136 Notice on the oldest work on Sufism. [No. 2. 



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 " Mo7*asaby has this name because he kept such a strict account 

 (Mohasabah) of his own conduct. Abu Manciir places him apud 

 al-Shaykh and Ibn al-Qala^, into the first tabaqat of the followers of 

 Shafi'y and says, ' Mohasaby is the Imam of the Moslims in law, 

 Siifism, knowledge of traditions and dialectical theology. His writings 

 on these subjects are the works to which later authors are chiefly 

 indebted for information. If the sect of Shafi'y did not count any 

 other man, who distinguished himself through his knowledge of law, 

 piety and other great qualities, the name of Mohasaby alone would 

 be sufficient to discomfit its adversaries.' Ibn al-Qalah opposes this 

 view and maintains that he no where else saw MoMsaby mentioned 

 among the followers of Shafi'y, and says that he is not to be counted 

 among theologists at all, though he is the great authority in his own 

 science. Ibn al-Qalah's assertion seems to be borne out by facts. 

 Mohasaby died at Baghdad in 243." 



Jamy, JSTafaliat, No. 32, states that he was a native of Basrah but 

 was settled and died at Baghdad, and that he left several works. 

 Qoshayry informs us that his father left at his death a large estate 

 but that he refused accepting any thing of it, because he had been a 

 Predestinarian. Qoshayry, Sha'rany, Jamy and others give also an 

 account of Antaky but mention neither any date nor any interesting 

 fact. I possess another work of Mo7*asaby which has the title of 



The first chapter of the book is inscribed : 



On Reason. 



Eeason <J£*J| is the most precious gift of God, because by its 

 means we come to the knowledge of the other gifts which God has 

 bestowed upon us, it leads us to thank Him and to resist the demands 

 of our appetites. The sign that reason is alive in man is, that he 



