The Book of Allusions: A New Translation of the Title to Ibn Khaldun’s Kitāb al-‘Ibar
Issue: Vol 32 No. 2 (2013)
Journal: Religious Studies and Theology
Subject Areas: Religious Studies Buddhist Studies Islamic Studies Biblical Studies
Abstract:
This paper provides a new translation and analysis of Ibn Khaldun’s title to his magnum opus kitāb al-‘ibar, wa dīwān al-mubtada’ wa al-khabar, fī ayyām al-‘arab wa al-‘ajam wa al-barbar, wa man ‘āṣarahum min dhawī al-sulṭān al-akbar, known in short as Kitāb al-‘Ibar (or as I translate it, Book of Allusions). This translation and analysis articulates the relationship between Ibn Khaldun’s style of writing and the substance of his teaching. It begins by giving an account of Kitāb al-‘Ibar’s overall structure and teachings and then proceed to demonstrate how these are skillfully captured in the title. As I argue here, paying attention to the style of writing is an important interpretative tool necessary to reveal the depth of Ibn Khaldun’s teachings. This new translation and analysis shows how, despite Kitāb al-‘Ibar apparent concern with history, this book is intended by Ibn Khaldun to be primarily about politics, seeking to challenge well established and honored notions of the origins of political power.
Author: Waseem El-Rayes
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