Historical Periods of Islam; Hadith (Revised Draft for Comment)

297.09 History, geographic treatment, biography
297.125 Hadith (Traditions) [formerly 297.124]

We just posted a revised draft for comment on proposed changes to the developments for Hadith and the historical periods of Islam.  This draft supersedes the earlier draft mentioned in previous posts (see here and here). 

Please comment directly to this blog entry or by one of the alternative methods given with the draft by September 15.  EPC will begin voting on the revised draft on September 20, and your input is valuable to the committee and the Dewey editorial team.

Comments

[Kamal Lounaci]

The decision to consider that Islamic history cannot exist prior the year 610 (the date of the Revelation) is entirely pertinent. The change proposed to class 297.09, corresponding to the period prior to 499 AD, allows the true period of the beginnings of Islam to be delimited; even more so as the word "Islam" did not appear in the terminology of the era until after the Emigration of the Prophet Muhammad to Medina in 622. Thus the class 297.0902 (610-1499) is perfectly coherent and appropriately circumscribes the historic periods of which Islam is comprised.

However, it would have been advisable to separate the Period of the Revelation 297.090211 into two periods: the Period of Mecca [610-622] and the Period of Medina [622-632]. These two periods are historically distinct in both the spiritual and political journeys of the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. The year of the Hegira (Emigration to Medina in 622) is considered by Muslims as the period of the official birth of their Community. It also corresponds to the time period during which the Muslim calendar began.

As to the period of the 4 Caliphs [297.090 212], it seems a little under developed compared to what it should be. It would be desirable, for example, to include a class dedicated exclusively to the assassination of Caliph Ali in 661. This period is even more crucial in the history of Islam as the great schism of Islam (Sunnites, Shiites) appeared during this time.

Lounaci, Kamal
Librarian
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Quebec (BAnQ)