This book develops a new approach to the process of institutionalization and its
social significance by focusing on Baghdad during the Sunni revival. Ephrat
asserts that the Sunni revival was a period during which the fluid society of
the "learned", the 'ulama', emerged as a more defined and exclusive group. By
unveiling the world of learning beyond its legal and organizational structures,
this book explains how the Baghdadi 'ulama' constructed their social bonds and
identities.