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History

Islam Research Guide

Updated and maintained by Patricia Hardesty Liaison Librarian for History, Philosophy and Religion, Political Science Originally compiled by Gordon W. Miller June 2003

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This guide lists and describes research sources available in Carrier Library.  Islam here is treated broadly; the history, culture, civilization, and political milieu of Islam and the region and countries that comprise the Islamic world are included.  The guide is divided into different types of research materials. Book formatted materials are listed first. Journal and Government Document sources are then listed, followed by Internet sources.

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Table of Contents

Subject Headings Guides/Bibliographies Dictionaries/Encyclopedias/Handbooks Religious Sources History and Civilization Annuals/Yearbooks News Sources

Atlases/Gazetteers Directories Biographical Sources Databases and Article Indexes Periodicals Government Documents Electronic Text Sources

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Subject Headings

The following subject headings include the most useful ones to use in researching Islam. Individuals and specific groups or organizations can also be entered as subjects. To locate additional subject headings use the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes located near the online terminals.

Civilization, Islamic
Islam
Islam and (Politics)
Islam-History
Islamic countries
Islamic Empire
Koran
Middle East

Countries (Saudi Arabia)-(subheading)

Topics, e.g. Art, Islamic

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Guides/Bibliographies

Bibliographies are useful to locate additional sources for your research. The Bibliographic Index can be especially useful because it includes journal articles and is continually updated. Bibliographies can be found in many places including encyclopedia articles and books.

Bibliographic Index. New York: H.W. Wilson. 1937- .
(Index/Abstracts Table 5).

Indexes research bibliographies found in books and journals.

Bibliography of Asian Studies. 1965- . annual. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Association for Asian Studies, 1965-1991. annual.
(Ref DS 5 B49).

From 1956-1966 this bibliography is located in the bound issues of Journal of Asian Studies. From 1941-1956 it is available on microfilm in the Far Eastern Quarterly. NOTE: The microfilm materials are filed under Journal of Asian Studies. From 1941-1956 it was entitled "Far Eastern Bibliography." From 1941-1948 it was published on a quarterly basis.

Geddes, Charles L. Books in English on Islam, Muhammad, and the Qur'an: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography. Denver: American Institute of Islamic Studies, 1976.
(Ref BP 42 G4 1976).

Haddad, Yvonne Y. The Contemporary Islamic Revival: a Critical Survey and Bibliography . New York: Greenwood, 1991.
(Ref BP 60 H32 1991).

Haddad, Yvonne Y. The Islamic Revival Since 1988: A Critical Survey and Bibliography . Westport, Conn.: Greewood Press, 1997.
(Ref BP 60 H33 1997).

Littlefield, David W. The Islamic Near East and North Africa: An Annotated Guide to Books in English for Non-Specialists. Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1977.
(Ref DS 44 L653 1977).

Middle East and Islam: A Bibliographical Introduction. Zug, Switzerland: Inter Documentation, 1972.
(Z3013 M48).

Nimer, Mohamed. The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada. New York: Routledge, 2002.
(Ref BP 67 A1 N57 2002).

A number of chapters provide and overview of Muslim life in North America. A directory of organizations arranged georgraphically completes the work.

Silverburg, Sanford P. Middle East Bibliography.Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1992.
(Ref DS 44 S54 1992).

Over 4400 entries are listed in this selective bibliography. Arranged by subject with author index only. English and European languages.

Zoghby, Samir M. Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Partially Annotated Guide. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1978.
(LC 2.7/2:IS4 Government Documents).

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Dictionaries/Encyclopedias/Handbooks

These reference sources provide an overview of the subject and can even assist in selecting the final research topic. They are useful in the early stages of the research process. Definitions of terms and frequently bibliographies can be realized from these sources.

Area Handbook Series.
(Gov Doc D 101.22:550).

Individual volumes for specific countries. Sponsored by the Department of Defense and written by American University specialists. Available on the Internet at Country Studies

Bidwell, Robin. Dictionary of Modern Arab History: an A to Z ov Over 2,000 Entries from 1798 to the Present Day. New York: Kegan Paul International, 1998.
(Ref DS 38.9 B53 1998).

A scholarly written dictionary with individuals and topics included. No bibliographies.

Dictionary of the Middle Ages. New York: Charles Scribner's. 1982-1989. 13 vol.
(Ref D114 D5).

