An important document in the history of intercultural thought is now available for the first time in a critical edition: the “Book of Laws” (Kitāb an-Nawāmīs), which was widely attributed to the Greek philosopher Plato during the Middle Ages. The edition, translation and commentary by Prof. Dr. Georges Tamer and Pascal Held (in collaboration with Güneyd Yildirim) have been published by Brill.
A rediscovered masterpiece
For centuries, the Kitāb an-Nawāmīs was regarded in the Islamic world as an authentic work by Plato. In fact, it is a fascinating synthesis: it combines ancient Greek philosophy with Islamic theological and legal concepts.
Drawing on thirteen manuscripts, the editors have reconstructed a reliable Arabic text and provided it with a precise English translation and a detailed commentary. This makes accessible a text that significantly influenced the thinking of eminent scholars such as Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), Ibn Ḥazm and the Jewish philosopher Judah Halevi.
Key topics: From prophecy to inheritance law
The work is divided into three treatises, which cover a wide range of topics and demonstrate how Platonic thought was transformed within the Islamic context:
- Divine Law and Governance: An Analysis of the Nature of Sharia in Relation to Secular Politics (Siyāsa).
- Prophecy and Knowledge: A comparison of prophetic insight with other forms of knowledge such as medicine, astronomy, visions and oracles.
- Spirituality and everyday ethics: This treatise provides a detailed catalogue of rules for living, including hunting and sacrificial rites, credit systems, sexual ethics, and prohibitions on food and intoxicants.
Why this edition is important to BaFID
The publication of the Kitāb an-Nawāmīs is a prime example of interreligious and intercultural discourse. The work demonstrates:
- Knowledge transfer: How Greek heritage has not only been preserved but also creatively developed in the Arab world.
- Interconnections: How Platonic ideas found their way into the intellectual history of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Middle Ages.
- Basic research: This edition provides the foundation for new studies on mediaeval philosophy and the reception of antiquity.
Translation and commentary by Georges Tamer and Pascal Held in collaboration with Güneyd Yildirim (2026) “The Book of Laws (Kitāb an-Nawāmīs) attributed to Plato”, Brill, Leiden/Boston