4 RARE Orientalist Books 1895-1925 Islamic Arabia Mecca Islam Quran with illustrations

This lot is for all FOUR (4) of the rare Orientalist books shown in the images above.

Orientalism is the study of the “Orient” or Eastern cultures often to depict them as underdeveloped, uncivilised and static.

After the crusades in the Middle Ages, attempts to attack Islam on an academic or intellectual level became widespread. By the 17th Century, a Quran was translated into English and several books on the Life of Muhammad were printed mostly in London and Oxford, some translated from French.

(1) “Mahomet and Islam: A Sketch of the Prophet’s Life from Original Sources and a Brief and a Brief Outline of His Religion”
By Sir William Muir
Printed in 1895 by The Religious Tract Society : London
This book is 130 years old and it contains eight amazing illustrations and a map of Arabia.

Written by Sir William Muir, a Scottish orientalist, colonial administrator and Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Provinces of British India.
There is an amazing view of Mecca and a view of Medina from over 130 years ago!
A total of 256 pages including a detailed index section.
It is bound in its original brown cloth with an amazing ripple type effect in the cloth as issued which I believe is known as “moire rib”.
The original owner has written her name in a neat ink inscription on the front free endpaper:
“Ms Jenkinson
7 Charlescombe Street
Birkenhead”

The binding is nice & tight, the covers and the contents in very good condition.
It is heavy for its size as the paper quality that was used is very good.
There is a copy available on eBay for £125 (including shipping).

(2) “The Sources of Islam: A Persian Treatise”
by W. St. Clair-Tisdall, translated and abridged by Sir William Muir
1st Edition Edinburgh 1901

This book explores the ‘origins’ of Islamic beliefs and practices, examining their potential sources and influences according to the author.

This 124 year old book is bound in its original purple cloth, it contains an 8 page introduction and then 102 pages.

It is in very good condition as shown with minor blemishes and marks.
The original owner of this book has written his name on the front free endpaper:
“Thomas S Veitch, Linlithgow” which is a famous family in Scotland.

There is one copy available from another dealer for £140 (including shipping).

(3) “Islam and Africa – An Introduction to the Study of Islam for African Christians”.
By Godfrey Dale
Published by Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ( SPCK ), Macmillan, London 1925

This book is a very rare 100 year old book and was written by Godfrey Dale who was Canon of Christ Church Cathedral in Zanzibar.

He prepared this work in response to the request of the Bishop of Nyasaland “to supply European teachers of African Christians in districts where Islam is aggressive, with a small manual dealing with the points which are certain to be discussed when Christian and Moslem come into contact”.

It describes the genealogy and life of the Prophet Mohammed, the Koran, articles of belief, religious practices (Hajj, Ramadan, Jihad, family relationships, slavery etc), and “Mohammedan objections to Christian beliefs” and how to address them.

Bound in its original blue cloth with title in black to spine.
Measures 13 x 19cm. 8 page introduction + 141pages.

The book is in very good condition with just minor blemishes and minor bumps to the top and bottom of the spine. Binding is tight and contents are fine, lightly tanned with further tanning to endpapers.

There is one copy available from another dealer for £150 (plus shipping)

(4) “The Life And Religion of Mohammed : The Prophet of Arabia”
Rev. J. L. Menezes, London 1912.

This is a rare book printed in 1912, written by a missionary based in India.

It contains 194 pages which were recently described as a “character assassination”.

The cover and contents are in good condition with some minor spotting and blemishes.
A dealer is offering a copy of this book for £100 (including shipping).

These books are over 100 years old and in remarkable conditio having been carefully stored in a book case and all from the same collection/library formed in the early 1980’s.

The total price if purchased individually from specialist antiquarian bookdealers would exceed £600.