Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS 121 annotation by ك), written in Hebrew characters and consisting of seven leaves; d) RNL Arab. 264 (identified in the annotation by ف), written in Arabic characters and containing 18 leaves. The first manuscript provides a progressive explanation of Muʿtazilī theology beginning with the four preliminary claims (daʿāwī) in the proof of the existence of God (p. 6). It deals comprehensively with all the principles of Muʿtazilī theology. The second text, upon which ʿAbd al-Jabbār provided his commentary, is a fragment, which contains large portions of a chapter on volition and aversion, followed by the beginning of the next chapter on moist- ness and dryness, titled bāb al-rutūba wa-l-yubūsa. The text contains a reference to an earlier discussion on colours, and the beginnings of the bāb al-alwān are in fact included in the present volume (ibid.). Al-S  āh  ib is mainly known as a politician of the Būyid dynasty, a litterateur and a grammar- ian. Although his father was a follower of Mu‘tazilī theology, al- S  āh  ib himself is not known as aMuʿtazilī scholar, and only a small number of Muʿtazilī writings are attributed to him. Thus the current edition will shed