Qur'anic Geography
Subtitle: A SURVEY AND EVALUATION OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES IN THE QUR’AN WITH SUGGESTED SOLLUTIONS FOR VARIOUS PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
Publisher: Independent Scholar's Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Canada
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 482
Description: This book covers historical records of the four known times when peoples of the Arabian peninsula united and burst out of the Arabian deserts to conquer other nations (topics such as: The People of 'Ad, People of Thamud, Midianites, etc.). The book also examines the geographical references in the Qur'an cross-referencing them with historical locations. The surprise comes when Gibson examines the Holy City of Islam, known as Mecca. Here Gibson finds evidence that the original Holy City was in northern Arabia in the city of Petra. He theorizes that during an Islamic civil war one hundred years after Muhammad, the Ka'ba was destroyed and the Black Rock was moved to its present location. Gibson examines archaeological, historical and literary evidence that support this theory and addresses many questions and objections that readers may have. This book contains many references, as well as some useful appendices including a 32 page time line of Islamic history from 550 AD - 1095 AD, and a 20 page annotated selected bibliography of early Islamic sources in chronological order from 724 AD - 1100 AD plus a list of many early Qur'anic manuscripts. Fully referenced with many illustrations and photos. It has library binding, and is a must for every academic library or scholar of Middle Eastern History.
Table of contents: title: CONTENTS; title: ix
label: Abbreviations; title: xi
label: Acknowledgements; title: 1
label: Introduction; label: PART I; label: Geographical Background to Arabia; title: 7
label: Chapter 1 Geographical Locations in the Qur'ān; title: 17
label: Chapter 2 The Founding of the Nations; label: PART II; label: The People of ’Ad; title: 30
label: Chapter 3 The People of ’Ad; title: 40
label: Chapter 4 ’Ad in the Bible; title: 55
label: Chapter 5 The Kings of ’Ad; title: 61
label: Chapter 6 ’Ad and the Book of Job; title: 73
label: Chapter 7 ’Ad and the Pharaohs; title: 97
label: Chapter 8 ’Ad, Edom and the Hyksos; label: PART III; label: The People of Midian; title: 118
label: Chapter 9 The People of Midian; label: PART IV; label: The People of Thamud; title: 131
label: Chapter 10 The Kingdom of Thamud; title: 146
label: Chapter 11 Thamudic Trade Routes; title: 166
label: Chapter 12 The Thamudic Golden Age; title: 173
label: Chapter 13 The Thamudic Kingdom Crumbles; label: Part V; label: Pre-Islamic Arabia; title: 187
label: Chapter 14 The Tribes of Arabia; title: 213
label: Chapter 15 The City of Medina; label: Part VI; label: Islam’s Holy City; title: 221
label: Chapter 16 The Holy City; title: 238
label: Chapter 17 The Qibla; title: 251
label: Chapter 18 Archeological Evidence; title: 275
label: Chapter 19 Literary Evidence; title: 302
label: Chapter 20 Historical Evidence; title: 333
label: Chapter 21 Navigation and Pre-Islamic Poetry; title: 346
label: Chapter 22 The Abbāsid Writers; title: 357
label: Chapter 23 The Case for Aqaba and Al-Aqṣa; title: 370
label: Chapter 24 Qur'ānic Geography; label: Part VII; label: Appendices; title: 382
label: A Timeline of Early Islamic History; title: 414
label: B Annotated Bibliography of Early Islamic Sources; title: 435
label: C Early Qur'āns; title: 442
label: D Bibliography of Secondary Source; title: 460
label: E Index