Anaquel de Estudios Árabes (ISSN: 1130-3964, ISSN-e 1988-2645) is an annual peer-reviewed journal founded in 1990. It compiles topics related to the Arabic and Islamic world, both medieval and contemporary, as well as al-Andalus and the Islamic world in general. Contributions are accepted in Spanish, French and English.
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Anaquel de Estudios Árabes is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
Martos Quesada, Juan, Historiografía andalusí. Manual de fuentes árabes para la historia de al-Andalus. Cáceres: Universidad de Extremadura, Sociedad Española de Estudios Medievales, CSIC, 2022, vol. I, 201 pp.; vol. II, 450 pp.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anaquel de Estudios Árabes
Tejel, Jordi, Rethinking State and Border Formation in the Middle East: Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi Borderlands 1921-1946. Edimburgo: Edinburgh University Press, 2023, 376 pp.
Sharifism and Sanctity: The Banū Amgār and the Ribāṭ Tīṭ-n-Fiṭr in al-Zammūrī’s Bahjat al-Nāẓirīn (8th/14th Century)
In recent decades, the study of ribāṭs in the Islamic West has experienced a marked renewal of interest, reflected in an increasing number of scholarly gatherings and a substantial expansion of the bibliography. This renewed attention has considerably advanced our understanding of both the historical circumstances surrounding their emergence in this region and the subsequent modalities of their evolution. Researchers have drawn upon a wide range of source materials—historical, geographical, and, not least, hagiographical—thus underscoring the indispensable role of the latter category, particularly in the context of al-Maghrib al-Aqṣā. The present article undertakes a close reading of al-Zammūrī’s Bahjat al-nāẓirīn wa-uns al-ḥāḍirīn (8th/14th century), with the aim of supplementing and refining the information provided by earlier studies concerning the establishment and development of one of the earliest ribāṭs in Morocco, ʿAyn al-Fiṭr, founded by the distinguished and widely venerated lineage of the Banū Amghār.
Rogan, Eugene. Los Sucesos de Damasco: La matanza de 1860 y la formación del Oriente Medio Moderno, Editorial Planeta, 2025, 379 pp.
The deportation of Marj al-Zuhur: The international consecration of Hamas and the establishment of ties with regional actors
This article analyses the impact of Israel's expulsion of the main leaders of the Palestinian organization Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to the Lebanese town of Marj al-Zuhur in 1992. The text examines the historical circumstances surrounding Hamas at that time, the transformation that the experience brought about, which served to review and modernize its internal political and armed structures, and the impact it had on Hamas in terms of media coverage, especially for an Arab and Islamic audience. It also analyses how the so-called “Camp Jerusalem-The Return”, where the leaders settled, served as a “pilot programme” for a possible Islamist government and as a platform from which the organization deepened and created regional alliances that have proved significant in the decades since.
Between Phraseology and Rhetoric: The Translatability of Idiomatic Collocations and al-badīʿ devices in Risāla fī Faḍl al-Andalus
This study examines figurative collocations in Ibn Ḥazm’s Risāla fī faḍl al-Andalus (Epistle in Praise of al-Andalus, 994–1064) from a threefold perspective: phraseological, rhetorical, and translatological. The analysis focuses on a representative selection of passages where highly fixed multiword units with strong aesthetic value are concentrated. Their main morphosyntactic configurations are described, highlighting recurrent structural and semantic patterns characteristic of classical Arabic prose, and connected to rhetorical devices of ʿilm al-badīʿ such as metaphor, hyperbole, parallelism, and rhymed prose. Translation strategies into Spanish are also examined—including fixed equivalents, cultural modulations, paraphrases, and functional adaptations—while reflecting on the constant tension between formal fidelity and idiomatic fluency. Findings reveal that translating these expressions is particularly challenging due to the archaic nature of the text, its rhetorical density, and cultural load, thus raising the fundamental question of whether to preserve the collocational character or to prioritize meaning and naturalness in the target language.
An Approach to Amazigh Paremiographic and Paremiological Studies in Morocco
The collection and study of Amazigh sayings have their embryonic origins at the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of the current century, mainly in the framework of research projects developed in the different departments of philology French-Amazigh from the Moroccan university. This delay is due to the strictly oral nature of the Amazigh language, as well as to the lack of specialists with solid conceptual and methodological tools, compared to what happens in languages such as Spanish or French. The aim of this work is therefore to explore the history of Amazigh paremiography and paremiology, in order to make known the main works written in this field of knowledge by both Moroccan and foreign researchers, and perform a taxonomic analysis of the procedure used to collect and study these sayings. Simultaneously, this work seeks to furnish future scholars with a foundational resource for the development of further research of greater scope and depth.
Wasta as Hybrid Socio-Cultural Capital: Negotiating Legitimacy and Merit in the Digital Gulf
This article examines how wāsiṭa (Arabic: واسطة ), the use of personal connections to gain access to opportunities, is negotiated in digital forums across the Gulf region. Moving beyond traditional definitions of nepotism, we theorize wāsiṭa as a form of hybrid sociocultural capital that blends social ties with cultural legitimacy and moral obligation. Using a hermeneutic approach combined with Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modelling, we analyse 811 comments from platforms including Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, and Saudi university forums. The findings reveal a constitutive moral ambivalence where online users simultaneously condemn the practice as a corrosive barrier to meritocracy while defending it as a pragmatic tool for navigating institutional gaps. We identify three primary interpretive clusters, including pragmatic navigation, moral ambivalence, and structural entrenchment, that illustrate how informal institutions adapt rather than disappear under conditions of modernization. By mapping this digital moral grammar, the study contributes to broader debates on the resilience of informal governance and the shifting nature of legitimacy in contemporary Gulf societies.
Characterization of the cultural policy of Caliph al- Ḥakam II through the orientation of intellectuals
The purpose of this study is to characterize, through quantitative analysis, the political and cultural position of the caliph of al-Andalus, al-Ḥakam II (915-976), through the exercise of office and dedication to various subjects by the intellectuals of the time. The framework of cultural policy integrated into the program of legitimization of the Andalusian caliphate is seen as the necessary context. To this end, records corresponding to the group of scholars linked to the era of the aforementioned caliph have been extracted from two highly relevant databases. The establishment of several groups of intellectuals according to their chronology makes it possible to compare them and observe possible trends over time. The analysis of the positions held by these scholars and the subjects they studied allows conclusions to be drawn about the political effort devoted to specific areas of knowledge and institutional functions, which makes it possible to characterize the situation.
Hanne, Olivier, Histoire du djihad, Paris: Texto, 2025, 512 pp.
Funerary Symbolism and Sufi Iconography at the Shakhandan Cemetery (Shamakhi, Azerbaijan): An Archaeological and Epigraphic Study
This study presents the first comprehensive archaeological, iconographic, and epigraphic analysis of the Islamic-period funerary monuments of the Shakhandan (Şaxəndan) cemetery in Shamakhi city, Azerbaijan, with particular emphasis on the mausoleum (türbe) and the surrounding Sufi graves. The Shahkhandan cemetery was closely associated with the Sufi orders in the late Middle Ages and is currently the prestigious central city cemetery of Shamakhi. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in 2025, the research documents the architectural features, symbolic programs, and tombstone inscriptions concentrated around an octagonal mausoleum (türbe), as well as graves in the southern sector of the necropolis. Using GPS-based spatial recording, high-resolution photography, petrographic tests to distinguish sandstone from limestone, and ISO-standard transliteration of Arabic, Persian, and Turkic inscriptions, the research establishes a detailed typology of monuments. Also, we examine the cultural, religious, and doctrinal meanings embedded in their decorative motifs. The türbe contains two burials with markedly non-qibla orientations, suggesting historically shifting ritual norms or pre-existing burial layouts. Their stelae display complex iconographic compositions integrating pre-Islamic solar imagery, concentric wheel-like rosettes, cypress motifs, lotus (nīlūfar) crowns, book-and-rehal symbols, drop and cup forms, and ābdān-type niches. These elements are interpreted as a coherent Sufi symbolic program referring to divine light (nūr), spiritual ascent, dhikr (zikr) cycles, mystical knowledge, and the metaphysical status of the deceased. Comparative analysis indicates an affiliation with the Sufi traditions in Shirvan, where cosmological, vegetal, and geometric motifs historically played central roles in the funerary visual language. Outside the türbe, additional stelae exhibit solar beams, stylised mihrabs, nilüfer motifs, Seljuk chain ornamentation, and child burials, reflecting a stratified ritual landscape that likely developed around the tomb of a revered Sufi shaykh. Epigraphic data from the southern section, spanning the late eighteenth to early twentieth centuries, attests to the continued use of the cemetery and to its shifting devotional patterns. Over time, Sufi graves gradually become diluted and replaced by graves of people not associated with Sufis, but with the same tomb stylistic features, with a tendency towards gradual simplification. Our investigation reveals that Sufi burial traditions have been declining gradually in recent times. Sufi mystical symbols transform into ordinary elements of décor in Soviet grave tombs. The study argues that the Shakhandan cemetery preserves a multilayered sacred heritage in which architectural form, ornament, and text collectively articulate Sufi cosmology, communal memory, and regional variations of Islamic funerary practice.
Shafik, Ahmed y Mohamed Saad, Saad (Eds.), Diccionario de unidades fraseológicas (español/árabe). Volumen I. Español peninsular, Madrid y Granada: Instituto Egipcio de Estudios Islámicos y Comares, 2025, 512 pp. Diccionario de unidades fraseológicas (español/árabe). Volumen II. Americanismos, Madrid: Instituto Egipcio de Estudios Islámicos, 2025, 498 pp.
Paleography of the Andalusi Visigothic manuscripts: An essay on Escorial MS Ar. 1623
This article presents a palaeographical analysis of manuscript 1623, preserved in the Royal Library of the Monastery of El Escorial, as a prominent example of the continuity and adaptation of Visigothic script within an Andalusi context, influenced by the interaction between Arab and Latin traditions. The presence of two Latin fragments in this codex, which contains an Arabic translation of the Hispano-Christian canonical collections, offers a unique opportunity to compare it with other contemporary manuscripts and, in particular, with epigraphy. This analysis reveals the manuscript's connection with the Andalusi Visigothic school of Córdoba. The discovery of innovative graphic elements that reflect this regional variant provides new perspectives on how Visigothic script was not only preserved, but also adapted and transformed to serve the Christian communities living under Islamic rule in al-Andalus during the Early and High Middle Ages.
Situations of Freedom and Unfreedom in the Great Ecclesiastical Properties of Al-Andalus (c. 950-1060)
The Arabic MS 1623 of the Royal Library of the Monastery of El Escorial is extremely rich in information on the form of governing the large tracts of ecclesiastical properties that survived from the Visigothic period until well into the Andalusi period. The transformations that occurred in land exploitation are currently being explored through archaeology, but the Canonical Collection of Andalusi Christians (c. 950-1060) allows us to analyse1 the continuity of the Visigothic servile system, the typology of unfree and free persons under Christian law and its parallels in Maliki law, and the characteristics of manumission and the persistence of the Christian slave system once it passed into Islamic rule.
Poems, prologues, paratexts. The Arabic Collectio Hispana (RBME, MS Ar. 1623) and its Potential Latin Models
he mid-eleventh-century MS Ar. 1623, held at the Royal Library in El Escorial, preserves a unique canon law collection in Arabic language. The manuscript is a valuable source for studying the Christian communities of al- Andalus. Although ultimately derived from the Latin Collectio Hispana, the Arabic code represents a distinct variant of this early medieval canon law collection, differing from the extant Latin versions in many respects. However, it is still unclear whether the Arabic collection’s unique features resulted from a deliberate adaptation of the traditional canon to the living conditions of Arabised Christians in a Muslim-dominated environment, or whether these features had already emerged in an earlier Latin archetype intended for use in a Christian-ruled society outside of al-Andalus. Through analysing two paratextual prefaces from the Arabic manuscript, this article examines the interrelations between the Arabic collection and the surviving Latin tradition of the Collectio Hispana in more detail.
A list of the Hispanic Ecclesiastical provinces and their suffragan sees according to Escorial MS Ar. 1623, with a Nomina sedium episcopaliam in appendix (Simonet’s Catalogue revisited)
This article1 undertakes a critical examination of the three documents employed by Simonet in his treatment of the ecclesiastical divisions of Hispania and their respective suffragan sees—namely, an excerptum from the Codex miscellaneus ovetensis, an extract from the so-called ‘Mozarabic Codex’ of Isidore of Seville’s Etymologiae, and a further text drawn from al-Qānūn al-Muqaddas (The Holy Canon). The objective is to assess the accuracy of Simonet’s readings and, through a systematic comparison with the relevant sources, to re-establish—inasmuch as is feasible—certain interpretations which, in our view, are erroneous.
Jreis Navarro, Laila M. (Ed.) Emociones nazaríes. La crónica de una transición. Colección de Estudios Árabes e Islámicos. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2025, 227 pp.
