Ignaz Goldziher (1850-1921) was born in Hungary, into an Orthodox family. He studied Arabic, Turkish and Persian. Goldziher studied in Berlin, Leiden and Budapest and got his doctorate in Leipzig. From 1873 he traveled in the Middle East. Returning to Budapest he was appointed an assistant professor in 1894. He earned his living as secretary of the Jewish community of Pest. He was honored by universities and academies in many countries for his contribution to oriental studies. His primary interest was in pre-Islamic and Islamic law, tradition, religion and poetry. Goldziher regarded Judaism and Islam as kindred faiths and was a proponent of Islam at his time.