al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Taalimuhu

al-Talmud: Tarikhuhu wa-Ta‘alimuhu (The Talmud: Its History and Teachings) is an Arabic treatise written by the Indian scholar and author Zafar al-Islam Khan, examining the historical development, textual composition, and religious and legal doctrines of the Talmud al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…+1.

Background and Purpose

The author completed the work in Beirut in August 1971 CE (Jumada al-Akhirah 1391 AH) al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…. Khan stated that the Arabic library suffered from a severe deficit of objective, serious studies addressing Jewish and Zionist matters without prejudice, emphasizing that understanding Judaism and its historical literature is essential for analyzing the modern Zionist movement al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…+1.

Structure and Contents

The book is arranged into a series of topical discussions accompanied by concluding appendices:

• The Mishna and Oral Law: The book explains the origins of the Mishna as a compilation of the oral law assembled by Judah ha-Nasi between 190 and 200 CE al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…. It outlines its division into six orders (sedarim): Zeraim (Seeds), Moed (Appointed Times), Nashim (Women), Nezikin (Damages), Kodashim (Holy Things), and Toharot (Purities), encompassing sixty-three tractates, alongside the minor tractates and related compilations such as the Midrash al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta….
• The Gemara and the Two Talmuds: Khan analyzes the discussions of the rabbis recorded in the Palestinian (Jerusalem) Talmud, compiled around 400 CE primarily in Tiberias, and the Babylonian Talmud, completed around 500 CE al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…. He provides a comparative analysis of their historical contexts, compilation speeds, and linguistic traits, contrasting the Western Aramaic elements of the Jerusalem Talmud with the Eastern Aramaic, Syriac, Greek, Latin, and Arabic lexical influences in the Babylonian Talmud al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta….
• History and Sectarian Movements: The text details the roles of the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, and early rabbinic figures such as Shammai and Hillel, as well as Jewish groups that rejected the Talmud, such as Karaism, noting the historical impact of Islam on Jewish thought al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…+1. It also chronicles historical events involving the public burning and censorship of the Talmud in medieval Europe al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…+1.
• Doctrines, Ethics, and Beliefs: The author critiques Talmudic theology, ethics, and logic, addressing Talmudic accounts of Jesus, the status of women, relations with non-Jews, narratives regarding the destruction of the Temple, folklore and magical practices (such as astrology and divination), and points of comparison between Talmudic Judaism and Hinduism al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta…+1.

The volume concludes with two appendices: a biographical register identifying key personalities mentioned throughout the work, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, followed by general indexes al-Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Ta….

Publication History

The work was issued by Dar al-Nafais in Beirut and saw widespread circulation through repeated editions, including a second edition in 1972 CE, a fourth edition in 1401 AH (1981 CE), a fifth edition in 1984 CE, and a seventh edition in 1405 AH (1985 CE) Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+3.