This edition of NawÄá¸ir al-Ayk fÄ« NawÄdir al-Nayk by the Islamic scholar JalÄl al-DÄ«n al-SuyÅ«á¹Ä«, which has often sparked controversy in scholarly and popular circles alike, is very important for several reasons. It is not only the first scholarly edition of popular erotic works written by or attributed to al-SuyÅ«á¹Ä«, but also an in-depth study of these works and some of their sources that most of which are understudied.
The genre of premodern Arabic erotic literature has long been neglected by serious scholars and many of the existing works are flawed, but now it is rapidly expanding, and there is a critical need of reliable editions and studies. This work will be very important for scholars and students who are interested in Arabic literature and/or Islamic perspectives on sexuality, because the editions are usually uncritical and, hence, unsatisfactory, whereas this edition is made using reliable studies and meets the standards of an exceptional edition.
George Kadr, A Syrian-Dutch writer and researcher who has obtained a degree in journalism from Damascus University (2000). He published 14 books on history, literature, and religions. He worked on the project "Library of Sex in Arabic Life" (which resulted in 7 books) and published a dictionary of pre-Islamic Arab gods.