A Medieval Case for Islam’s Superiority: The Letter of Ibn al-Layth to the King of the Romans
Edited and translated by Ayman S. Ibrahim and Clint Hackenburg
Baylor University Press
ISBN: 978-1-4813-2200-3
At the end of the eighth century, the Abbasid caliph sent a letter to the Byzantine emperor. This book presents a new edition and translation of that remarkable text—one of the earliest surviving defences of Islam—offering a rare insight into how its author explained Islamic belief and set out what he believed Christianity had misunderstood.
Excerpt:
Ibn al-Layth’s Risāla reflect the political, social, and religious context of the last quarter of the eighth century in Baghdad. It is a remarkable testimony of the Abbāsid-Byzantine political tension and the Muslim-Christian socioreligious interaction, viewed from the caliphal court during the Abbāsid golden age. The Risāla reflects a full bloom of intellectual engagement, clearly centered in Baghdad and arguable directed toward Christians in the caliphate and beyond.
Who is this book for?
It is striking that this letter has attracted so little attention from historians—and that this volume provides its first English translation. As one of the earliest surviving defences of Islam addressed to a Byzantine audience, it is an important source for the study of Islam, Islamic–Christian relations, and Abbasid–Byzantine diplomacy. With its accessible translation and contextual framing, it is easy to imagine this text becoming a regular feature on university reading lists and in classroom discussion.
The Editors
Ayman Ibrahim is Professor of Islamic Studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the author of Muhammad’s Military Expeditions. Clint Hackenburg is an independent scholar of medieval Arabic literature and Islamic studies.
A Medieval Case for Islam’s Superiority: The Letter of Ibn al-Layth to the King of the Romans
Edited and translated by Ayman S. Ibrahim and Clint Hackenburg
Baylor University Press
ISBN: 978-1-4813-2200-3
At the end of the eighth century, the Abbasid caliph sent a letter to the Byzantine emperor. This book presents a new edition and translation of that remarkable text—one of the earliest surviving defences of Islam—offering a rare insight into how its author explained Islamic belief and set out what he believed Christianity had misunderstood.
Excerpt:
Ibn al-Layth’s Risāla reflect the political, social, and religious context of the last quarter of the eighth century in Baghdad. It is a remarkable testimony of the Abbāsid-Byzantine political tension and the Muslim-Christian socioreligious interaction, viewed from the caliphal court during the Abbāsid golden age. The Risāla reflects a full bloom of intellectual engagement, clearly centered in Baghdad and arguable directed toward Christians in the caliphate and beyond.
Who is this book for?
It is striking that this letter has attracted so little attention from historians—and that this volume provides its first English translation. As one of the earliest surviving defences of Islam addressed to a Byzantine audience, it is an important source for the study of Islam, Islamic–Christian relations, and Abbasid–Byzantine diplomacy. With its accessible translation and contextual framing, it is easy to imagine this text becoming a regular feature on university reading lists and in classroom discussion.
The Editors
Ayman Ibrahim is Professor of Islamic Studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the author of Muhammad’s Military Expeditions. Clint Hackenburg is an independent scholar of medieval Arabic literature and Islamic studies.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
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