The Formation of the Ikhwānian Corpus: A Philological Study of the Epistles and Two Summaries Attributed to the Brethren of Purity

The Epistles of the Brethren of Purity (9th-10th cent.) constitute one of the most enigmatic works in the history of Islamic philosophy. This book presents an in-depth study of the Epistles and its two summaries. Mattila argues that the Ikhwānian corpus evolved from a mainly philosophical encyclopedia of the Epistles to the largely religious treatises of its summaries. Based on philological analysis, the book's first part shows the gradual transformation of the contents of the Epistles. The second part demonstrates that the Comprehensive Epistle was not composed by the same authors but instead represents an Ismāʿīlī adaptation of the encyclopedia.

Author: Janne Mattila
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Brill
Published: 12/10/2025
Series: Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Science. Texts and Studies #132
Pages: 298
Weight: 1.34lbs
Size: 9.25h x 6.10w x 0.75d
ISBN: 9789004690134