Arabic language. Hassun based his poems on the Arabic translation of Cornelius Van Dyck (1818−95), which Hassun termed “the best Arabic translation of the Bible I’ve seen,” and on the English Bible of 1811, with notes by John Styles. The work also contains poetic renditions from the books of Exodus, Deuteronomy, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations. Rizq Allah Hassun took an active part in the cultural and political life of his times. He founded one of the first Arabic newspapers and took part in the anti-Ottoman opposition in the Levant and in the imperial capital, Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), for which he was forced to go into exile in Russia and England. Ash’ar al-shi’r conforms to the pattern of Hassun’s other publications in its emphasis on literary style as a quality to be cultivated for its own sake, rather than as a vehicle for proselytizing or personal piety. There is no colophon giving publication details, but occasional notes mention that he completed drafts in 1869 while residing in England. The book was printed in 1870 at the American Press in Beirut.Physical description: 136 pages ; 22 centimeters
Abstract: Izhar al-Haqq (Demonstration of the truth) is a work of Islamic apologetics that broke new ground in the Muslim approach to the Bible and to Christian doctrine. Written by Indian scholar Rahmatullah al-Dihlawi (circa 1817−91), it received the approbation of the Ottoman sultan, Abdülaziz (reigned 1861−76). It was printed in 1867 at the imperial press in Istanbul for distribution among Arabic-speaking Muslims. Rahmatullah based his innovative approach on analysis of European Protestant historical or higher criticism, i.e., on reinterpretations and reformulations of biblical historiography made by European theologians themselves. This was a major departure from the customary defense of Islam made by reference predominantly to Muslim scripture. The book is said to have grown out of arguments put forward by Rahmatullah in his 1854 debate with German missionary Carl Gottlieb Pfander (1803–65) in Aligarh, India. Debate continues among Muslim scholars regarding textual and interpretive portions of the work. This edition includes brief laudatory introductions in Arabic and Ottoman Turkish, and the author himself supplies an important introductory essay. The detailed colophon and the high-quality printing point to the care taken in the production of the book. Presented here are two volumes bound as one.Physical description: 2 volumes (288 pages and 285 pages) bound together ; 26 centimeters