Scholastic Theology [IO Bijapur 329]

Scholastic Theology. This manuscript is now IO Bijapur 329 in the India Office collections. [metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 404 here with further notations and hyperlinks]. 404. B 329. Size 93/4 in. by 61/2 in.; foll. 130. Twenty-five lines in a page. The leading Dogmas of Islâm, arranged in forty “questions” (مسئلة), by FAKHR AL-DÎN Muḥammad B. ‘Omar RÂZÎ (d. A.H. 606). The work is entitled کتاب الاربعین فی اصول الدین. It was composed by the author for the use of his eldest son, Muḥammad. Cf. Ḥ. Kh. i. 242, and Cat. Bodl. ii. 567 ad no. lxxxvi. The author’s preface begins: سبحان المتفرّد فی قیّومیّته بوجوب الازلیّة و البقاء’ المتوحّد فی دیمومیّة الوهیّته بامتناع التغیّر و الفناء’. He says subsequently: امّا بعد فانّ الله تعالی لما وفقنی حتّی صنّفتُ فی اکثر العلوم الدینیّة و المباحث الیقینیّة کتبا....اردتُ ان اکتب هذا الکتاب لاجل اکبر اولادی و اعزّهم علیّ الولد الصالح محمد.... و اشرح فیه المسائل الالهیّة و انبه علی الغوامض العقلیّة لیکون هذا الکتاب دستورا له یرجع فی المضایق الیه و یعول علیه و سمّیته بالاربعین فی اصول الدین. The first question is فی حدوث العالم; the second فی ان المعدوم لیس بشئ, etc. Each question has subdivisions, such as مقدّمة, برهان, حجّة, etc. Carefully written in a round hand. Of about the eighth century. Imperfect at the end; terminating in the 36th question. Foll. 31 and 40 have been supplied by a different hand. Some extracts from the author’s المعالم (see Ḥ. Kh. v. 612) are written on the title-page. In a recent inscription, the work is wrongly attributed to Ghazzâlî. Cat. Cf. 299, ix.