History of the Islamic Peoples — Dar al-Ilm lil-Malayin

Dar al-Ilm lil-Malayin remains, for all the newness of its founding, the most active publishing house in the Lebanese capital. The books this house has published — literary, scientific, political, and social — now exceed one hundred, all of them worth reading and rich in benefit.

And the work now being undertaken by Mr. Munir Baalbaki, one of the two owners of this house, together with Dr. Nabih Faris, head of the History Department at the American University of Beirut, in translating the "History of the Islamic Peoples" by the famous German Orientalist Carl Brockelmann — this work, we say, may well be among the most outstanding and greatest undertakings of this young and energetic house.

For Brockelmann's History of the Islamic Peoples is a mighty tome, gathering between its two covers the history of the Arabs and the Muslims from the most ancient ages down to our own day.

Before Brockelmann, writing on the history of the Islamic peoples and states was a kind of perilous venture, for want of sources... And it is a very bold and blessed venture indeed on the part of Messrs. Faris and Baalbaki to undertake the translation of this precious tome into the Arabic language.

The two translators have begun with Brockelmann's first book, "The Arabs and the Arab Empire," which contains chapters on: Arabia before Islam, in which he studies the Arab race, Arab civilization in the Arab lands, social conditions, and the Arab kingdoms; and a chapter "On Muhammad the Messenger" — his youth, his marriage, his mission, his hijra, his stance toward the Jews, his teachings.

And a chapter on the first four Caliphs and the conquests accomplished in their days.

Then a chapter on "the Umayyads," with which the first book comes to a close.

The two translators have entrusted Dr. Omar Farroukh with commenting on certain views that conflict with the Islamic point of view...