This volume contains various contributions presented at a conference held in Beirut in 2005 under the title: “Al-Jāḥiẓ: A Muslim Humanist for our Time” - al-Jāḥiẓ being one of the most famous writers of classical Arabic prose (d. 225h/868 CE). Brought together by the American University of Beirut and the Orient-Institut Beirut this work contains a collection of essays and analysis that offer a unique assessment of his works in regard to his expression of humanism and investigate in various aspects of al-Jāḥiẓ’s intellectual and literary achievements.