Abu Ya'qub Al-Sijistani: Intellectual Missionary

by Paul E. Walker

Paul E. Walker looks at this important missionary of the tenth century from a fresh perspective. Though long neglected by historians of Islamic philosophy, al-Sijistani's recently recovered writings establish him both as a philosopher and as an exponent of the intellectual understanding of Islam. The old problem of the meaning of science and religion and their interaction as reflected in the thought of an Ismaili author from the early Islamic period is now interpreted within the framework that brings together ideas and obscure doctrines surviving only piecemeal from medieval Arabic books and treatises. This book provides a coherent overview of al-Sijistani's contributions as a thinker.

152 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1996

About the author

Paul E. Walker is Deputy Director for Academic Programs, Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago and a historian of ideas specializing in medieval Islamic history.