Al-Qānūn al-Muqaddas (El Escorial MS Ar. 1623): The Holy Canon of the Andalusi Church. A Reassessment from a Bird’s Eye View
A Linguistic Study of Lancelot Addison’s Seventeenth-Century Index of the Moorish words
In 1671, Lancelot Addison wrote an ethnographic account following his seven-year tenure (1663-1670) as chaplain to the British garrison of Tangier. His book provides historical and ethnographic insights into the region and its inhabitants. This article aims to enhance our understanding of European sources of knowledge on seventeenth-century Moroccan Arabic. To this end, it provides detailed information on Addison’s life and works, alongside an analysis of the linguistic content found in the aforementioned book. By focusing on the Arabic dialect of Tangier, this study offers an opportunity to revisit and critically assess earlier statements regarding this variety of Moroccan Arabic.
The Kufic calligraphic style in the titles of the suras of Mudejar and Morisco Qur’anic manuscripts
This article examines the persistence and transformation of the Kufic calligraphic style in the sura titles of Mudejar and Morisco Qur'anic manuscripts. Through the analysis of 155 manuscripts preserved in Spain, produced between the 15th and 17th centuries, and the application of the digital tools ChatGPT and Google Colab, the study identifies stylistic patterns that reveal both the direct inheritance of the Andalusī calligraphic tradition and its evolution to their own style, which arose from the necessary adaptation to the new contexts. Although the Mudejar and Morisco Kufic preserves certain Andalusī features, it is distinguished, above all, by the incorporation of decorative motifs in some of its letters and by a remarkable stylistic diversity. This work proposes a classification of the different stylistic variants found in the titles of the Qur’anic suras. The study further reveals that every manuscript using Kufic was produced in the eastern Iberian Peninsula, so part of the analysis also focuses on the relationship between Kufic, the presence of ornamental elements, and the different places of production. Additionally, this calligraphic phenomenon is linked to other parallel Andalusī artistic traditions such as epigraphy.
When We Read Frantz Fanon and Were Latin Americans: The Real and Imagined Translation and Circulation of Third-World Revolutionary Works among Leftist Groups in Iran between the 1953 Coup and the 1979 Revolution
This article2 analyses the real and imagined translation and circulation of Third- World revolutionary works among leftist groups in Iran between the 1953 coup and the 1977-1979 revolution through the cases of Frantz Fanon and Latin America. On the one hand, Frantz Fanon was instrumental in favouring a unique Iranian understanding of the Third World, based on a recasting of the idea of mostad'afin (oppressed). On the other hand, people in Iran during the period under consideration published pamphlets as "white covers" or tended to avoid direct references to local issues, preferring to speak in allegories, use double-meaning words, or write or translate books on similar matters in other countries or times. In numerous cases, and when dealing with the Global South and armed revolution, these books and pamphlets were translations of works from, or made allegorical reference to, Latin America.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anaquel de Estudios Árabes
Analysis of Sīzā Nabarāwī’s feminist discourse from the perspective of argumentation theory
Sīzā Nabarāwī's contribution to the history of women's intellectual movements is evident in her articles, which were published in the feminist journal L'Egyptienne (1925–1940). Her writings relentlessly challenged patriarchal norms, pushing the boundaries of advocacy for equal rights and opportunities for Egyptian women. Using the theory of argumentation proposed by Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca, this article aims to identify the argumentative strategies used by Sīzā Nabarāwī in her selected publications in L'Egyptienne. This article will demonstrate how Nabarāwī used Islam to justify the reforms proposed by the Egyptian Feminist Union, which aimed to improve the status of Egyptian women. In order to legitimise her position, Nabarāwī uses female historical figures, Qur'anic hermeneutics, and highlights the inconsistencies of religious traditionalists. This research will contribute to the body of work by other authors who have defined the characteristics of the early Egyptian feminist movement led by Huda Ša'rāwī. At the same time, this article acknowledges Nabarāwī's contribution to the Egyptian Feminist Union.
Donner Fred M. y Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee (Eds], Scripts and Scripture: Writing and Religion in Arabia circa 500-700 CE. (Late Antique and Medieval Islamic Near East, 3), Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 2022, XXII+287 pp. ISBN: 978-1-61491-073- 2
Review of Donner, Fred. M. y Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee (eds.), Scripts and Scripture: Writing and Religion in Arabia circa 500-700 CE.
Gender and public spaces in Oran (Algeria): a comparative study of the attendance and participation in the creation of public spaces between women and men
Although women are no longer confined to the domestic sphere and their presence in Algerian public spaces is widely recognized and socially legitimized, gender disparities persist, shaped by enduring socio-cultural factors. Public spaces are not only key sites where urban inequalities are produced and manifested, but also central arenas for exploring, developing, and implementing solutions. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach combining questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and in situ observations, this study examines the gendered dynamics of use and participation in Oran's public spaces (Algeria). It investigates how gender influences attendance patterns, spatial perceptions, and civic engagement within broader urban production processes. The findings reveal differentiated practices and persistent inequalities in access to participation, exposing a discrepancy between institutional discourses that promote inclusivity. This research emphasizes the importance of urban planning sensitive to socio-cultural contexts, offering concrete recommendations to planners and policymakers to promote more equitable and inclusive public spaces.
Spoken Arabic in Written Chats: four Arab girls talk about dinner time and venue
Chat texting shows the adoption of informal Arabic in writing, where the virtual participants accommodate each other and implement convergent strategies, at least for some key elements of the discourse. The selected texts reflect the linguistic behavior adopted in writing by the native Arab girls involved, interacting in a very natural and friendly way. They come from Morocco (1), Syria (1), Egypt (1), Gaza (1), are aged between 25-40, and live in Texas, where they work as Arabic instructors. Their behaviors in chatting shows accommodation to a written language register comfortable for each one of them. This was possible by the adoption of precise lexical entries, verbs, and adverbs, coupled with specific morphological traits. The point of discussion here is the type and process of written accommodation, in particular for the decline of the exclusive Egyptian variety monopoly, compared to accommodative behaviors investigated in the past.
«Anarchists Without Knowing It»: A Critical Reassessment of the Concept of Anarchy in the Societies of the Rif
This study offers a critical reading of the concept of anarchy as applied to non-European contexts from a decolonial anarchist perspective. It examines how French-Spanish colonial historiography used the term to portray the Rif as a chaotic territory, thereby legitimizing colonial intervention. At the same time, some postcolonial currents have idealized these societies, interpreting them as anarchist without considering their historical specificity, the absence of explicit ideology, or the presence of power structures such as patriarchy or rule by elders. Through a historiographic and anthropological review of Riffian societies, the article highlights the importance of contextualizing sociopolitical practices before labeling them through external theoretical frameworks. Finally, it discusses the concepts of “libertarian practices” or “communitarian practices” as an analytical alternative that acknowledges their value as forms of resistance to colonialism and the state, while remaining attentive to their cultural specificity and avoiding Eurocentric or reductionist interpretations
The role of Andalusian heritage in the legitimation of the Alaouite dynasty in Morocco: a comparative analysis between Hassan II and Mohammed VI
This work explores how the Alaouite monarchy in Morocco has used Andalusian heritage (both tangible and intangible) to legitimise their rule. While previous scholars have mainly focused on the traditional sources of legitimation, this work focuses on cultural heritage as a new approach within these sources to analyse legitimacy in the Moroccan monarchy. This comparative analysis between Hassan II (1961-1999) and Mohammed VI (1999-present) will help us understand why a Moroccan ruler decides to foster tangible, intangible heritage, or both, depending on the socio-political situation present in their reign. Hassan II focused on large national monuments, such as the Hassan II National Mosque or the Mohammed V Mausoleum, in order to assert his religious and political legitimacy through its link with a glorious Islamic and Andalusian past, while Mohammed VI rather relied on smaller-scale projects, such as several Jewish-Andalusian museums across the country, with a higher interest in promoting Andalusian music in line with his narrative of tolerance, convivencia and modernisation. By integrating theories of legitimation with the case of Andalusian heritage in Morocco, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of the political use of heritage in modern Morocco.
Ethnography of Mawlid Nabawi in Beni Abbes: commemorations, rituals and identity
The aim of this article is to faithfully reconstruct the religious event of Mawlid Nabawī in Beni Abbes (a town in south-west Algeria), through the history of the Mawlid around the world and in Algeria. In the absence of any documentary evidence or research into this festive celebration, this is perpetuated specifically in Beni Abbes with unique local characteristics, In response to this gap we opted for event-ethnography as a method, based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews, in addition to the itinerary method, which enabled us to map the route of the festival procession. This study was conducted over the course of three successive years in order to faithfully reconstruct the unfolding of this atypical religious ceremony, mapping its procession and studying its impact on urban tissue. Moreover, the objective is to showcase the existence of social and intergenerational dialogue within the community, underlining the importance of preserving this mawlid as intangible cultural heritage.
Al-Jallad, Ahmad, The Religion and Rituals of the Nomads of Pre-Islamic Arabia: A Reconstruction Based on the Safaitic Inscriptions (Ancient Languages and Civilizations, 1). Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2022, xiv+149 pp.
Kashani-Sabet, Firoozeh y Steele, Robert (eds.). Iran and Global Decolonisation: Politics and Resistance after Empire. Londres: Gingko, 2023, 445 pp.