Translation Movement and Acculturation in the Medieval Islamic World

This book investigates the transmission of knowledge in the Arab and Islamic world, with particular attention to the translation of material from Greek, Persian, and Sanskrit into Arabic, and then from Arabic into Latin in medieval Western Europe. While most modern scholarly works have addressed contributions of Muslim scholars to the modern development of translation, Labeeb Ahmed Bsoul bases his study on Arabic classical literature and its impact upon modern translation. He focuses on the contributions made by prominent classical Christian and Muslim scholars, showcasing how their works and contributions to the field of knowledge are still relevant today.

“Finally we have a book that reveals precisely why, where and how the Islamic world, especially the Abbasid caliphate, incorporated staggering amounts of information about the universe, nature, humanity, philosophy, mathematics and medicine, enabling it to become the world’s intellectual hub for almost two centuries. Bsoul’s magisterial work ― meticulously researched, prodigiously documented and insightfully argued ― profoundly enriches our understanding of acculturation in the Medieval Islamic world.” (Joel Hayward, National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, and author of Warfare in the Qur’an)

“Finally we have a book that reveals precisely why, where and how the Islamic world, especially the Abbasid caliphate, incorporated staggering amounts of information about the universe, nature, humanity, philosophy, mathematics and medicine, enabling it to become the world’s intellectual hub for almost two centuries. Bsoul’s magisterial work ― meticulously researched, prodigiouslydocumented and insightfully argued ― profoundly enriches our understanding of acculturation in the Medieval Islamic world.” (Joel Hayward, National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, and author of Warfare in the Qur’an)

“This volume examines the very important issue of the translation of books of science, philosophy, and literature to the Arab language with an emphasis on acculturation. It points the way to a better understanding of the Arab/Muslim contribution to science and technology as it preserved and utilized works that would eventually be adopted by European civilization. Written by an accomplished Muslim scholar, it is also a profound addition to our understanding of global history.” (James H. Morrison, Professor Emeritus, History Department, Saint Mary's University, Canada)

“Dr. Labeeb Bsoul’s new book is a natural complement to his previous works on the contributions of the Islamic civilization to world literature, especially in the areas of jurisprudence and international law. The book is a valuable addition to the field in the sense it provides a comprehensive approach to the civilizational context of the Translation Movement of world literature from Greek, Persian and Sanskrit to Arabic language. This movement enjoyed the personal supervision of the Islamic Caliphs especially in the Golden Age of Islam, under the Abbasids Caliphate. In addition to the fact that, Dr. Bsoul examined the role of the Umayyads in translating major world literature works to Arabic, an under researched aspect of the dynasty. Simultaneously, the book addresses the efforts of knowledge-transfer from Arabic to European languages especially in the Renaissance Era. I highly recommend this book for those seeking a useful survey of the efforts of the Translation Movement and its impact on the transfer of world knowledge to and from Arabic language.” (Muhamad Olimat, Professor of International Relations and Middle East Politics, Emirates DiplomaticAcademy, United Arab Emirates)

“This volume examines the very important issue of the translation of books of science, philosophy, and literature to the Arab language with an emphasis on acculturation. It points the way to a better understanding of the Arab/Muslim contribution to science and technology as it preserved and utilized works that would eventually be adopted by European civilization. Written by an accomplished Muslim scholar, it is also a profound addition to our understanding of global history.” (James H. Morrison, Professor Emeritus, History Department, Saint Mary's University, Canada)

“Dr. Labeeb Bsoul’s new book is a natural complement to his previous works on the contributions of the Islamic civilization to world literature, especially in the areas of jurisprudence and international law. The book is a valuable addition to the field in the sense it provides a comprehensive approach to the civilizational context of the Translation Movement of worldliterature from Greek, Persian and Sanskrit to Arabic language. This movement enjoyed the personal supervision of the Islamic Caliphs especially in the Golden Age of Islam, under the Abbasids Caliphate. In addition to the fact that, Dr. Bsoul examined the role of the Umayyads in translating major world literature works to Arabic, an under researched aspect of the dynasty. Simultaneously, the book addresses the efforts of knowledge-transfer from Arabic to European languages especially in the Renaissance Era. I highly recommend this book for those seeking a useful survey of the efforts of the Translation Movement and its impact on the transfer of world knowledge to and from Arabic language.” (Muhamad Olimat, Professor of International Relations and Middle East Politics, Emirates Diplomatic Academy, United Arab Emirates)

Labeeb Ahmed Bsoul is an associate professor at Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates.