Syed Farid Alatas’ Ibn Khaldun is a welcome addition to an emerging Khaldunian
sociology. It represents one of the few socio-historical studies of his
thought that pays attention to this North African thinker’s historical milieu
and life. Regarded by many scholars as a precursor of sociology, Ibn Khaldun
(1332-1406) is also known for his contributions to the philosophy of history.
His pioneering work, Kitāb al-‘Ibar, is more than just a historical account of
the Arabs and Berbers. Popularly known as the Universal History, it contains
the important Muqaddimah (Prolegomenon) that details his “science of human
society” (‘ilm al-ijtimā‘ al-insānī) or “science of human social organization”
(‘ilm al-‘umrān al-basharī).
American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences