Knut S. Vikør's picture
Knut S.
Vikør
Professor
, History
Visit Address: 
Øysteinsgt. 1
Bergen
Room: 
511
Postal Address: 
Postboks 7805
5020 Bergen
Phone: 
+47 55 58 27 11
E-mail: 
Knut.Vikor@ahkr.uib.no
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  • Shari'a
  • Sufism
  • Saharan history
  • Islam in Africa

I work on Islamic history, in particular in North and West Africa in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but also with earlier interests. My first area was the history of central Sahara, I later studied the history of Sufi brotherhoods, in particular the Sanusiyya, and have also written on the history of Islamic law. In all these field, the focus has been on the social impact and relevance of these aspects of Islamic practice.

Introduction to the History of the Middle East

Islam and politics

Themes in the history of the Middle East 

(all in Norwegian)

Books
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2012. The Maghreb Since 1800. A Short History. C. Hurst & Co.. 163 pages. ISBN: 978-1-84904201-7.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Maghreb: Nordafrika etter 1800 (2. utg.). Det Norske Samlaget. 160 pages. ISBN: 9788252180077.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2007. Maghreb: Nordafrika etter 1800. Det Norske Samlaget. 160 pages. ISBN: 978-82-521-7004-7.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. Islam, ei faktabok (2. utg.). Spartacus. 191 pages. ISBN: 82-430-0364-9.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2005. Between God and the Sultan: A History of Islamic Law. C. Hurst & Co.. ISBN: 1-85065-806-4.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2004. Ei verd bygd på islam. Oversikt over Midtaustens historie. Det Norske Samlaget. 301 pages. ISBN: 82-521-6327-0.
  • Vikør, Knut S.; O'Fahey, Rex Sean; Hunwick, John O. 2004. Sudanic Africa (13, 2002): Fontes Historiae Africanae Bulletin of Information, Selected articles 1979-1987. 169 pages.
  • Vikør, Knut S.; OFahey, Rex Sean; Radtke, Bernd; OKane, John. 2000. The Exoteric Ahmad Ibn Idris. A Sufi's Critique of the Madhahib and the Wahhabis: Four Arabic texts with translation and commentary. 235 pages. ISBN: 90-04-11375-4.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1999. The Oasis of Salt. The History of Kawar, a Saharan Centre of Salt Production. 354 pages. ISBN: 1-85065-308-9.
  • Bjørnson, Øyvind; Vikør, Knut S.; Steen, Kristel Skorge; Ohman-Nielsen, May-Brith; Kjerland, Kirsten Alsaker; Fure, Odd-Bjørn; Kolle, Nils; Grove, Knut; Heiret, Jan; Nysæter, Egil; Uthaug, Arve Kjell. 1998. Til debatt. Innlegg ved norske historiedagar 1996. 362 pages. ISBN: 82-90992-06-8.
  • Uthaug, Arve Kjell; Vikør, Knut S.; Steen, Kristel Skorge; Ohman-Nielsen, May-Brith; Kjerland, Kirsten Alsaker; Fure, Odd-Bjørn; Kolle, Nils; Grove, Knut; Heiret, Jan; Bjørnson, Øyvind; Nysæter, Egil; Uthaug, Arve Kjell. 1998. Til debatt. Innlegg ved norske historiedagar 1996. 362 pages. ISBN: 82-90992-06-8.
  • Vikør, Knut S.; Sabour, Mhammed. 1997. Ethnic encounter and culture change: Papers from the Third Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies, Joensuu, 1995. 278 pages. ISBN: 1-85065-311-9.
  • Bang, Anne Kathrine; Vikør, Knut S. 1996. The Idri state in Asir 1906-1934. Politics, religion and personal prestige as statebuilding factors in early twentieth-century Arabia. 203 pages.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1996. Sources for Sanusi Studies. 257 pages. ISBN: 1-85065-310-0.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1995. Sufi and Scholar on the Desert Edge. Muhammad b. 'Ali al-Sanusi and his brotherhood. ISBN: 1-85065-218-X.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1993. Ei verd bygd på islam. Oversikt over Midtaustens historie. Det Norske Samlaget. 280 pages. ISBN: 82-521-4109-9.
Journal articles
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Kvar går Syria. Forsvarets forum (2006). 1-2. 54-54.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Review of: Nigel Green, Sufism: A Global History, Chichester 2012. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. lxxvi: 318-319.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Review of: Jan Michiel Otto (ed.), Sharia Incorporated: A Comparative Overview of the Legal Systems of Twelve Muslim Countries in Past and Present. Leiden 2010. Islamic Law and Society. xx: 330-332.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Sufism: A Global History. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 76: 318-319. doi: 10.1017/S0041977X13000190
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Lov og rett i Dubai. Bergens Tidende. 1 pages. Published 2013-07-26.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2012. Review of: Shamil Jeppie, Ebrahim Moosa and Richard Roberts (eds.), Muslim Family Law in Sub-Saharan Africa: Colonial Legacies and Post-colonial Challenges. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press 2010. Islamic Law and Society. 19: 324-326.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. The Islamic judge of Iraq and the Abbasid state (132/750-334/945). Journal of the American Oriental Society. 131: 176-178.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Libya: eit splitta land. Dagbladet. 72-73. Published 2011-02-24.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Review of Rachel M. Scott, The Challenge of Political Islam: Non-Muslims and the Egyptian State. Stanford 2010. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. xxii: 370-371.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Libya etter Gaddafi. Bergens Tidende. 34-34. Published 2011-05-12.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Dei kristne i Midtausten. Bergens Tidende. 23-23. Published 2011-07-13.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Hjartet i den arabiske verda. Levende Historie. 6. 15-23.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Review of: Mathieu Tillier, Les cadis d’Iraq et l’état abbasside (132/750–334/945). Damas 2009. Journal of the American Oriental Society. cxxxi: 176-179.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2009. L’aventure ibāḍite dans le Sud tunisien (VIIIe–XIIIe siècle). Effervescence d'une région méconnue, av Virginie Prevost. Acta Orientalia. lxx: 223-226.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2009. The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade. International Journal of Middle East Studies. 41: 341-342. doi: 10.1017/S0020743809090850
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2009. Rebel between Spirit and Law: Ahmad Zarruq, Sainthood and Authority in Islam, av Scott Kugle. Islamic Law and Society. xvi: 234-236.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2008. Ein islam, fleire islamske diskursar? eit tilsvar til Lars Gule. Norsk tidsskrift for migrasjonsforskning. 9: 97-102.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2008. A history of modern Libya. International Journal of Middle East Studies. 40: 334-335. doi: 10.1017/S0020743808080677
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2007. Kva er religionskritikk? Bergens Tidende. 1 pages. Published 2007-02-02.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2007. Melding av: Alessandra Vianello & Mohamed M. Kassim, eds., Servants of the Sharia: The Civil Register of the Qadis' Court of Brava 1893-1900. Leiden: Brill 2006. African Studies Review. 50: 207-208.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2007. 'Den rette praksisen'–Sunnismen i islam. Religion og livssyn : Tidsskrift for religionslærerforeningen i Norge. 19: 4-9.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. Fortolking i islamsk lov. Atrium, Studentmagasinet for HF-fakultetet, UIB. 16: 42-43.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. Melding av David Robinson, Muslim Societies in African History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2004. Al-Masaq. 19: 72-74.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. Europeisk lov og islamsk lov. Babylon - Nordisk tidsskrift for Midtøstenstudier. 1. 36-43.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. Kva skal reformeras? Klassekampen. 14-15. Published 2006-07-11.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. Eit pragmatisk parti. Klassekampen. 3-3. Published 2006-08-21.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2005. Når blir islamisme til jihad? Klassekampen. 3-3. Published 2005-07-16.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2004. The truth about cats and dogs: The historicity of early Islamic law. Historisk Tidsskrift. 82: 1-17.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2004. Korleis "modernisera" islam? Ny tid. 18-19. Published 2004-01-17.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2002. Melding av Youssef M. Choueiri, Arab Nationalism: A history. Oxford 2000. Political Studies. 50: 440-441.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1999. Review of Eva Evers Rosander and David Westerlund (eds.), African Islam and Islam in Africa: Encounters between Sufis and Islamists, London 1997. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 26: 329-330.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1999. Er fatwaer farlige? Bergens Tidende. 30. Published 1999-04-22.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1999. Algerie: veg ut av tunnelen? Bergens Tidende. 28. Published 1999-07-08.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1998. Melding av: Jean-Louis Triaud, "La Légende noire de la Sanûsiyya. Une Confrérie musulmane Saharienne sous le regard français (1840-1930)", Paris 19. International Journal of African Historical Studies. xxx: 424-428.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1998. Algerie: kvifor valden? Syn og Segn. civ: 172-179.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1998. Review of Samuel Decalo, "Historical Dictionary of Chad" (3rd edn), Lanham, MD 1997. International Journal of African Historical Studies. 33: 486.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1998. Melding av: Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen, "Defining Islam for the Egyptian State: Muftis and fatwas of the Dar al-Ifta". Leiden 1997. Chaos. Dansk-norsk tidsskrift for religionhistoriske studier. 30: 155-158.
  • OFahey, Rex Sean; Vikør, Knut S. 1997. A Zanzibari Waqf of Books: the library of the Mundhiri family. Sudanic Africa - A Journal of Historical Sources. vii: 1-21.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1997. Melding av: Sidi Amar Ould Ely / Julian Johansen, "Handlist of manuscripts in the Centre de Documentation et de Recheches Historiques Ahmed Baba, Timbuktu", i. London, 1995. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. xxiv: 143-144.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1997. Melding av: Astrid Meier, "Hunger und Herrschaft. Vorkoloniale und frühe kolonale Hungerkrisen im Nordtschad", Stuttgart 1995. International Journal of African Historical Studies. xxx: 368-370.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1997. The 'Islamophile' Italians before Libya. Saharan Studies Association Newsletter. v: 6-7.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1996. Melding av Lars Erslev Andersen (ed.), Middle East Studies in Denmark,. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 22: 135-136.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1996. Shi'ismen - historias lim. TFMS : Tidskrift för Mellanösternstudier. 2. 79-93.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1996. Melding av: Muhammad Khalid Masud, "Shatibi's Philosophy of Islamic Law", Islamabad 1995. Periodica Islamica. vi: 41-42.
  • Vikør, Knut S.; OFahey, Rex Sean. 1996. A Zanzibari waqf of books: the library of the Mundhiri family. Sudanic Africa - A Journal of Historical Sources. 7: 5-24.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1995. Islamsk lov og reform i Afrika. 3. verden-magasinet X. 5. 24-25.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1994. Melding av: Robert B. Charlick, Niger: Personal Rule and Survival in the Sahel. International Journal of African Historical Studies. xxvii: 446-447.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1994. Melding av Albert Hourani, De arabiske folks historie. Klassekampen. 1. Published 1994-08-01.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1992. The Sanusi Letters: a checklist. Sudanic Africa - A Journal of Historical Sources. 3: 149-162.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1991. The Man Who Believed in the Mahdi. Sudanic Africa - A Journal of Historical Sources. 2: 29-52.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1990. Modernitet og tradisjon i islam. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning. xxxi: 481-97.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1987. Ibn Idris and al-Sanusi - The Teacher and his Student. Islam et sociétés au Sud du Sahara. 70-82.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1987. Al-Sanusi and Qadhafi - Continuity of Thought? Maghreb Review. xii: 25-28.
Reports and theses
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1995. Fundamentalisme, islamisme eller politisk islam. Senter for Midtaustenstudiar. 13 pages.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1992. Sufi and Scholar on the Desert Edge. Muhammad b. Ali al-Sanusi (1787-1859). Dr.philos.. Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, University of Bergen. 376 pages.
Book sections
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Bilma. Artikkel, pages 72-73. In:
    • Krämer, Gudrun. 2013. Encyclopedia of Islam III, vol IV. Brill Academic Publishers. 600 pages. ISBN: 978-90-04-20354-9.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Dandarawiyya. Artikkel, pages 100-101. In:
    • Krämer, Gudrun. 2013. Encyclopedia of Islam III, vol IV. Brill Academic Publishers. 600 pages. ISBN: 978-90-04-20354-9.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2013. Libya. Kapittel, pages 162-163. In:
    • Johnstad, Sigrun. 2013. Afrikas 99%. Økonomisk vekst, ulikhet og protest. 224 pages. ISBN: 9788291916309.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2012. "Islam er ein politisk ideologi". Kapittel, pages 57-75. In:
    • Indregard, Sigve. 2012. Motgift: Akademisk respons på den nye høyreekstremismen. Flamme forlag. 429 pages. ISBN: 978-82-02-38170-7.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Bagirmi. Artikkel, pages 62-63. In:
    • Krämer, Gudrun. 2011. Encyclopedia of Islam, Three, vol II. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN: 9789004203549.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2011. Chad. Artikkel, pages 113-117. In:
    • Krämer, Gudrun. 2011. Encyclopedia of Islam, Three, vol II. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN: 9789004203549.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2010. Ahmadiyya-Idrisiyya. Entry, pages 42-45. In:
    • Krämer, Gudrun. 2010. Encyclopaedia of Islam - Three. Brill Academic Publishers. 208 pages. ISBN: 978-90-04-18396-4.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2010. Sudan, Somalia and the Maghreb to the end of the First World War. Chapter 3, pages 107-133. In:
    • Robinson, Francis. 2010. The New Cambridge History of Islam. Vol 5, The Islamic World in the Age of Western Dominance. Cambridge University Press. 830 pages. ISBN: 9780521838269.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2008. Islam: Sufi orders. Innførsel, pages 3:59-62. In:
    • Miller, J. 2008. New Encyclopedia of Africa. Forlaget Thomson. ISBN: 0-684-31454-1.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2008. Sanusi, Muhammad ibn Ali al-. Innførsel, pages 4:367-367. In:
    • Miller, J. 2008. New Encyclopedia of Africa. Forlaget Thomson. ISBN: 0-684-31454-1.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2007. Jihad. Innførsel, pages 120-121. In:
    • Østerud, Øyvind. 2007. Statsvitenskapelig leksikon. Universitetsforlaget. 308 pages. ISBN: 978-82-15-01197-4.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2007. Fatwa. Innførsel, pages 63-63. In:
    • Østerud, Øyvind. 2007. Statsvitenskapelig leksikon. Universitetsforlaget. 308 pages. ISBN: 978-82-15-01197-4.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. Sudan. innførsel, pages . In:
    • Meri, Josef. 2006. Medieval Islamic Civilization. An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN: 0-415-96691-4.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2006. The shaykh as mujtahid: A Sufi conception of ijtihād? (El šayḫ en el papel de muǧtahid: ¿una concepción sufí del iǧtihād?). kapittel, pages 129-156. In:
    • Carmona, A. 2006. El Sufismo y las normas del Islam. 472 pages. ISBN: 84-7564-323-X.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2005. Kalifatet. innførsel, pages 261-261. In:
    • Henriksen, Petter hovedred. 2005. Aschehoug og Gyldendals store norske leksikon, 4. utg. Kunnskapsforlaget. ISBN: 82-573-1535-4.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2004. Ahmad b. Idris. band 1, pages 28-29. In:
    • Martin, Richard C. 2004. Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world. 823 pages. ISBN: 0-02-865603-2.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 2004. Sufism and foreign rule in Africa: politics and piety. Artikkel, pages 9-28. In:
    • Sato, T. 2004. Muslim Societies: Historical and comparative aspects. 202 pages. ISBN: 0-415-30273-0.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1999. Jihad in West Africa: A global theme in a regional setting. Kapittel, pages 80-101. In:
    • Manger, Leif Ole. 1999. Muslim diversity: local Islam in global contexts. RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN: 0-7007-1104-X.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1998. Politisk islam - fundament eller utvekst? 83-96. In:
    • Bjørnson, Øyvind; Nysæter, Egil; Uthaug, Arve Kjell. 1998. Til debatt: Innlegg ved Norske historiedagar 1996. ISBN: 82-90992-06-8.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1997. Sahara Desert. 27-30. In:
    • Middleton, John. 1997. Encyclopedia of Africa south of the Sahara. ISBN: 0-684-80466-2.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1996. Muhammad b. Ali al-Sanusi ­ A Fasi graduate in the Central Sahara. 95-105. In:
    • Toufiq, Ahmed; Mezzine, Mohammed. 1996. F#/s et l'Afrique. Relations economiques, culturelles et sp irituelles.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1995. Sanusiyah. 473-474. In:
    • Esposito, John L. 1995. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0-19-506613-8.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1995. Umar al-Mukthar. 175-176. In:
    • Esposito, John L. 1995. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0-19-506613-8.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1994. The Sanusiyya Tradition. 166-177. In:
    • [Mangler etternavn], [Mangler fornavn]. 1994. Arabic Literature of Africa: I: The Writings of Eastern Sud anic Africa.
  • Vikør, Knut S. 1993. Mystics in the Desert: The Sanusiya and the Sahara. 133-145. In:
    • [Mangler etternavn], [Mangler fornavn]. 1993. The Middle East - Unity and Diversity. Papers from the Seco nd Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies. ISBN: 87-87062-24-0.

More information in national current research information system (CRIStin)

Sufi and Scholar on the Desert Edge. Muhammad b. 'Ali al-Sanusi and his Brotherhood. London og Evanston 1995

The Oasis of Salt. The History of Kawar, a Saharan Centre of Salt Production. Bergen/London 1999

“Jihad, ‘ilm and tasawwuf - two justifications of action from the Idrisi tradition”, Studia Islamica, xc, 2000, 153-76

“Sufi Brotherhoods in Africa”, i N. Levtzion and R. Pouwels (eds.), The History of Islam in Africa, Athens, OH 2000, 441-76.

Between God and the Sultan: A history of Islamic law. London and New York 2005.

“The shaykh as mujtahid: A Sufi conception of ijtihad?” in A. Carmona (ed.), El Sufismo y las normas del Islam, Murcia 2006, 129-56 og 351-75.

The Maghreb since 1800: A Short History. London 2012

History of Islam, early modern period

History of Muslim Africa

History of North Africa

Islamic law

Fields of competence 
Middle East
Sufism
Shari'a
Libya
Islam
Current projects
  • The conception of ijtihad (legal formulation) in debates over method in the 18th and 19th centuries
  • ”The Shari’a in the modern world: Faith, norms and state power”.