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were fabricated(1) during the fourth century, when the Ubaydid state arose in Egypt and its rulers built Cairo. They were composed according to the doctrine of those Ismailis, as their contents demonstrate. They mention what befell the Muslims when the Christians seized the coasts of Syria, and this occurred only after the third century. [Those who composed them have been identified, including Zayd ibn Rifā‘a; Abū Sulaymān(2) ibn Ma‘shar al-Bustī, known as al-Maqdisī; Abū al-Hasan Alī ibn Hārūn al-Zanjānī(3); Abū Ahmad al-Nahrajūrī(4); and al-Awfī. Abū al-Futūh al-Muāfā ibn Zakariyyā al-Jarīrī, author of “The Companion and the Intimate Friend”(5), held a debate with them. Abū Hayyān al-Tawhīdī related this in his book “Enjoyment and Conviviality”(6)](7).
(1) Manuscript (B) reads: “and they were composed”; manuscript (A): “and were composed.”
(2) The base manuscript ('Ayn) reads “ibn Sulaymān.” The correct reading is the one adopted here and is the form given by al-Qiftī in *Tārīkh al-Hukamā'*, p. 83 (Leipzig ed., 1903), citing Abū Hayyān al-Tawhīdī. See *al-Imtā' wa-l-Mu'ānasa*, 2:4 (Lajnat al-Ta'līf ed., 1942); *al-Muqābasāt*, p. [0–9]6, ed. al-Sandūbī (Cairo, 1347/1929).
(3) The base text reads “al-Rayhānī.” The correct reading is the one adopted here and is also found in *Tārīkh al-Hukamā'*, same page; *al-Muqābasāt*, same page; and *al-Imtā'*, 2:5.
(4) The *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, under “Ikhwān al-Safā'” (“Brethren of Purity”), gives “Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Nahrajūrī,” whereas *al-Imtā'* and *al-Muqābasāt* give “Abū Ahmad al-Mihrajānī.”
(5) Dr. Albert Dietrich discussed *al-Jalīs wa-l-Anīs* (“The Companion and the Intimate Friend”) and its author, al-Mu'āfā ibn Zakariyyā ibn Yahyā al-Jarīrī al-Nahrawānī (d. 390 AH), in the *Journal of the Arab Scientific Academy in Damascus*, vol. [0–9], pp. [0–9]80–394. See also the biography of al-Mu'āfā in *Inbāh al-Ruwāt*, 3:296–297; Ibn al-Nadīm, *al-Fihrist*, p. [0–9]36; and *Bughyat al-Wu'āt*, pp. 394–395.
(6) See *al-Imtā'*, 2:3–18; *al-Muqābasāt*, pp. [0–9]5–51.
(7) The passage in square brackets occurs only in manuscript ('Ayn). Mustajī Zādah copied Ibn Taymiyya’s words through “al-'Awfī” and then wrote: “I saw in al-Jāhiz’s book *al-Tabyīn* that he mentions the works of Sahl ibn Marwān, secretary to Hasan ibn Sahl, including *Ikhwān al-Safā'* (“Brethren of Purity”). Perhaps the book now widely known as *Ikhwān al-Safā'*, which was composed after the third century AH, was derived from it. It would appear that the adherents of the Fatimids—the authors of this book—made additions to and omissions from Sahl ibn Hārūn’s work, while its old title was retained. This Sahl was one of those who pursued philosophy and translated many works of the philosophers into Arabic.” Al-Jāhiz, in *al-Bayān wa-l-Tabyīn*, 1:52, listed *Kitāb al-Ikhwān* (“The Book of the Brethren”) among the works of Sahl ibn Hārūn ibn Rāhabūnī, the secretary who died in 215 AH; see *al-A'lām*. Ibn al-Nadīm also listed it in *al-Fihrist*, p. 174, under the title *Kitāb Isbāsiyūs fī Ittihād al-Ikhwān* (“The Book of Isbāsiyūs on the Union of the Brethren”).
وُضِعَتْ
(١)
فِي أَثْنَاءِ الْمِائَةِ الرَّابِعَةِ لَمَّا ظَهَرَتِ الدَّوْلَةُ الْعُبَيْدِيَّةُ بِمِصْرَ وَبَنَوُا الْقَاهِرَةَ، فَصُنِّفَتْ عَلَى مَذْهَبِ أُولَئِكَ الْإِسْمَاعِيلِيَّةِ، كَمَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَا فِيهَا، وَقَدْ ذَكَرُوا فِيهَا مَا جَرَى عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنِ اسْتِيلَاءِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى سَوَاحِلِ الشَّامِ، وَهَذَا إِنَّمَا كَانَ بَعْدَ الْمِائَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ، [وَقَدْ عُرِفَ الَّذِينَ صَنَّفُوهَا مِثْلُ زَيْدِ بْنِ رِفَاعَةَ وَأَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ
(٢)
بْنِ مَعْشَرٍ الْبُسْتِيِّ الْمَعْرُوفِ بِالْمَقْدِسِيِّ وَأَبِي الْحَسَنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ هَارُونَ الزِّنْجَانِيِّ
(٣)
وَأَبِي أَحْمَدَ النَّهْرَجُورِيِّ
(٤)
وَالْعَوْفِيِّ. وَلِأَبِي الْفُتُوحِ الْمُعَافَى بْنِ زَكَرِيَّاءَ الْجَرِيرِيِّ صَاحِبِ كِتَابِ
" الْجَلِيسِ وَالْأَنِيسِ "
(٥)
مُنَاظَرَةٌ مَعَهُمْ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ أَبُو حَيَّانَ التَّوْحِيدِيُّ فِي كِتَابِ
" الْإِمْتَاعِ وَالْمُؤَانَسَةِ "
(٦)
]
(٧)
.
