A Muslim American Slave: The Life of Omar Ibn Said (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography)
“An indispensable introduction to the writing and world of Omar Ibn Said, whose Arabic slave narrative, masterfully translated and contextualized here, challenges our every assumption about American literature.”—Keith Cartwright, University of North Florida“Expertly introduced, edited, and translated from the Arabic by Ala Alryyes,A Muslim American Slave:The Life of Omar Ibn Saidoffers the fullest historical, cultural, linguistic, and religious contexts for an understanding of this fascinating American slave narrative.”—Werner Sollors, Harvard University“This critical study will enrich any undergraduate and graduate seminar on slavery, religion, literary resistance, and the development of an African American Islamic tradition under slavery.”—H-Net Reviews“A rich exploration into the history of Islam and slavery in America.”—Library Journal“In ‘A Muslim American Slave,’ Mr. Alryyes’s excellent commentary is accompanied by other scholarly essays that examine Ibn Said’s West African homeland and Michael Gomez’s history of the antebellum influx of Muslim slaves to the United States. The reader gleans a sense not only of Omar Ibn Said but also of the historical forces that shaped him.”—The Wall Street Journal