Classical Heritage in Islam

<p>The influence of classical antiquity on the religious disciplines theology mysticism and law of Islam cannot be overestimated. This work demonstrates the significance of the classical heritage by drawing together a great range of literary renderings paraphrases commentaries and imitations as well as independent Islamic elaborations. Professor Rosenthal's collection includes the work of early authors authors of the Golden Age and later writers who imitated their works. <em>The Classical Heritage in Islam</em> reveals that the Muslim adoption of and dependence on classical texts was not blind imitation or a casual compounding of traditions but rather an original synthesis and therefore a unique achievement.</p>