The Encyclopaedia of Islam.... Leiden: Brill, 1960- .
(Ref DS 37 E523 1960).

The leading scholarly encyclopedia. Bibliographies are included for many entries. In process.

The Encyclopedia of Religion. New York: Macmillan, 1987. 16 vol.
(Ref BL E46 1987).

Esposito, John L. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. New York: Oxford University, 1995. 4 vol.
(Ref DS 35.53 O95 1995).

A major, scholarly encyclopedia with signed articles. The entries offer comprehensive coverage of Islamic individuals, thought, and beliefs. The entries include bibliographies.

Hughes, Thomas P. A Dictionary of Islam. Being a Cyclopedia of the Doctrines, Rites, Ceremonies, and Customs. Together with the Technical and Theological Terms, of the Muhammed Religion. Clifton, N.J.: Reference Book Publishers, 1965. (Reprint of the 1885 ed.)
(Ref BP40 H8 1965B).

Nanji, Azim A. ed. The Muslim Almanac: A Reference Work on the History, Faith, Culture, and Peoples of Islam. Detroit: Gale Research, 1996.
(Ref BP 40 M83 1996).

A comprehensive look at the Muslim world. Illustrated with a general bibliography in addition to brief bibliographies with each article.

Shimoni, Yaacov, ed. Political Dictionary of the Middle East in the 20th Century . rev. and updated ed. New York: Quadrangle, 1974.
(Ref DS61 S52 1974).

Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1965.
(Ref DS37 S57 1965).

Smelser, Neil J., ed. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. New York: Elsevier, 2001. 26 vol.
(Ref H 41 I58 2001).

Stearns, Peter N., ed. The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, Chronologically Arranged . 6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
(Ref D 21 E578 2001).

Weekes, Richard V., ed. Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1978.
(DS35.625 A1 M87).

Ziring, Lawrence. The Middle East Political Dictionary. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 1984.
(Ref DS61 Z58 1984).

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Religious Sources

Examples of the text of the Koran, a commentary to the Koran, and sources that interpret the Koran are included in this section. The section on dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks includes titles furnishing Islamic religious information.

Ali, Muhammad. The Religion of Islam, A Comprehensive Discussion of the Sources, Principles and Practices of Islam. Lahore: Ahmadiyyah Anjuman Isha'at Islam, 1950.
(BP 161 A37 1950).

Ayoub, Mahmoud. The Qur'an and its Interpreters. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York, 1984- . vol. 1- .
(BP130.4 A835 1984).

Kassis, Hanna E. A Concordance of the Quran. Berkely, Calif.: University of California, 1983.
(Ref BP 133 K37 1983).

Koran, English and Arabic. The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary. 3rd ed. Beirut: Dar al Arabia, 1968.
(Ref BP109 A38 1968).

Mas ud ibn Umar, Sad al-Din, Al-Taftazani. A Commentary on the Creed of Islam: . . . . New York: Columbia University, 1950.
(BP161 U55 M32).

Penrice, John. A Dictionary and Glossary of the Kor-an. With Copious Grammatical References and Explanation of the Text. New York: Praeger, 1971.
(Ref PJ 6696 Z8 P4 1971).

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History and Civilization

The following titles present a scholarly overview of Islamic civilization. Subject headings useful for locating additional sources would include:

Civilization, Islamic
Islam-History

Al-Faruqi, Ismail R. Cultural Atlas of Islam. New York: Macmillan, 1986.
(Ref DS36.85 A39 1986).

Holt, P.M., ed. The Cambridge History of Islam. Cambridge: Cambridge University. 1970. 2 vol.
(Ref DS35.6 C3).

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Annuals/Yearbooks

Annuals are useful for furnishing brief, current information and providing quick facts and statistics on the topic. The Europa Year Book is an excellent source on statistics. Encyclopedia annuals and almanacs also provide statistics.

Britannica Book of the Year. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1939- .
(Ref AE5 E364).

The Europa Year Book. London: Europa Publications. 1959- .
(Ref JN 1 E85).

Excellent source, by country, of current information. Statistical information is given.

Middle East Contemporary Survey. New York: Holmes & Meier. 1978- .
(Ref DS62.8 M53).

United Nations. Statistical Office. Statistical Yearbook. New York: United Nations, 1948- .
(Ref HA12.5 U63).

The World Almanac and Book of Facts. New York: Newspaper Enterprise Associations, 1923 .
(Ref AY67 N5 W7).

Yearbook on international Communist Affairs. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution, 1966-1991.
(Ref HX1 Y4).

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News Sources

Both Facts on File (American) and Keesing's Record... (British) are looseleaf updating services providing brief facts within one month after the event(s) happened. These tools are useful in determining an event and its date. From here the researcher can check newspapers and weekly news magazines for more comprehensive coverage.

Facts on File Yearbook. New York: Facts on File, 1941- . Looseleaf updating service.
(Ref D410 F3).

Keesing's Record of World Events. London: Longman, 1931- . Title varies: formerly Keesing's Contemporary Archives. Looseleaf updating service.
(Ref D410 K4).

Said, Edward W. Covering Islam: How the Media and the experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World. New York: Pantheon Books, 1981.
(BP52 S24).

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Atlases/Gazetteers

Blake, Gerald. The Cambridge Atlas of the Middle East and North Africa. New York: Cambridge University, 1987.
(Ref G 2205 G3 1988).

Brawer, Moshe, ed. Atlas of the Middle East. New York: Macmillan, 1988.
(Ref G 2205 K33 1988).

By region and country. Contains demographic and economic information. Bibliography.

Columbia Gazetteer of the World. New York: Columbia University, 1998.
(Ref G103.5 C65 1998).

An Historical Atlas of Islam. Boston: Brill, 2002.
(Ref G 1786 S1 H6 2002).

Sixty-eight pages of maps present the Islamic world and its world view. The maps are arranged by geographical region. Scholarly, this is the most important atlas of the Islamic world in Carrier Library.

Robinson, Francis. Atlas of the Islamic World Since 1500. New York: Facts on File, 1982.
(Ref DS 35.6 R6 1992).

A heavily illustrated work with commentary throughout. History, religion, art, and society are featured.

Roolvink, Roelof. Historical Atlas of the Muslim Peoples. Amsterdam: Dyambatan, 1957.
(Ref G 1786 S1 R6 1957).

The Times Atlas of the World. tenth comprehensive ed. New York: Times Books, 1999.
(Ref G 1021 T55 1999).

The Times History of the World. London: Times Books, 1999.
(Ref G 1030 T54 1999).

The best world history atlas for the non-European world. It attempts to get away from "Eurocentrism."

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Directories

Associations Unlimited and the Yearbook of International Organizations provide subject coverage of Islamic organizations throughout the world. The Research Centers Services and Directories list academic organizations in the United States and can be useful as contacts for the researcher.

Associations Unlimited
    Online in Research Databases.

Yearbook of International Organizations. Brussels: Union of International Associations. 1950- . biennial.
(Ref AY 2001 Y43).

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Biographical Sources

Biographical information can be located in several types of reference sources. Especially useful are general and subject-oriented encyclopedias. The Encyclopedia of Islam and Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam are superior sources for Islamic individuals. They provide historical coverage. Newspaper indexes can furnish biographical information, especially for the current scene.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index
    Online in Research Databases.

Biography Index. 1946 to present.  (In print form, 1946 -1984, Ref Abstract/Index).
    Online, July 1984 to present, in Research Databases.

This covers all time periods and geographic areas. An index of occupations includes the subject "Islamic Leaders."

The International Who's Who. London: Europa Publications. 1935- . annual.
(Ref CT120 I5).

Who's Who in the World. Wilmette, Ill,: Marquis Who's Who. 19710 . biennial.
(Ref Ct 120 W5).

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Databases and Article Indexes

Below are links to a selection of electronic resources that are most useful for research in Islam.  Remember, however, that history encompasses many areas of endeavor (e.g., Education, Art, Economics), so you will wish to check all databases that cover your area and time period of interest.  Click here for Research Resources Home, where you may browse for other useful resources.

