The Jewish Discovery of Islam

"Jewish scholars," writes Bernard Lewis, "were among the first who attempted to present Islam to European readers as Muslims themselves see it and to stress, to recognize, and indeed sometimes to romanticize the merits and achievements of Muslim civilization in its great days." Lewis's premise is explored in ten studies prepared in honor of his eightieth birthday. Contributors include Benjamin Braude, Lawrence I. Conrad, Joel L. Kraemer, Martin Kramer, Jacob M. Landau, Jacob Lassner, the late Hava Lazarus-Yafeh, Minna Rozen, Shulamit Sela, and David Wasserstein.