Books
Sultan Ghalib al-Qu’aiti
Sultan Ghalib holds a MA from University of Oxford in Oriental Studies (Islamic History) and another in Arabian Studies from the University of Cambridge, both with honours. The Sultan graduated from Millfield School. He has been a Saudi resident since 1968, presently residing in Jeddah. He has working knowledge of seven languages including Arabic, English, French, German, Persian, Turkish and Urdu/Hindi, which supports his research of various historical periods and geographic regions. Sultan Ghalib is the author of The Holy Cities, The Pilgrimage and The World of Islam and The Call of Shaykh Muhammad Bin 'Abdal-Wahhab and The Three Sa'udi States. |
The Holy Cities, the Pilgrimage and the World of Islam: A History From the Earliest Traditions till 1925 (1344H)This book covers the story of the Ka’bah, Mecca, the Pilgrimage, and Medina from the earliest traditions through the fall of the Ottoman Empire and up to the short-lived Hashemite Kingdom that followed it in the Hejaz and made way for the establishment of the writ of the Saud over the two Holy Cities in 1925. A historical portrait and a social commentary on the lives of important individuals and the times, accounts of historians and travelers, many of them eyewitnesses, breathe life into the depictions of the scenarios portrayed. Also included is a spectacular photo essay by the granddaughter of the late King Faisal, Princess Reem Faisal. “[This book] uses the single lens of the pilgrimage and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina to look deep into the history of Islamic civilization. Not only scholars but all who are interested in how Islamic religion and culture have exerted power and fascination down through the centuries of intricate Muslim social and political history will benefit from this book.”Professor Frank Vogel, Islamic Legal Studies, Harvard Law School “Insight into many a valuable and fascinating detail on the Islamic world as a whole, on the rise of Islam and splendour of its civilization, as well as the factors that led to its regression and backslide. . . . The book offers the reader an inspiring review of the various aspects of cultural life in the two Holy Cities across the centuries, based on authentic journals of contemporary [to each period] travelers and expeditions” Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) |
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THE CALL OF SHAYKH MUHAMMAD BIN ‘ABDAL-WAHHAB and THE THREE SA’UDI STATES (1157H/1744 – 1342H/1925) THE EMERGENCE of MODERN SA’UDI ARABIA“Sultan Ghalib al-Qu’aiti. . .appears to have based his work on all such accessible, indigenous source material as available in the Kingdom and elsewhere, documentary or otherwise, which is generally considered reliable, buttressing it with interviews and information from the accounts of travellers who visited the region.This is an effort which has genuinely attempted to bridge gaps in knowledge about the region and to promote international understanding. The book is a valuable scholarly addition to the paucity of material on the subject and has come at a time, when the need for such books of reliable scholarly validity seems to be rising by the day.”HRH Prince Muhammad al-Faisal Al Sa’ud “This book tells the story of the House of Sa’ud, the nature of the Call of Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abdal-Wahhab and the three Sa’udi states until the creation of modern Sa’udi Arabia under ‘Abdal-‘Aziz Al Sa’ud. Furthermore, it contains valuable information of historical interest on the Gulf states and the wider region, illustrated with some rare photographs. The book is based on an impressive reading of the available sources and benefits from the author’s access to scholars, former statesmen and members of the families to whom this study relates. Highly readable, it will surely become an indispensable reference for anyone interested in the region’s history aiming to understand why Saudi Arabia has become what it is today.”Dr. Ulrike Freitag - Formerly Lecturer of Modern Middle Eastern History, SOAS, London, currently Professor of Middle Eastern History and Director, Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin |