Voracious reading is the minimum requirement for a competent historian. The four texts are sufficient for a general knowledge of Arab history. The recommended books are not necessary to pass the course, but will enrich your understanding of Arab civilization. You are urged to follow current events in the Arab world by reading at least one newspaper during the course.

• Arberry, A. The Koran Interpreted. New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1955.
  No understanding of the Arab world is possible without some familiarity with the Koran, which Muslims believe is God's word as revealed through the Prophet Muhammad. It is comprised of surahs (chapters) arranged approximately inversely by length, excepting the first. This tends to put the earlier Meccan surahs, rich in religious and prophetic messages, after the Medinese surahs, rich in legislative and ceremonial material. Among this material, be alert for verses pertaining to ablution, alms giving, ethical duties of man, fasting, holy war, the oneness of Allah, pilgrimage, retribution or last judgment, the role of Muhammad, social matters (such as divorce, marriage, and theft), and unforgivable sin, to name a few. Be sensitive to the literary images that are used. Finally, consult the index to learn how Biblical personalities such as Jesus, Mary, and Abraham are treated in the Koran.

• Hourani, A. History of the Arab Peoples. New York: Warner Books, 1991. ISBN: 0-446-39392-4.
  This final work of a prominent historian of the Arabs (Hourani died in 1993) is well-written and was selected because it provides balanced coverage of both political and cultural history. One major omission is pre-Islamic history, one moderated by the first section of the historical summary below. That summary, and the cultural one following it, will sensitize you to the vast range of topics this course raises. The recommended readings will help should you wish to go further with any of them.

• Ibn Khaldun. The Muqaddimah. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969. ISBN: 0-691-01754-9.
  Instead of merely reading about Arab thought, The Muqqadimah provides an opportunity to read the thoughts of an Arab--and an important one at that. As Dawood writes in the introduction, "it can be regarded as the earliest attempt made by any historian to discover a pattern in the changes that occur in man's political and social organization... it represents an almost complete departure from traditional historiography... seeking, beyond the mere chronicle of events, an explanation--and hence a philosophy--of history." The ideas Ibn Khaldun raised still are debated, as those who have completed HUX 501 will recall from Gustavson. The second assignment will involve you actively in this debate.
  
  
• Massoulie, Francois. Middle East Conflicts: Interlink
  
  
• Gibaldi, Joseph and Walter Achtert. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: Modern Language Association, 1988. ISBN 0-87352-379-2.

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