The Zahiris ─ Their Doctrine and Their History, a Contribution to the History of Islamic Theology

Jewish Hungarian Goldziher (1850-1921) is considered by many to have laid nearly single-handedly the foundations for Islamic studies as an independent academic discipline. Of the many books in German he wrote on many aspects of Islam, Die Zahiriten is counted as minor, but still an important early contribution to the Western understanding of Islamic law, and the starting point for subsequent research into the dissident literalist school that flourished mostly in Spain during the ninth century CE. The English translation first appeared in 1971. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Ignaz Goldziher (1850-1921) was born in Hungary, into an Orthodox family. He studied Arabic, Turkish and Persian. Goldziher studied in Berlin, Leiden and Budapest and got his doctorate in Leipzig. From 1873 he traveled in the Middle East. Returning to Budapest he was appointed an assistant professor in 1894. He earned his living as secretary of the Jewish community of Pest. He was honored by universities and academies in many countries for his contribution to oriental studies. His primary interest was in pre-Islamic and Islamic law, tradition, religion and poetry. Goldziher regarded Judaism and Islam as kindred faiths and was a proponent of Islam at his time.