study (logic?) under Abû Ali Ibn al-Walid the Motazelite, whose lessons he attended assiduously and who never ceased exhorting him to embrace Islamism, adducing evident proofs which attested the truth of that religion. This continued till God directed him, and he then became a good musulman. He studied medicine under. Abû 'l-Hasan Saîd Ibn Hibat Allah Ibn al-Husain (2) and profited by that doctor's tuition. He possessed a superficial knowledge of polite literature and wrote a good hand. A great number of works were composed by him for the imâm khalif) alMuktadi bi-amr Illah, such as the Takwim al-Abdân (regimen of the body), the Minhaj al-Baiyan etc. (highway of exposition, treating of the (plants and simples) made use of by man), the Ishara fi talkhis il-Ibâra (indication concerning the abridgment of the Ibara (3), an epistle in praise of the medical art, demonstrating its accordance with the divine law and refuting the attacks directed against it, an epistle addressed to Alya (Elias (?)) the priest, when he (the author) became a Moslim. There are other works of his besides the above. He was one of those doctors who were famous for their theoretical knowledge of medicine and for the practise of that art. Abû 'l-Muzaffar Yûsuf Sibt Ibn al-Jauzi (vol. I. p. 439) mentions him in the historical work entitled Mirât az-Zamân, and says: When he became a Moslim, Abû 'l-Hasan, who was then kâdi of Baghdad, deputed to him the task of engrossing the judgements pronounced in court. He (Ibn Jazla) acted as doctor to the "inhabitants of his quarter and the persons of his acquaintance; he took from "them no retribution and carried to them gratuitously the potions and medicines "which they required. He sought out poor people and made them the objects of "his charity. Some time before his death, he made a walf (4) of his books and deposited them in the mash-hed (or funeral chapel) of Abû Hanîfa (rol. III. p. 555).” — All this is mentioned under the year 493 (A. D. 1099-1100), and it was customary with that historian to place each of his biographical notices under the year in which the individual died; his book being drawn up in the form of annals. The author of the work entitled Kitâb al-Bustân al-Jâmê li-tawârîkh az-Zamân (the Garden, being a collection of historical dates) (5) states that Ibn Jazla died in the year 493, and Abû 'l-Hasan Ibn al-Hamadani (vol. I. p. 280) informs us, besides, that his death occurred towards the end of Shaabân (beginning of July, 1100). This indication is borrowed from him by Ibn an-Najjar in the History of Baghdad (vol. 1. p. 11). Another author states that his conversion to Islamism took place in the year 466, to which Ibn an-Najjar adds: "On Tuesday, the 11th of the latter Jumâda

(11th February, A. D. 1074).—Jazla is to be pronounced with an a after the j; it takes no vowel after the z, but the l is followed by an a.

(1) The Arabic may also signify: "it was read (before witnesses, so that it might serve as a proof) against "him (in case he relapsed)." This may, perhaps, be what Ibn Khallikân, or his authority, meant.

(2) Said Ibn Hibat Allah, a celebrated doctor of Baghdad, was employed between the years 470-500 (A. D. 1077-1106), as physician to the khalifs al-Muktadi and al-Mustazhir Billah. Some of his pupils, such as Ibn Jazla, Aûhad az-Zamân and Ibn at-Talmid, becaine highly distinguished.-(Wüstenfeld's Arabische Aerzte, n° 143).

(3) The Ishara and the Ibara treated probably of medicine; Hajji khalifa does not indicate them in his Bibliographical dictionary.

(4 See vol. I. p. 49.

(5) This work is not noticed by Hajji Khalifa.

SHIHAB AD-DIN AS-SUHRAWARDI

Abû 'l-Futûh Yahya Ibn Habash Ibn Amîrek, surnamed Shihab ad-Dîn (flambeau of religion), was a native of Suhraward and a philosopher; the same who was put to death at Aleppo. Some say that his name was Ahmad (not Yahya), and others assert that the surname Abû 'l-Futûh was his real name. Abû 'l-Abbas Ahmad Ibn Abi Osaibia al-Khazraji (1), the philosopher who composed the work called Tabakât alAtibba (classified dictionary of medical men), gives to this Suhrawardi the name of Omar and does not mention that of his father. The true name is, however, the one which I have indicated, and I have therefore placed his article here (among the Yahyas). I found in the handwriting of some persons versed in this branch of science (biography) that such was his name, and I received the same information from a number of others, the exactness of whose knowledge could not be doubted. That fortified my opinion and led me to place as-Suhrawardi's article here. He was one of the most learned men of that age. He studied philosophy and the fondamentals of jurisprudence under the shaikh Majd ad-Din al-Jili, who was then teaching in the city of Maragha, one of the governments in Adarbaijân, and he continued with him

VOL. IV.

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till he attained pre-eminence in these two sciences. This Majd ad-Din al-Jili was the professor under whom Fakhr ad-Din ar-Râzi (vol. II. p. 652) studied with such profit and completed his education; he was considered as a great master (imâm) in all those branches of science. The author of the Tabakât al-Atibbd says, in that work: As-Suhrawardi was the first man of his time in the philosophical sciences, "all of which he knew perfectly well. In the science of the fundamentals of "jurisprudence he stood pre-eminent; he was gifted with great acuteness of mind "and the talent of expressing his thoughts with precision. His learning was greater than his judgment." He then states that he was put to death towards the close of the year 586; at the age of thirty-six years. At the end of this article we shall give the true date of his death. After this, he says: "It is reported that he was acquainted with the art of simia (natural magic), and the following anecdote "was related by a Persian philosopher who happened to travel with him from Damascus When we reached al-Kâbûn, a village which lies near the gate "of Damascus, on the road leading to Aleppo, we came up to some Turkomans who had with them a flock of sheep. We said to the shaikh (as-Suhrawardi): "Master! we would like to have one of those sheep to eat (2).' He replied: 'I have with me ten dirhems (6 shillings); take them and buy a sheep. We bought one from a Turkoman and proceeded on our journey, but we had not gone far whom a companion of this herdsman came up to us and said: Give back the sheep and take a smaller one; for that fellow (whom you got it from) did no know how to sell it to you; this sheep is worth more than the sum given for it.' We talked with him on the subject, and the shaikh said to us, on perceiving what was going on: Take the sheep and walk off with it; I shall stay with the man and give him satisfaction.' We proceeded on our way whilst

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the shaikh entered into conversation with the fellow, endeavouring to tranquillize him. When we had got to a short distance, he left him and followed 66 6 us. The Turkoman ran after him, calling out to him to stop, but the shaikh "did not mind him. Finding that could get no answer, he ran up to the shaikh

in a passion and pulled him by the left arm, exclaiming: Do you mean to go 6666 away and leaveme thus?' The arm separated from the shoulder and remained

in his hand, with the blood running out. Astounded at the sight, and forgetful of what he was about, the Turkoman threw down the arm in terror.

The shaikh turned back to the arm, took it up with his right hand and then

• followed us. The other continued to retreat, and the shaikh kept looking at ❝ him till he disappeared. When he came up to us, we saw in his right hand "a towel and nothing else.""-A great number of similar anecdotes are related of him, but God knows if they be true. He composed some works, such as the Tankihat (enucleations), treating of the fundamentals of jurisprudence, the Talwihai (elucidations), the Kitâb al-Haidkil (book of temples) (3), the Kitâb Hikma til-Ishrâk (the philosophy of illuminism) (4), an epistle entitled: al-Ghurba tal-Ghariba (extraordinary peregrination (?)) and drawn up on the plan of Avicena's Epistle of the bird (see vol. I. p. 443) and on that of the Hai Ibn Yakzân composed by the same author (5). This epistle, which is elegantly written, treats of (what is called) the discourse of the mind (i. e. its ambitious suggestions) and whatever, in the system of the philosophers, is connected with that subject. Here are some of his sayings: "Let reflection be turned towards such an image of sanctity as may be a gratification to the seeker of enjoyment." "The tracts of sanctity are an abode on whose floor) the ignorant cannot tread."—" For the bodies darkened (by sin), the realm of the heavens is forbidden. Declare therefore the unity of God and be filled with veneration for him; remember him, for you are naked, though "clothed in the raiment of existence."-"Were there two suns in the world, its columns would be destroyed."-"The order (of nature) refuses to be otherwise " than it is."

your

"I hid myself and said: 'I am not visible;' and by my effort, I let myself be seen by all "things that have being."—" If I was sure that we (and God) were never to meet, I should "satisfy my passion in the enjoyment of Salma (6)."

