Muslims Of Spain

Recipient of the:

• 2023 Firebird Book Award
• 2023 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award

For every romantic retelling, there's a much more complex reality... and when it comes to the Moorish experience of the Spanish Golden Age, Aljamiado literature tells the other side of the story.

If you’ve always been captivated by the Spanish Golden Age, you may be familiar with Maurofilia literature – a fictitious, stylized, and romantic portrayal of the Moorish people and culture written from a Catholic perspective.

This romanticization of a people battling to protect their identity was famous during the period, and it stood the test of time.

Far less well-known is Aljamiado literature… another genre that sprang up during the Spanish Golden Age, which pairs beautifully with Maurofilia literature and affords us a deeper understanding of what was really going on at the time.

Despite the parallel focus on Moorish culture, the two genres are distinct, with Aljamiado literature focused on celebrating the ordinary and emphasizing the chaotic reality of the last Moors of Spain.

While Maurofilia literature romanticizes the experience of the Moors, Aljamiado literature focuses on the much more difficult reality of the Moorish experience in an intolerant and restrictive Catholic society.

This gritty, realism-focused genre played a vital role for the Moorish community at the time and demonstrates their resilience as they fought to keep their religious, social, and cultural identity alive in a largely Catholic society.

You now have a unique opportunity to see past the romanticized depiction of the Moorish people in Maurofilia literature and catch a glimpse of how those people viewed themselves… and what was really going on during one of the most important periods in Spanish literature.

Through his thorough and focused research, Professor Emir Cruz Fernández will give you a panoramic view of the Muslim experience during the Spanish Golden Age.

Inside this fascinating and insightful work, you’ll discover:

• A background to Aljamiado studies (so you have a complete understanding of how the texts emerged)
• The key characteristics of Aljamiado literature – and how it gives us a deeper insight into the reality of the time
• Significant insight taken from scholars of Islam
• A fuller understanding of one of the most reproduced and widely read works by Spanish crypto-Muslims of the 16th century
• The role of The Mi’rāj in Muslim tradition
• How Aljamiado literature shines a light on a broader picture of the human experience
• Insightful analysis and translation of significant parts of key texts in Aljamiado literature
• And much more.

If you’ve ever wondered if there was more to the story than the romantic literature portrays, you’re on the right path to a deeper understanding.

There’s always another layer… And you’re about to uncover a truly fascinating one.

Deepen your understanding of literature during the Golden Age of Spain - choose the version of your choice below:

Kindle Edition 

Paperback 

Hardcover