Objective This project will examine the manuscripts of a biography of the Prophet Muhammad (d. ca. 632), written by the Maliki jurist Qadi ‘Iyad (d. 1149), in order to elucidate the historical context of the work’s enduring popularity with Muslim readers. The Kitab al-shifa’ fi ta‘rif huquq al-Mustafa (The book of healing concerning the recognition of the true facts about the chosen one) circulated widely both inside and outside the Islamic West. A large number of manuscripts, written between the 13th and the early 20th century, are known to be extant, but no autograph has been preserved. The project will approach the work’s manuscripts as material evidence for how readers engaged with the text and for how their interpretation evolved over time. Drawing on the methodologies of codicology and critical bibliography, as developed by literary critics and cultural historians for research on Medieval and Renaissance Europe, the manuscript analysis will document changing modes of production, transmission and reading. In order to advance the integration of Digital Humanities into Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Open Source tools will be employed to map the circulation of al-Shifa’ copies. Since Qadi ‘Iyad is one of the authorities of Maliki Islam in North Africa, the research will be conducted at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) in Madrid under the supervision of Prof. Maribel Fierro, an international authority of the history of the Islamic West. The results will be published as an interpretative study, accompanied by a database of al-Shifa’ copies and a visualization of their circulation; the three parts will be available Open Access on the CSIC website. Analyzing the material evidence preserved by al-Shifa’ copies will provide major new insights into Muslim approaches to the veneration of the Prophet Muhammad since the Middle Ages, thereby refocusing the discussion of whether in Islam religious education stands in the way of progress and modernization. Fields of science humanitieshistory and archaeologyhistoryhumanitiesphilosophy, ethics and religionreligionsislam Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2015-EF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2015 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Coordinator AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Net EU contribution € 158 121,60 Address Calle serrano 117 28006 Madrid Spain See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
