Encyclopaedias, Arabic - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
General Material Designation
[Article]
First Statement of Responsibility
Muhanna, Elias I.
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.
Leiden
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Brill
GENERAL NOTES
Text of Note
(2,575 words)
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Arabic -language encyclopaedias are attested in the classical Arabic-Islamic intellectual tradition from its very beginnings. They assume various forms and encompass materials profane and sacred, speculative and traditional, entertaining and edifying. A subset of the broad field of compilatory literature-which includes anthologies, dictionaries, textbooks, manuals, and other types of compendia-encyclopaedic works similarly depend upon the selection, organisation, and transmission of authoritative knowledge from previous centuries. Not easily defined as a literary genre, the encyclopaedia is typically associated with features such as thematic and disciplinary heterogeneity, a systematic