Hawzah News Agency - Ali Mohajerani, the librarian of the specialized foreign books hall of the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi, announced that the 147-year-old lead-printed book ‘The History of Muslims’ by Simon Ockley, published in English, is preserved in the rare books section.

Simon Ockley, a British orientalist and professor of Arabic at the University of Cambridge, dedicated much of his life to the study of Eastern cultures and languages.

The book was first published in two volumes between 1708 and 1718 and has been reprinted multiple times. The revised edition, printed in London in 1878, is kept at the Central Library.

The 512-page book, containing 41 lines per page, includes explanatory notes on some of its pages. It also has a 7-page bibliography, an 8-page introduction, and a 2-page table of contents. The cover has been restored and is made of cardboard with a cloth overlay.

“The book is considered a milestone in 18th-century orientalism, providing a clear depiction of the life of Prophet Muhammad and the significant events that occurred after his demise up to the era of Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, the fifth Umayyad caliph”, Mohajerani emphasized.

The fifth chapter details the life and caliphate of Imam Ali, focusing on his election to caliphate, early challenges, internal rebellions, the Battle of Jamal, the Battle of Siffin and arbitration, the Kharijite rebellion, and the martyrdom of Imam Ali.

“Understanding this work requires a deep comprehension of its historical context. While Ockley introduced Arabic sources to the Western world, his analyses were influenced by Western perspectives and the limitations of the sources available at the time”, Mohajerani noted.

According to Mohammadreza Fakhr Rohani, a faculty member at Qom University, Ockley was the first to extract and translate 169 aphorisms of Imam Ali from "Ghurar al-Hikam" into English. He also wrote a concise but insightful preface to his translation, highlighting the profound wisdom found in Imam Ali's sayings.

Despite his academic stature, Ockley's life was marred by financial difficulties, and he was even imprisoned for debt. However, his works, including ‘The History of Muslims’, testify to his ability to bridge cultural gaps between the East and the West, primarily relying on manuscripts attributed to Muslim historian and biographer al-Waqidi.