The writings of the medieval Islamic scholar Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyya are used today by radical groups, such as al-Qaeda, to justify acts of terrorism. In order to explain this modern influence, this volume offers a fresh perspective on Ibn Taymiyya's life, thought and legacy. Contrary to his current image as an anti-rationalist puritan, it argues that Ibn Taymiyya is one of the most intellectually complex, rigorous and interesting figures in Islamic intellectual history.

Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyya is one of the most controversial thinkers in Islamic history. Today he is revered by what is called the Wahhabi movement and championed by Salafi groups who demand a return to the pristine golden age of the Prophet.

Mariage et séparation à Damas au moyen âge: Un corpus de 62 documents juridiques inédits entre 337/948 et 698/1299. Edited by Jean-Michel Mouton, Domi nique Sourdel, and Janine Sourdel-Thomine. Documents relatifs à l’histoire des Croisades, vol. 21. Paris: L’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles- Lettres, 2013. Pp. 327, illus. €40.

The Criminal Underworld in a Medieval Islamic Society: Narratives from Cairo and Damascus under the Mamluks. By Carl F. Petry. Chicago Studies on the Middle East, vol. 9. Chicago: Middle East Documentation Center, 2012. Pp. viii + 365. $70.