This volume of Encyclopaedia Islamica is the fourth of a projected 16-volume publication, consisting of an abridged and edited translation of the Persian Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif-i Buzurg-i Islāmī, one of the most comprehensive sources on Islam and the Muslim world. One unique feature of this work of reference lies in the attention it gives to Shiʿi Islam and its rich and diverse heritage, which makes it complementary to other encyclopaedias. In addition to providing entries on important themes, subjects and personages in Islam generally, it offers the western reader an opportunity to appreciate the various dimensions of Shiʿi Islam, the Persian contribution to Islamic civilisation, and the spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition.

This volume contains comprehensive articles on two major cities of the Islamic world, Baghdad and Baṣra, as well as groundbreaking entries in various disciplines: including Barāʾa in jurisprudence, al-Bāqillānī in theology, the Banū Mūsā in the sciences, the Barmakids in history, and Bāyazīd Basṭamī in the mystical tradition.

The Encyclopaedia Islamica is available in print and at Brill Online.