Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa al-Bahth wa al-Masadir

Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa al-Bahth wa al-Masadir (Glimpses into Libraries, Research, and Reference Sources) is a methodological handbook by Muhammad Ajjaj al-Khatib (d. 1443 AH / 2021 CE) covering the history and organization of libraries, academic research methodology, and major classical and contemporary references across Islamic and Arabic disciplines Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1.

Origin and Publication

The core of the book originated as instructional course notes prepared by al-Khatib when the deanship of the College of Sharia in Riyadh tasked him with teaching a course on research and library methods in 1389 AH / 1969 CE Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1. His teaching approach combined theoretical lectures with applied exercises, including taking classical texts into lecture halls, holding practical sessions in the college library, and dividing students into working groups to locate biographical entries, verify hadiths, and examine topical passages Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1.

The initial drafts were distributed to students and published as a first edition in Riyadh in 1389 AH / 1969 CE, followed by an unrevised second edition in 1390 AH / 1970 CE Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1. In the summer of 1391 AH / 1971 CE, al-Khatib restructured and expanded the work into three comprehensive chapters for its third edition published in Damascus Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1. Substantial additions were made to most chapters in the fourth edition (Damascus, 1395 AH / 1975 CE), and further updates reflecting recent publications and heritage preservation efforts were introduced in the fifth edition, completed in Damascus on 5 Muharram 1400 AH / 24 November 1979 CE Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1. The book was subsequently reprinted across multiple editions, including its twenty-fourth edition issued by Mu'assasat al-Risala in Beirut Nazm Ulum al-Hadith = Aqs….

Structure and Scope

The book is structured into three main chapters (fusul), concluding with detailed indexes Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1:

• Chapter One: The Library (al-Maktaba): Addresses the status of learning in Islam, the early recording of knowledge, the pedagogical objectives of libraries, the historical development and famous institutions of Islamic libraries, prominent modern libraries worldwide, Arabic manuscript collections in Arab and foreign repositories, historical and modern library administration, and library cataloging systems and their utilization Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
• Chapter Two: Research and Its Principles (al-Bahth wa Usuluh): Covers the significance and fundamentals of academic research, the essential qualities and training of a researcher, the impact of scientific methodology, and the step-by-step stages of a research project from topic selection to drafting, refining, and final presentation Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
• Chapter Three: Major Sources and References in Islamic and Arabic Sciences (Ahamm al-Masadir wa al-Maraji' fi 'Ulum al-Islam wa al-'Arabiyya): Surveys the history of scholarly composition across Islamic disciplines and the Arabic language, linking classical works with modern studies Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …. This chapter is divided into thirteen sections (mabahith):
  1. The Quran, exegesis (tafsir), Quranic sciences, and Quranic studies Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  2. Hadith and its sciences Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  3. The Prophetic biography (al-Sirah al-Nabawiyya) Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  4. Creed and sects (al-'Aqida wa al-Firaq) Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  5. Islamic jurisprudence (al-Fiqh) Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  6. Legal theory and the history of legislation (Usul al-Fiqh wa Tarikh al-Tashri') Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  7. Islamic history and biographical compendia (al-Tarikh al-Islami wa al-Tarajim) Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  8. Islamic civilization Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  9. The contemporary Islamic world Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  10. Arabic language and literature Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  11. General compendia and Islamic studies works Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  12. Geographical dictionaries (Ma'ajim al-Buldan) Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….
  13. Bibliographical guides and reference directories (Maraji' al-Maraji') Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….

Method and Reception

In his bibliographic survey, al-Khatib selected representative works from each field rather than attempting exhaustive enumeration, outlining each book's author, era, principal features, and standing within its respective discipline, while listing others without commentary for students to evaluate directly Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …. The manual gained widespread adoption across universities and academic institutes in the Arab and Islamic world as a standard textbook for foundational courses in research methodology and Islamic bibliographic sources Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa ….