Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Nadim, also known as Al-Nadim or Al-Fihristi, was a Muslim scholar and bibliographer who lived in the 10th century. He is best known for his work Al-Fihrist (The Catalogue), a bibliography of books and authors from
the Islamic Golden Age. Al-Nadim was born in Baghdad, in what is now Iraq, during the reign of the Abbassid Caliphate. He was well-educated and fluent in Arabic and Persian. He was a member of the court of the Caliph al-Muqtadir and worked as a bookseller and a scribe. His Al-Fihrist is considered one of the most important primary sources for the study of the Islamic intellectual and literary tradition. He is also known for his other works like Kitab al-Fihrist and Kitab al-Fihrist al-Mushtarak.
Al-Fihrist (The Catalogue) is a 10th-century bibliography written by the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Nadim. The work is considered one of the most important sources for the study of the Islamic Golden Age, as it provides a comprehensive list of books and authors from that time period, along with information about their contents and the libraries in which they were housed. The book covers a wide range of subjects, including theology, law, literature, history, and science. It is written in Arabic and is divided into two sections: the first lists books by author, and the second lists books by subject. The Al-Fihrist is an important primary source for the study of the Islamic intellectual and literary tradition.
The Al-Fihrist contains around 300,000 entries, which list the titles of books, their authors, and brief descriptions of their contents. The entries cover a wide range of subjects, including theology, law, literature, history, science, and more. It is considered one of the most comprehensive lists of books and authors from the Islamic Golden Age.
The exact date of publication of Al-Fihrist is not known. It is believed to have been written in the 10th century, during the Islamic Golden Age. According to some historians, it was completed around 987 CE while others suggest it was written between 987-982 CE. It was written by the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Nadim in Baghdad, which was then the capital of the Abbassid Caliphate. The Al-Fihrist is an important primary source for the study of the Islamic intellectual and literary tradition and it is considered one of the most comprehensive lists of books and authors from the Islamic Golden Age.
