Uzbekistan: a land multifarious geniuses. ABU-L-MUIN AN-NASAFI (Part 5)

The works written by Abu-I-Muin an-Nasafi

The authors who wrote about Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi’s scientific legacy mentioned he had created around ten works. We can provide the following information about them:

1. According to his writing in his main book “Tabsirat al-adilla”, he wrote a book under the title of “Qasiyd al-qavaid fi ilm al-aqaid”. A copy of its manuscript is preserved in the library of Istanbul University under the code of 268.
2. As is mentioned in “Tabsirat al-adilla”, in his next book “Al-Ifsad li had al-ilhad”, Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi gave refusals to erroneous viewpoints of his religious opponents on a number of religious matters.
3. In his books “Tabsirat al-adilla” and “At-Tamhiyd li qavaid at-Tawhid”, Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi mentioned that he had left another book under the title of “Iyzah al-manhajjati fi kavn al-aqli hujjatan”.

The existence of such a book belonging to Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi was mentioned by a scholar al-Baghdadi in his books “Iyzah al-maknun” and “Hadiyat al-arifin”, but this book did not reach us.

4. The following books give a definite information about the existence of “Manahij al-aimmati fi-l furu” written by Abul -Muin an-Nasafi: “Kataib a’lam al-akhyar” by al-Kafavi, “Al-Favaid al-bahiya fi tarajum al-Hanafiya” by Abdulhay al-Laknavi, “Iyzah al-maknun” and “Hadiyat al-arifin” by al-Baghdadi, “Al-a’lam” by Khayriddin az-Zirikli and “Mu’jam al-muallifiyn” by Umar Riza Kahhala. A copy of this manuscript is preserved in “Lalali” library of Istanbul under the code of 1147, but this book is registered there under the title of “Manahij al-iqtida bi-l-aimmat al-muhtadin”.
5. As is stressed in the above-mentioned works and in some investigations, Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi seems to have left one more commentary under the title of “Sharh al-Jami’ al-kabir li-sh-Shay-bani fi furu al-Hanafiya”.

A well-known historian Hajji Khalifa states in his famous book “Kashf az-zunun” that the book under the title of “Murattib ash-shaykh” also belongs to Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi. In this book the author commented on the book “Jami’ as-sadr” by a scholar Khusamiddin Umar ibn Abdulaziz ibn Moza (died in 506/1142). This book was devoted to the description of aspects of the Hanafian teachings.

It should be taken into consideration that a scholar Khayriddin az-Zirikli and a number of other authors consider by mistake that “Kitab al-alim va-l-mutaallim” (A Book about Teachers and Disciples) belongs to Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi. In reality, this book belongs to Abu Muqatil as-Samarqandi who lived in the 9th century. Some other mistakes allowed by the authors should also be mentioned. They mention by mistake that the book “Kitab al-u’mda fi usul ad-diyn” belongs to Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi. In reality, this book was written by Abdullah an-Nasafi, another author from Nasaf. He lived two centuries later than our hero Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi and died in 720/1320. It deserves mentioning that two samples of the manuscript of “Kitab al-u’mda” are preserved in Cairo in the library of “Dar al-kutub al-Misriya’. If to look through the text of the book, one can understand that it was greatly influenced by the style of Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi. There are also three more books devoted to the science of kalam which need to be described in detail.