A warm congratulations to Dr. Khalid Medani on his most recent publication:Teaching the “New Middle East”: Beyond Authoritarianism
Khalid Mustafa Medani April 2013
2 years ago the McLennan Library was home to an exhibition on the scholar, al-Ghazālī. The exhibition was well received and was accompanied by postcards and a booklet. The booklet includes articles by current Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies, Dr. J. Ragep, past-Director Dr. R. Wisnovsky, Ghazālī scholar Rev. Dr. Y. Said, and PhD. candidates E. van Lit and E. Tasbihi. It also provides details on the most important and unique leaves and manuscripts that were on display. Recently, this catalogue became available for free thanks in large part to the Digital Team of McGill University Libraries.
Enjoy!
Visiting Writers’ Panel Discussion on Language, Translation and Travel with Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Iman Humaydan, and Shahriar Mandanipour
Thursday, March 28th, 2013
Octagon Room, Islamic Studies Library
Morrice Hall, 3485 McTavish St.
6:00 pm
The Institute of Islamic Studies welcomes you to a roundtable panel and discussion with our three visiting writers, Iman Humaydan, Shahriar Mandanipour, and Musharraf Ali Farooqi, whose texts interact in various ways with three languages taught at the Institute: Arabic, Persian and Urdu. Join these writers, along with Institute professors, at the Islamic Studies Library, to take part in an intimate discussion regarding the writing craft, translation, languages, and travel.
Hi friends! A gentle reminder that our trial with Western Travellers in the Islamic World (Brill), a new online database will expire in one week. This database maintains: “Accounts of travel are a popular and accessible source for research on historical relations between “East” and “West” and are attractive for specialists and non-specialists alike. In the pre-modern period a large number of such accounts were published all over Europe, and almost without exception these volumes are now scarce and priceless. Some were republished later in modern editions (like those in the Hakluyt series), but these are often out of print at present.”
Subscription details:
Site address: http://www.primarysourcesonline.nl/c19/
Product: Western Travellers in the Islamic World Online
Subscription id: 22284
Start date: 14 Jan 2013
End date: 12 Feb 2013
Any and all feedback is welcomed and appreciated!
Hi friends! In case you missed the announcement, McGill will be hosting a lecture and discussion on “The Role of Media in the Arab Spring and its Aftermath: The Special Case of Egypt.” Further details here.
Sean
Hi friends!
Another successful year is descending upon us–we close today at 6pm and reopen on the 2nd of January, 2013. Many thanks for your visits and feedback! We wish you a Happy Holiday season and best wishes for the new year! To our Christian friends, Merry Christmas and to our Jewish friends, a belated, Happy Hanukkah.
See you in 2013!
Arabic scripts developed over time and by the 13th century 6 scripts (الأقلام الستة) became the most prominent for a variety of reasons: thuluth, rayḥān, muḥaqaq, naskh, tawqīʿ and riqʿa. These scripts were formalised by a calligrapher known as Yāqūt al-Mustaʻṣimī in the early 13th century. This example is known as a kara-lamah which is Turkish for ‘black writing’. It is a practice sheet and in this instance it is written in the hand of Yāqūt by an unknown, probably 19th century calligrapher. The calligrapher would practice her/his penmanship to perfect it but also to try different nibs of his qalām, or reed pen. It is interesting to note that calligraphers were in want of ensuring secrecy of their trade, so almost all calligraphers would break their nibs after having completed a project.
This image comes from the Islamic Studies calligraphy collection. The calligraphy collection maintains some 200 specimens in Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Turkish. This example is a kara-lamah in the hand of the eminent calligrapher, and former librarian Yāqūt al-Mustaʻṣimī (ca. 618-98 Hijri/ca. 1221-98 A.D.). Yāqūt’s “nisba was derived from his master, the last ʿAbbāsid caliph in Bag̲h̲dād, al-Mustaʿṣim [q.v.], who brought him up and had him educated.” (Encyclopaedia of Islam, v. 2)
Yāqūt is one of the most influential calligraphers along with other prominent figures such as Ibn al-Bawwab and Ibn Muqla.
RBD AC24 located in Rare Books and Special Collections
Further information about Yāqūt al-Mustaʻṣimī:
Munajjid, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn. 1985. Yāqūt al-Mustaʻṣimī. Bayrūt: Dār al-Kitāb al-Jadīd. (Call no. NK3633 Y3 M8 1985)
Canby, Sheila R.. “Yāḳūt al-Mustaʿṣimī.” Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill Online, 2012. Reference. McGill University. 02 December 2012 <http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/yakut-al-mustasimi-SIM_7972>
Hi friends! Applications are now being accepted for this year’s MIISC symposium:
Tracing Encounters
The 3rd Annual McGill Institute of Islamic Studies Student Council Graduate Symposium McGill University’s Institute of Islamic Studies Student Council (MIISSC) invites abstracts for scholarly papers to be presented at its third annual graduate symposium to be held on the 3rd & 4th of May 2013 in Montreal, Quebec.
Go on, send in your paper proposals today and participate in this the 3rd annual symposium!
Hi friends! Happy ‘eid al-adha to all!
كل عام و انتم بخير بمناسبة عيد الأضحي المبارك
