…reveals to us how enormous was the output of Arabic literature in the first three centuries of Islam, and how very little has come down to us. This remarkable work, in the words of H.A.R. In al-Nadim’s Fihrist, written in 988 AD, the author catalogues all known books in Arabic on the subjects of philology, history, poetry, theology, law, philosophy, science, magic, foreign religions, fables and alchemy. The monotony of nomadic life, the rise of Islam, the Arab conquests, the imperial luxury of early Abbasids, the interaction and cross fertilization with other civilizations (notably in Spain), the decline and overthrow of the Caliphate, the period of cultural stagnation, the reactions and inspirations owing to the colonial encounter, and the eventual reawakening of the Arab world to form the vibrant independent states of today-these are all faithfully reflected in Arabic literature, the ups and downs of which parallel the fortunes of the Arabs themselves. There is perhaps no other literature so closely allied to the history of its people as is that of the Arabs.
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