Medieval Arabian Classification System

This was the basic principle in which books in the first Arabian catalogues were classified. There were three divisions.

1. Religious Sciences – Koran, theology, law
2. Sciences Required to Support Religious Studies – literature, philology, history
3. Philosophical Sciences – medicine, astronomy, mathematics

There was a speific order when several books dealt with the same subject.

1. One containing the most verses of the Koran
2. One which cited the most hadith (sayings of the Prophet and his companions)
3. One whose author is most esteemed
4. One that is the most useful
5. One that is most authentic

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Bibliography

1. Lerner, Fred. The Story of Libraries. New York: Continuum, 1999.