Subject Rubrics

The subject headings below are descriptive of the content of individual manuscripts as identified by the several catalogers of these collections. Since these are largely Islamic libraries our manuscript classification system is mainly based on the Islamic disciplines/sciences, but occasionally the same or similar material may appear under more than one broad rubric, following the best judgment of different catalogers. Cross-references to the most common double or triple listings of a subject appear below. Three topics that would not appear among the Islamic disciplines have been added: "politics," "economy" and "social matters" largely to incorporate correspondence and other writings that fall outside the Islamic sciences.

The subject lists below are not comprehensive. Some of the more detailed descriptors for individual manuscripts are indicated to provide users with an idea of the range of material within particular rubrics. The approximate number of records in the data base for each subject (as of 6/08) appears in parentheses following each general subject.

General Rubrics (and approx. record numbers in each)

Click on subject headings for a detailed listing of sub-topics.

Administration: see Politics
Allegiance: see Politics
Arithmetic: see Science
Arabic Language (1603)
Adjudication: see Jurisprudence
Belief (2286)
Bibliography (39)
Biography (224)
Brotherhoods: see Sufism, orders
Census/lists: see Politics and Economy
Chain of authority: see Education and Sufism
Charms/talismans: see Esoteric Sciences
Colonialism: see Politics
Conduct (146)
Devotional (2101)
Dictionary: see Arabic Language
Economy (557)
Education (216)
Elegy, Eulogy: see Literature
Encyclopaedia (22)
Esoteric Sciences (561)
Ethics (496)
Etiquette: see Conduct
Fatwa: see Jurisprudence, adjudication
Fiqh: see Jurisprudence
Foreign (non-Arabic) language: see Arabic Language
Genealogy (186)
Geography (24)
Grammar: see Arabic Language
Hadith (658)
History (739)
Jihad: see Reform
Jurisprudence (5092)
Law (see Jurisprudence)
Legal cases/opinions: see Jurisprudence, adjudication
License: see Sufism and Education
Litanies: see Sufism
Literature (2024)
Logic (143)
Medicine (123)
Mysticism: see Sufism
Poetry: see Literature and Sufism
Politics (674)
Praise of Prophet, others: see Prophet and Devotional
Prayer: see Devotional and Sufism and Conduct
Prophet Muhammad (559)
Qur'an (1090)
Reform (115)
Science (280)
Shari`a: see Jurisprudence
Sira: see Prophet Muhammad
Social Matters (203)
Sufism (1423)
Tafsir: see Qur’an, exegesis
Tawhid: see Belief, theology
Theology: see Belief
Trade: see Economy and Jurisprudence, transactions
Travel: see Literature and History

Cross Reference

Click on a subject heading in either language to begin a search for it in the database.

see also: Qur'an
see also: Literature
see also: Sufism
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Education
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Sufism
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Sufism
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Social Matters, Jurisprudence
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Social Matters
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Sufism
see also: Sufism
see also: Sufism
see also: Sufism
see also: Conduct
see also: Social Matters
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: History, Prophet Muhammad
see also: History, literature
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Genealogy, Prophet Muhammad
see also: Literature
see also: Belief
see also: Economy
see also: Arabic Language
see also: Sufism
see also: Sufism
see also: Arabic Language
see also: History
see also: Prophet Muhammad
see also: Social Matters
see also: History
see also: History
see also: Social Matters
see also: History
see also: History
see also: Belief
see also: Jurisprudence
see also: Jurisprudence
sub-topic: calculating time
sub-topic: calculating time, calendar, the solar year, compass
sub-topic: gunpowder manufacture
sub-topic: locusts, similarities of men and animals
see also: Politics: administration
see also: Ethics
sub-topic: correspondence, missive
see also: Economy
see also: Conduct
see also: Literature
see also: Belief
sub-topic: Qadiri, Tijani
sub-topic: defense of, Nasariyya, Qadiriyya, Tijaniyya
sub-topic: Tijaniyya
see also: Education
sub-topic: litanies, Qadiriyya, Tijaniyya