 

Art Abstracts. 1983- . 1929- . as Art Index. (print)
ArticleFirst. 1988- .
ATLA Religion Index. 1949- .
Black Studies on Disc. 1989- . as Index to Black Periodicals. 1975-1993
Combined Retrospective Index to Journals in History: 1838-1974. (print)
Essay and General Literature Index. 1985- . 1900- . (print)
Historical Abstracts. 1955-66 (print).
Humanities Index. v. 1-10, 1974-1982. (print)
International Political Science Abstracts. 1979- . (print)
JSTOR. (full-text database to a number of historical journals).
Lexis/Nexis. (Legal Research and News categories).
Music Index. 1949-1975. (print)
New York Times Index. 1851-2004. (print)
Nineteenth Century Readers' Guide. 1890-1899.(print)
Periodical Contents Index (PCI). 1770-1991.
Philosopher's Index. 1940- .
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature. 1802-1906.(print)
PsycINFO. 1872- .
Readers' Guide Abstracts. 1983- .
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. 1890-1899. (print)
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. 1969- .
Social Sciences and Humanities Index. 1965-1974.(print)
Social Sciences Citation Index. 1976-1986.(print)
Social Sciences Abstracts. 1983- . as Social Sciences Index. v. 1-8, April 1974 - March 1982. (print)
Sociological Abstracts. v. 1-10, 1953-1962.
The Times (London) Index. 1972- .(print)
Washington Post Index. 1971-1993 .(print)
Web of Science. 1995- .

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Periodicals

The following journal titles represent a selective list of available periodicals in Carrier Library that include information on Islam and Islamic countries.

For assistance on where a journal title is indexed or for further information on how to research the journal literature check at the Reference Desk.

American Oriental Society. Journal. 1969- .
American Schools of Oriental Research. Bulletin. 1969- .
Asian Survey. 1961-1966, 1969- .
Current History. 1914- .
Economist. 1893-1903, 1966- .
Far Eastern Economic Review. 1971- .
Foreign Affairs. 1922- .
History of Religions. 1967- .
International Journal of Middle East Studies. 1970- .
Journal of African History. 1960- .
Journal of Asian Studies. 1956- .
Journal of Comparative Economics. 1978- .
Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 1942- .
Middle East. 1983- .
Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 1985- .
National Geographic. 1888-1907, 1907- .
Orbis. 1957- .
World Politics. 1948- .
World Press Review. 1980- .

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Government Documents

Carrier Library has been a depository for United States Government Documents since 1973. The following indexes are useful in accessing the vast number of publications published throughout the Federal Government.

Much of the Government's information concerns the time it was written and American involvement and interaction with the Islamic world. An example of a major title having Islamic information would be the series Foreign Relations of the United States. This is available in Carrier Library from 1861 (when it started) to its current publications.

Some documents are available on an Islamic theme by itself, e.g. the Smithsonian Institution has published books on Islamic art.

A separate handout is also available on how to use the several Government Document indexes in Carrier Library.

FBIS  (Foreign Broadcast Information Service)

Published by the CIA this service translates reports, speeches, etc. from throughout the non-English speaking world. A FBIS-CD index is available at the Reference Desk.  Coverage is 1991- . The reports are available in Gov Doc microfiche @ Su Doc PREX 7.10.  Beginning in January 1997 FBIS made their reports available in a CD-ROM format.

GPO Monthly Catalog

Online in Research Databases.

This is the standard print index to U.S. government documents. Available 1940 to date.

Index to U.S. Government Periodicals. 1976-1987.
(Index/Abstracts Table 1).

Indexes specific articles in periodicals published by the Federal Government.

LexisNexis Congressional

Online in Research Databases.

This database provides full-text searching capability of Congressional records.

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Electronic Text Sources

There are a number of sources available through the databases and the Internet that have research interest for Islamic studies. Examples include:

A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam

Introductory background information on Islam is available at this site. A search engine is provided.

The Center forMiddle Eastern Studies A major site arranged by country. It includes topics on Islam.

Islam Several sites have links to a number of Muslim sources.

Islam 101

This is an educational site with information in all areas of life and how Islam affects that life.

Islam: Islamic Studies: Islam, Arabic, and Religion

Sponsored by the University of Georgia this web page has links to terrorism stemming from September 11th. There are a number of categories with links to scholarly information on Islam.

IslamiCity

A variety of categories are available at this site for understanding Islam. These include education, science, history, etc. A comprehensive site.

Virtual Religion Index: Islamic Studies A comprehensive site on Islamic religion from the Religion Department at Rutgers University. Categories include sections as general, Muhammad, the Quran, various movements in Islam, etc.

 

WorldCat

Online in Research Databases. 

WorldCat is a catalog of the holdings of most American libraries. Over 40 million titles are cataloged. An excellent source to locate published sources on Islam.

 

Have a suggestion? Need Help? Ask Patricia Hardesty -- hardespn@jmu.edu
This page last reviewed by P. Hardesty on 1/9/2009.