Doubts on Avicenna A Study and Edition of Sharaf al-Din al-Mastdis Commentary on the Isharat By ‘Ayman Shihadeh BRILL LEIDEN | BosTONContents Preface vil Introduction 1 1 Al-Mas‘adi’s Life and Career, in Context 7 1.1 The Context: Eastern Avicennism in the Twelfth Century 7 1.2 AlMas‘idis Biography 1.3 AlMas‘idis Oeuvre 20 1.4 Theological Commitments 28 ‘2 The Siukuk: Aporetic Commentary 44 2.1 Two Genres: Aporetic Commentary (Sluukdik), Exegetical Commentary (Shark) 44 2.2 The Broad Outline 49 2.3 ASynopsis 59 2.4 Interpretation: ALMas‘udi’s Philosophical Theology 78 3 Efficient Causation and Continued Existence: Problem 986 3. The Classical Kalém Background 86 32 Aviconna’s Theory of Efficient Causation 89 33. Avicenna’s Criticism of Kaldm in the Isharat 93 34 ALGhazalis Criticism 95, 35 AlMas‘idis Commentary 98 4 The Ontology of Possibility: Problems 10 and 14 109 41 Avicenna on Dispositional Possibility and Per Se Possibility m. 4.2. AlGhazalz An Ash'ariRejoinder 120 43. Al-Mas'idi on the Ontology of Possibility (Problem 10) 127 4-4 Al-Mas‘adi on the Indestructibility of the Human Soul (Problem 14) 136 45 Concluding Remarks: Dispositional Possibility and Per Se Possibility Post-Avicenna 141 5 Avicenna’s Proof of the Existence of God: Problem7 143 5:1 Aviconna’s Proof from Possibility 143, 52 Avicenna on Infinite Temporal Series 1475:3 AbGhazali’s Criticism 149 5-4 AlMas‘udi'sCommentary 15. Matterand Form: Problem 1156 6.1 Avicenna’s Theory of Matter and Corporeity 156 6.2 Aviconna’s Proof of Prime Matter in the Isharat 158 6g Abul-Barakat al-Baghdadi's Competing Theory of Matter 160 6.4 AlMas‘adis Commentary 164 ‘The Manuscriptsand Critical Edition 169 7a The Manuscripts 169 7.2 Introduction to the Critical Edition 173 Bibliography 175 Index of Individuals, Groups and Places 187 Index of Subjects 190 Critical Edition: Sharaf al-Din al-Mas'udi, alMabahith wa-l-Shukick ‘ala Lisharat 193 Preface 196 Establishing the Existence of Matter 197 Establishing the Finitude of Bodies 201 ‘That the Power that Prosorves the Mixture is the Soul 205 ‘The Reality of Perceptions, and the External and Internal Senses 209 That the Rational Soul is not Imprinted in the Body 239, ‘That Some Existents are beyond the Grasp of the Senses 246 7 Establishing the Existence of the Necessary of Existence and the Finitude of Causes 248 8 Establishing the Oneness of the Necessary of Existence 251 9 That the Continued Existence of the Effect Depends on the Continued Existence oflts Cause 262 10. That the Possibility of Coming to-be is an Attribute that Exists Prior toComing-to-be 270 11 That from One Only One Fffect Can Proceed 275 12, That the Activities of Corporeal Powers are Finite 279 13. That the Human Soul is not Affected by the Loss of the Body through. Death 283 14 That the Human Soul Cannot Possibly Pass Away 285 15 The Knowledge that the Necessary of Existence Has of Itself and of Things Other than Itself 287 Index of the Arabic Text 289 Roepe ow