Review

Author(s): GULAM SARWAR and Ghulam Sarwar

Review by: GULAM SARWAR and Ghulam Sarwar
Source: Islamic Studies, Vol. 24, No. 3 (Autumn 1985), pp. 409-412
Published by: Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20839734
Accessed: 09-03-2015 11:06 UTC

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BOOK REVIEWS
SOME LEADING MUSLIM

OF THE WORLD

LIBRARIES

BY
fslamic

Foundation,

S.M.
He

the author

Imamuddin,

to the world

of

by writing

quite

elaborately

the Sultans

under

Library

some

oT the rich

the Bankipur

including

the Dhaka

and

Riza

remaining
of their rich contents,

to which Muslims
binding
of books and papers
the collection
as early as the days

of the Holy

ries and

of books

come

60.00

06.00

Bakhsh

on history, biography,
Prophet and the righteous
into Arabic

from Greek

He

Library, Rampur
tried to highlight
has

also

laws and
Caliphs

formally

began

carried

painting

and

Although

traditions had begun

building up of Libra
under the Umayyads.

the Syrians,
the Egyptians,
the Greeks
and
time to the establishment
of literary
the Persians.
However,
they could not devote much
of grammar,
of writing books on the science
institutions with the exception
religious
accounts
of some Greek works
and translations
into Arabic.
traditions, historical
had

Muslims

To

substantiate

tary) of the Qur'an

of'Abd
arts.

into close

the SyriaC

On

b.

the death
written

the Abbasid
and

papers

had

increased

marily

due

to the royal

period were

with

the author

statement,
who

Library
of Walid
by Imam

period,
bookshops

patronage

of three types, mosque

tells us that the Tafsir

(Commen
in the Royal Library
preserved
for writing works on various
scholars

[Jubayr] was

b. Jubair

by Sa'id

Marwan

in the Royal

Library, the works

and camels.
asses

During

his above

written

al-Mafik
A book

contact

has

the art of calligraphy,

miniature
once made
contributions.
special

had

leather

translation

Khuda

The
author
Library.
in the manuscripts.
hidden

University

treasures

out an evaluation

: TK.

price

book, has done great service

on leading
a monograph
libraries of the world.
and Fatimid
of Muslim
Abbasid
Libraries
Spain,
and under the Mugals
and other leading Muslim

of Delhi

libraries of the Sub-continent

pages,

IMAMUDD1N

of this well-researched

learning

has discussed

Libraries

216

1983.

Bangladesh.

S.M

had engaged
written by Hakim Masih
Joyah was translated from
the riooks were transferred from his
when
b. Yazid
Zuhri

public
were

had

alone

interest
opened

of learning.
libraries,

The
royal

to be

transported

in the sale and purchase

in a number of cities.
libraries which
libraries

on

the backs

of books
This

was

grew up during

and private

collections.

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of

and
pri
that

410

ISLAMIC STUDIES
was

al-IJikmah

Bayt

of a library, an academy

combination

and a translation

bu

reau, founded on thebank of theTigris at Baghdad by Harun al-Rashid in 830 C E.

Mamun engaged scholars for translatingAristotle's books intoArabic. Rare books
were collected from distant places in Egypt, Syria, Iran and India.
was founded by theAbbasid Caliph al-Must
Library atMUSTAN?IRIYYAH
and
in
Billah
completed in six years. Rare and valuable
625/1227
tansjr
(1226-1242)
were transferredto itfrom theRoyal
160
camels
were
On
books
These
laden
books
Library.

also patronised art

The authormaintains that like theSaljuqs, theBuwayhids

literarure.

and

Besides theseroyal librariesat Baghdad and public librariesin other towns, there
were thousands of private collections in the empire of theAbbasid Caliphs and their
These

Wazirs.
including

private

collections

to copy

scribes

and were

rare MSS,

many

possessed

rare and valuable

well-staffed

works.

The author furtherremarks that theMuslim culture and civilization reached its
zenithduring the timeof al-4Aziz (975-96) son ofMu'izz, who had foundeda big library
called Khaza'in al-Qu?ur consistingof fortyrooms. There were 1600,000works and
booklets of which 600,000 dealt with theology,grammarand lexicography . Of these
and

on mathematics

were

6,000 works

alone.

astronomy

The buildingup of librariesinMuslim Spain began by importingbooks fromthe

the

As

East.
books

along

soldiers

with

in Spain,

landed

other valuable

The Umayyad

Library

products

of Cordoba

scholars

and

them carrying

followed

travellers

of the East.
became

one of the best

libraries

of the Mus

slimworld during the time of *Abd al-Rahman III.

