From Ibn Sina to Sindbad: A Guided Reader to Classics of Arabic Literature

A unique textbook of guided readings from the great works of Arabic prose for advanced level students of Classical Arabic literature

From Ibn Sina to Sindbad makes some of the greatest works of the Golden Age of Arab Civilization accessible to Arabic students at the mid- to high-advanced level of proficiency, while also providing a ready curriculum for teachers of Advanced Arabic.

It introduces students to classical Arabic literature through twenty guided readings of works spanning prose genres from travel writing to philosophy, science, religion, humor, and imaginative fiction, including texts by al-Jahiz, al-Kindi, Ibn Khaldun, and Ibn Rushd. Original texts are supplemented with supporting explanatory material, to make them accessible to students, who then progress through an extensive series of exercises to test their comprehension, develop interpretive and critical reading skills, and apply the linguistic structures to their own speaking and writing.

Each of the twenty lessons is designed to stand alone for classroom use or individual study, making this a valuable resource for students and teachers alike.

David DiMeo is an associate professor and director of the Arabic program at Western Kentucky University and has taught Arabic for over twenty years. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and an MA from Princeton University. He is the author of Taha Hussein’s The Days: A Guided Study for Arabic Learners (AUC Press, 2022) and co-author of The Travels of Ibn Battuta: A Guided Arabic Reader (AUC Press, 2016). He hosts the podcast The Golden Age of Islam.

Inas Hassan has a PhD and an MA in Arabic linguistics from Alexandria University in Egypt and is assistant teaching professor and coordinator of the Arabic program at Loyola University Maryland. She is co-author of The Travels of Ibn Battuta: A Guided Arabic Reader (AUC Press, 2016).