The burning of libraries in Iran and Alexandria

Published in 1983 by the Islamic Propagation Organization, this work by the influential Iranian cleric Murtaza Mutahhari addresses the historical narratives surrounding the destruction of libraries in ancient Alexandria and during the early Islamic conquest of Iran. Mutahhari, a foundational intellectual of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, wrote this text as a scholarly intervention to critically examine and challenge traditional accounts of these events, which he argued were often distorted or exaggerated by later historical commentators.

The book serves as a contribution to the body of post-revolutionary Islamic historiography, reflecting Mutahhari's interest in theological and historical synthesis. His approach reflects a broader intent to reconcile classical historical narratives with the ideological framework of the time. Given the context of its publication shortly after his assassination, the work is regarded by researchers as an example of the efforts by early revolutionary thinkers to codify an intellectual defense of Islamic history against perceptions of cultural iconoclasm.