ContemporaryArab scholars have spoken highlyof the libraryof IJakam II, its
its rare and

and

collection

huge

valuable

This

manuscripts.

was,

to them,

according

the biggest collection that a royal libraryever possessed in themedieval world. The
. In spite
spacious original librarybuilding failed to accommodate thenew accessions

of the employment

of a large number

of persons,

it took

six months

to remove

the rich

collection of the library to a new building.

The Medieval Muslims were well aware of the needs of libraryand accordingly
had

spacious

visible

from
New

slatedinto

library buildings
librarians,

cataloguers,

one

central

and original
Arabic

and

constructed,
and

readers

providing

lecturers

rooms

for stacks, copyists,

in such a way

that the whole

binders,

library was

point.

works
rare and

were written,

valuable

important Arabic

Greek

books

were

and Latin

works

transcribed

were

by expert

tran
cal

In the absetice of the

ligraphistsfor thewide circulationo fnew ideas and discoveries.
of knowledge. In
wide
services
scribes
their
rendered
the
for
spread
the
machine!,
printing

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BOOK REVIEW

411

was a verycostlyaffair,books were freelybought and

spiteof the fact that transcription
sold in the book markets of Spanish towns.
Special carewas taken topreserve thosecostlybooks by binding theminembossed
leatherand fragrantwood. Their value was increased furtherby inlayingthemwith
gold

and

silver

and

lettering

ornamentation.

Persons of great learningand culturewere employed to run the administration

of the libraries. Books were arranged on the shelves subjeetwisewith a catalogue for
the ready

reference

by scholars

and

students.

Talking about themodern Spanish libraries, the author brings out thatduring
theperiod of about 800 years ofMuslim rule inSpain thematerial and culturaldevelop
ments that theMuslims had made were substantial and far reaching. They carried
and Latin works
translated Greek
literary treasures from the East to Spain,
new and important works
rare and valuable
in Arabic,
transcribed

wrote

into Arabic,
manuscripts

and preserved them in private and public libraries. These works dealt with various
subjects likepoetry,philosopy, fiction,lexicography,history,Jurisprudence,law of con
tracts, geography,
and

astronomy,

mathematics,

botany,

physics,

chemistry,

medicine

and

surgery.

The Arabic manuscripts preserved in the above mentioned libraries of Spain

It requires to be
contain richdata on the social and culturalhistoryofMuslim Spain.
a
and
to
of
side
that
of Spanish,
present complete picture
sifted,re-arranged
analysed
history.
Coming

as a part of educational

to the sub-continent,

policy,

the Mughal

emper

ors and noblemen had built up royalas well as private librarieshaving librarian,copyist,
translator,binder,gliderand painter among the staff; The royal librarywas established
by Babur inIndia.
During the decaying days of theMughals, educationa linstitutinsand libraries
lost their growing

of Delhi

importance

and

received

potrange

at Provincial

headquarters

likeOudh, Hyderabad, Pdtna,Dhaka atadMurshidabad from theNawwabs and nobles.

Among the spoils ofwar that theBritish had during theiroccupations of different
parts
the richest were

of India
To

collect

books

the library books

in libraries

attached

and museum

articles.

to mosques

and

madrasahs

and

to make

themavailable to scholars and studentshad been themain concern of the foundersof

themedieval Muslim libraries. Volga Pinto, while writing about Muslim librariesob
serves

The princes took great care concerning the building which were to serve as
public libraries. Some of them, like those of Shiraz, Cordoba and Cairo
were

placed

in separate

structures

rooms

with many

for different use;

galle

ries with shelves inwhich the books were kept, rooms where the visitors
could read and study,rooms set apart for those in charge ofmaking copies
of manuscripts,
some

cases,

rooms
rooms

which

for musical

served

as

even in
and
library assembles,
etc.
All rooms were richly

entertainments

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ISLAMIC STUDIES

412
and comfortably

fitted;

'on the floors were

covered

with curtains,
the chief entrance
'door
to prevent the'cold air from entering.

carpets

and mats,

the readers

where

in oriental fashion squatted, reading arid even writing, holding the sheet
of paper or parchmentadroitly in thepalm of the lefthand. The windows

and

doors

heavy

specially
Some

of

by the Muslims

were

curtain

the Muslim

the rich collections

of

themselves

of the conflict

by invaders specially
owners
themselves.

because

Moghals

while

some

private

libraries

were,

collections

however,
Muslim

of ideas anoqg

having

were

destroyed
sects, others

destroyed

by

the

To conclude :The book Muslim Libraries of theWorld is a valuable addition

to the literature
author

on Muslims'

has carried

for prospective

out an
research

contributions
indepth

analysis

in the field of art and

of the subject

culture.

and has opened

The

learned

fresh avenues

scholars.

COLONEL

GUI.AM

SARWAR

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