Majnūn: The Madman in Medieval Islamic Society

by Michael W. Dols

This is a study of madness in the medieval Islamic world. Using a wide variety of sources--historical, literary, and art--the late Michael Dols explores beliefs about madness in Islamic society and examines attitudes towards individuals afflicted by mental illness or disability. The book demonstrates the links between Christian and Muslim medical beliefs and practices, and traces the influence of certain Christian beliefs, such as miracle-working, on Islamic practices. It breaks new ground in analyzing the notions of the romantic fool, the wise fool, and the holy fool in medieval Islam within the framework of perceptions of mental illness. It shows that the madman was not regarded as a pariah, an outcast, or a scapegoat. This is a comprehensive and original work, with insights into magic, medicine, and religion that combine to broaden our understanding of medieval Islamic society.

Genres: History, Medieval

568 pages, Hardcover

First published November 12, 1992

Reviews

[Zul Azlin]

Great rare book... helps me tremendously in my research on Psychiatry from Islamic Perspective

[Roy Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clearly unfinished book, some points not well substantiated, and circular logic justifying the conclusion that treatment of madness was normalized in Medieval Islamic Society. However, it is the definitive work on the topic and almost all studies on the history mental illness in the Islamic world reference this book, as it has extensive research on known primary sources.

[Durakov · Rating 4 out of 5]

A broad survey of opinions on and characterizations of madness in the Islamic world in the Middle Ages. Some sections are much more interesting and fleshed out than others, but I presume much of that has to do with available evidence. Didn't care for the ethnographic parts in the section on magic at all, but I'll still go for four stars because of the wealth of literary materials offered.