On an April evening in 1988 a fellow PhD student from Leiden introduced me to the owner of a small bookshop in a quiet street in the ville nouvelle of Rabat. I had been to the bookshop before, but had not managed to make sense of the highly specialized collection of classics of the Islamic Schrifttum, impressive editions in many volumes of religious treatises, historical chronicles, and belles lettres. At that time, only a young attendant had been present in the shop, who apparently did not want to force his services upon an unknown visitor. My senior colleague maybe sensed how forlorn I felt as an anthropologist waiting for a research permit in the Moroccan capital, desperately trying to find my way and establishing a network of people with whom I could talk. He praised the learnedness of his friend, as well as his honesty. Mostapha Naji, a bearded man in his late thirties and the owner of Dar al-turath (‘The Heritage House’), received me in a cordial manner and engaged me in a conversation about my research. Upon entering that evening, I witnessed a scene which I later would recognize as typical: the gathering of a small circle of booklovers and scholars chatting in a relaxed way about discoveries, old and new books, sipping their glass of mint tea or coffee with milk, entertained by their goodhumoured host. That evening I left the bookshop with some biobibliographical studies, which Mostapha had recommended to me as a good introduction to the study of the Islamic tradition of Morocco.

My countryman returned to Leiden a few days later, having collected enough material in the Moroccan libraries to continue his studies at home. I was only at the beginning of my research on Islamic law and family relations and would have to wait for almost half a year to obtain clearance for fieldwork. Gradually I would start going to the bookshop almost every evening after my work in the libraries and at the University of Rabat. Mostapha always made me feel welcome in his circle of visitors. He would offer me a drink and start to talk about his latest readings or whatever other subject was on his mind.