(١) ب: وَهِيَ صُنِّفَتْ ; أ: وَصُنِّفَتْ.
(٢) فِي الْأَصْلِ (ع) : ابْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، وَالصَّوَابُ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ الْقِفْطِيُّ فِي كِتَابِهِ " تَارِيخِ الْحُكَمَاءِ "، ص ٨٣ (ط. ليبزج، ١٩٠٣) نَقْلًا عَنْ أَبِي حَيَّانَ التَّوْحِيدِيِّ (انْظُرِ: الْإِمْتَاعَ وَالْمُؤَانَسَةَ ٢/٤، ط. لَجْنَةِ التَّأْلِيفِ، ١٩٤٢ ; الْمُقَابَسَاتِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٦، تَحْقِيقَ السَّنْدُوبِيِّ، الْقَاهِرَةَ، ١٣٤٧/١٩٢٩) .
(٣) فِي الْأَصْلِ: الرَّيْحَانِيِّ، وَالصَّوَابُ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي فِي " تَارِيخِ الْحُكَمَاءِ " نَفْسِ الصَّفْحَةِ ; الْمُقَابَسَاتِ، نَفْسِ الصَّفْحَةِ ; الْإِمْتَاعِ ٢/٥.
(٤) فِي " دَائِرَةِ الْمَعَارِفِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ " مَادَّةَ: إِخْوَانِ الصَّفَا: مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ النَّهْرَجُورِيُّ ; " الْإِمْتَاعِ " وَ " الْمُقَابَسَاتِ ": " أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الْمِهْرَجَانِيُّ ".
(٥) تَكَلَّمَ الدُّكْتُورُ أَلْبِرْت دِيتْرِيش عَنْ كِتَابِ " الْجَلِيسِ وَالْأَنِيسِ " وَعَنْ مُؤَلِّفِهِ الْمُعَافَى بْنِ زَكَرِيَّاءَ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْجَرِيرِيِّ النَّهْرَوَانِيِّ الْمُتَوَفَّى سَنَةَ ٣٩٠ فِي مَجَلَّةِ الْمَجْمَعِ الْعِلْمِيِّ الْعَرَبِيِّ بِدِمَشْقَ، ج [٠ - ٩] ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٨٠ - ٣٩٤ (وَانْظُرْ تَرْجَمَةَ الْمُعَافَى فِي: إِنْبَاهِ الرُّوَاةِ ٣/٢٩٦ - ٢٩٧ ; الْفِهْرِسْتِ لِابْنِ النَّدِيمِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٣٦ ; بُغْيَةِ الْوُعَاةِ، (ص ٣٩٤ - ٣٩٥) . ص ٣٩٤ - ٣٩٥) .
(٦) انْظُرِ: الْإِمْتَاعَ ٢/٣ - ١٨ ; الْمُقَابَسَاتِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٥ - ٥١.
(٧) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ وَقَدْ نَقَلَ مُسْتَجِي زَادَهْ كَلَامَ ابْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ إِلَى كَلِمَةِ " الْعَوْفِيِّ " ثُمَّ كَتَبَ مَا يَلِي: " وَرَأَيْتُ فِي كِتَابِ " التَّبْيِينِ " لِلْجَاحِظِ يَذْكُرُ مُصَنَّفَاتِ سَهْلِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ كَاتِبِ حَسَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ وَيَذْكُرُ مِنْهَا كِتَابَ " إِخْوَانِ الصَّفَا " وَلَعَلَّ الْكِتَابَ الْمَشْهُورَ الْيَوْمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِإِخْوَانِ الصَّفَا الْمُؤَلَّفَ بَعْدَ الْمِائَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ مَأْخُوذٌ مِنْهُ، وَكَأَنَّ أَشْيَاعَ الْفَاطِمِيِّينَ - مُؤَلِّفِي هَذَا الْكِتَابِ - زَادُوا وَنَقَصُوا فِي تَأْلِيفِ سَهْلِ بْنِ هَارُونَ وَأُبْقِيَ اسْمُهُ الْقَدِيمُ عَلَيْهِ: وَكَانَ سَهْلٌ هَذَا مِنَ الْمُتَفَلْسِفِينَ، عَرَّبَ كُتُبًا كَثِيرَةً مِنْ كُتُبِ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ ". وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الْجَاحِظُ فِي " الْبَيَانِ وَالتَّبْيِينِ " ١/٥٢ مِنْ كُتُبِ سَهْلِ بْنِ هَارُونَ بْنِ رَاهَبُونِي (الْكَاتِبِ الْمُتَوَفَّى سَنَةَ ٢١٥، وَانْظُرِ الْأَعْلَامَ) كِتَابَ " الْإِخْوَانِ " وَذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ النَّدِيمِ فِي الْفِهْرِسْتِ (ص ١٧٤) بِعُنْوَانِ: " كِتَابِ إسباسيوس فِي اتِّحَادِ الْإِخْوَانِ ".