Page 208 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

198 Arabian Studies IV
that the K. Q&dl (A. Muhammad) al-Khatfir b. Sulayman (d. 530/1136)
is of some importance for questions concerning the difa'I and da'if
Imam (discussed in Section lie below).
(b) Ibn al-Na?r (A. Bakr Ahmad b. Sulayman); Commentaries on his
Da‘&’im. Vol. II of K. Mi$bab al-zalam ft shark Da‘a’im al-Islam by
Khalf b. Ahmad b. ‘Abdullah (not Ahmad b. ‘Abdullah as stated by the
writer in A.S. Ill, 158) al-Riqayshl was examined. Scattered throughout
this is a considerable amount of interesting early material, most of
which presumably derives from Ibn Wa§§afs commentary (W.50; seen
by Smith V.115).
W. 49 (a) Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Kindl
BaySn a1-shar*. Vol. LXVIII on the imamah was examined in detail
(unfortunately from a copy, No. 1029, the unnumbered pages of which
were in disorder). This confirms that the work has been thoroughly
mined by al-Saliml for the Tuhfah (W.21b). There is little historical
content which post-dates the collapse of the First Imamate but some of
the sources quoted were involved in the events at the end of Rashid b.
‘AlTs Imamate (including Qa<JI al-Khadir cf. W.48 above). I would,
therefore, be inclined to place the work at the very end of the 5th/11th
century. Vol. Ill dealing with wilayah and barafah was also examined.
(c) Ahmad b. ‘Abdullah al-Kindl
Relevant for the relationship of these Kindah authors is the fact that
the teacher of the author of the Mu$annaf (cf. J.M. 3 iii) was himself a
pupil of the author of the Bayan al-shar*. All the evidence seems to
point to Ahmad b. ‘Abdullah’s death as c. 557/1162.
(i) K. al-Mu$annaf
Unfortunately the politically interesting volumes were not seen, but the
unnumbered volume (Smith V.2) dealing inter alia with wilayah, and
Vol. XXI on work organization, were examined.
N.B. A K. Mukhta$ar al-Mu$annaf, in two parts, by ‘Abdullah b.
Bashir b. Mas‘ud b. Sa‘Id al-Hadraml al-$uhari was noted.
(ii) K. al-Jawhari: see J.M. 1.
(iii) K. al-lhlida‘: see J.M. 2.
(iv) Sirah al-Bararah, see J.M. 3 iv.
(v) Smith (V.140) saw his K. al-Takh§i$.
W. 50 Ibn Wa$$Sf. See under W. 48 above.
W. 52 al-Qalhatl (cf. Smith VI, 150)
A very short, more recent, visit to Muscat gave me the chance to have a
quick look at this manuscript (MS 138). The Director of the Manu­
scripts, Sd. Muhammad b. Sa‘Id al-Wuhaybl, also kindly drew my
attention to MS 1409 (cf. under W.42 ii). In this latter I found a very
interesting account of a dispute in the succession of the Iba<JI governors
in Kilwah whereby the disappointed claimant (a brother) proceeded to
draw the people away from Ibadlsm and convert them to Isma‘Ilism.
The governor thereupon called upon the help of the Omanis who sent
A. ‘Abdullah Muhammad b. ‘Umar al-Bashri al-Manhl to try and sort
the matter out. He seems to have been more or less successful and on
his return to Qalhat reported back to Muhammad b. Sa‘Id al-Qalhfitl,