I implore thee, O Lord! to deliver my subtle part (the soul) from this dense (or “material world).”—Some poems are attributed to him, one of which is on the soul and in the same style as the verses rhyming in an which were composed by al-Husain Ibn Sina and which we inserted in his article (vol. I. p. 443). This philosopher (as-Suhrawardi) said (on the subject):

She divested herself of the temple (the body) at the sand-hill of the park (the world), and aspired with ardeur to regain her former abode. Impelled by passionate desire, she turned towards that dwelling-place, that vernal residence of which even the crumbling ruins had disappeared. She stopped to question it, and the echo (or screech-owl) replied: "There is no way (to effect) your meeting." She is like a flash of lighning glimmering over the park, and then disappearing, as if it had not gleamed.

A well known piece of his is the following:

Our souls are always turned towards you with tender affection; to meet with you would be their nosegay and their wine (7). The hearts of your lovers yearn for you and aspire after the pleasure of that meeting. O how lovers are to be pitied! they must conceal their feelings, and yet their passion betrays them. If they let their secret be known, they risk the shedding of their life's blood; for this only is shed the blood of lovers. Whilst they hide (their feelings), flowing tears tell their secret to the jealous spies. The symptoms of (love ́s) malady appear in their looks, and that suffices to dispel every doubt concerning them. (Your devoted lover humbly) abases the wing before you; it would be no crime in you to abase the wing (with indulgence) before him. To meet with you, his heart is always yearning; to please you, his eyes are ever watchful. Replace the darkness of your cruelty by the light of your kindness; your aversion is night, and your benevolence is day. She (the beloved) acted sincerely towards her lovers, and their hearts were sincere towards her; the light (shining) from those (hearts) was like a lamp burning in a niche. Their desires are ardent; the hour favours your approach; clear is the wine and clear are the goblets (for the feast). My friend! the lover is not to be blamed if the morning shines (if his joy appears) in the horizon of (happy) meeting; lovers are not in fault if their ardour overcomes their secresy, so that their passion is increased and they reveal it. In risking their lives, they were prodigal, not sparing; for they knew that such prodigality was (followed by) success. The herald of (mysterious) truths called unto them and, from morning till evening, they continued obedient to that call. Whilst they rode along the way of fidelity, their tears formed an ocean on which the seamen were their passionate desires. By Allah! they sought not permission to approach the door of the beloved, till they were invited thither and had received the key. Never do they find pleasure in discourse of which the beloved is not the subject; all their time is therefore (continual) happiness. They appeared in the (beloved one's) presence, though every sign which could attest the existence of their persons had disappeared and, when they saw the beloved, they stood revealed and uttered a loud cry. He (the beloved) annihilated them from before him; the veils of existence which shaded them were removed and their souls were dissolved (8). Try to resemble them, if you are not like them; to resemble the generous (brings) good success. Arise, my boon companion! and bring the wine in its cup; for the goblets have already passed round; (let it be the produce) of the vine of nobleness (drawn) from the tun of piety; let it not be such wine as has been trod out by the husbandman.

He left some other elegant pieces, in prose and in verse; but we need not lengthen this article by inserting them. He was a follower of the rite introduced by asShafi (vol. II. p. 569) and had received the title of al-Murid bal-Malakût (the aspirant who desires the sight of the divine glory). He was suspected of holding heretical opinions, of disbelieving in God and of following the system professed by the philosophers of ancient times. These suspicions became so general that, when he arrived in Aleppo, the ulema of the city issued a fetwa in which they declared that he might be slain with impunity; so pernicious did his opinions appear to them. The most ardent of the assembly for his condemnation were the two shaikhs Zain ad-Dîn and