Qadi Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani

He is Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn at-Tayyib ibn Muhammad the Qadi, known al-Baqillani. He is called "the Shaykh of the Sunna and the Tongue of the Community".

He was a Basran who lived in Baghdad and listened to al-Qati'i, Ibn Mahi and others. Ibn Abi'l-Fawaris went to him. Al-Khatib Abu Bakr said in the History of the Baghdadis, "He studied the usul with Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid and fiqh with Abu Bakr al-Abhuri."

He had leadership among the Malikis in his time. He had good fiqh and excellent argument. He had a huge circle in the al-Mansur Mosque in Baghdad. He lived in Karkh. Abu 'Abdullah ibn Sa'dun said that all the factions were pleased with Qadi Abu Bakr in judging between opponents.

Ibn 'Ammar al-Mayurqi said, "Ibn at-Tayyib was a righteous and scrupulous Maliki, one of those for whom absolutely no error is recorded and no defect was ascribed. He was called "the Shaykh of the Sunna and the Tongue of the Community.'" He said, "He was one of the fortesses of the Muslims and the people of innovations never experienced greater joy than their joy at his death. He was appointed qadi in the frontier. Abu 'Imran al-Fasi mentioned him and said, "He was the master of the people of the Sunna in his time and the Imam of the mutakallimun of the people of truth in his time."

Qadi Abu'l-Walid said, "Qadi Abu Bakr was a Maliki and related from Abu Dharr al-Harawi. He said, "The reason I studied with Qadi Abu Bakr and recognised his worth was that once I was walking in Baghdad with Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali ad-Daraqutni when we met a young man. Shaykh Abu'l-Hasan went up to him, showed him respect and made supplication for him. I asked the shaykh, "Who is this to whom you behave thus?" He told me, "Abu Bakr ibn at-Tayyib who supports the Sunna and curbs the Mu'tazilites.' He praised him. Abu Dharr said, "I frequented him and took from him from that day." A large number of people learned the usul of fiqh, the deen and fiqh with him.

Abu 'Imran al-Fasi said, "I went to Baghdad having learned fiqh in the Maghrib and Andalusia with Abu'l-Hasan al-Qabisi and Abu Muhammad al-Asili. They knew usul. When I attended the assembly of Qadi Abu Bakr and I saw what he said about usul and fiqh to those who agreed and those who disagreed, I felt insignificant and I said, 'I do not know anything.' I returned from him like a beginner."

Abu Bakr al-Khatib said, "He was the person with the most knowledge of kalam and the best of them in thought in it. He used the most excellent language, clearest exposition and soundest expression." He related that Abu Bakr al-Khwarzami used to say, 'Every writer in Baghdad quotes from the books of people except Qadi Abu Bakr. His breast contains his knowledge and the knowledge of people.'"

'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hana'i said, "Qadi Abu Bakr wanted to summarise what he had written but was unable to do so because of the vastness of his knowledge and memory. No one wrote words without needing to look at the books of opponents except for Abu Bakr. All of what he remembered was from his memory."

Some people used to say, "It is reported that Allah used to bind His people together through His Prophets and Messengers. When the Messengers were sealed by Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his communty was bond together every hundred years by one of its scholars who revives its deen for them and renews its Shari'a. So at the end of 400 it was Abu Bakr ibn at-Tayyib."

His excellence, behaviour and death

Abu 'Abdullah as-Sayrafi said, "The righteousness of Qadi was greater that his knowledge. Allah only benefitted this community by his books and their spread among them." He said, "He used to study in the day and most of the night." He mentioned a lot of his virtues.

Abu Bakr al-Khatib related that Qadi recited the Qur'an every night in twenty pairs of rak'ats. He did not omit them at home or on a journey. Every night when he prayed 'Isha' and he did his prayers, he set the inkwell before him and wrote 35 pages from memory. When he prayed Fajr, he gave his companions what he had written in the night and ordered him to read it to them and dictated any additions to it to them.

Al-Mayurqi said, "I counted the books of the Qadi and his dictations and divided them by the number of days of his life from birth to death and I found that there were about ten pages per day."

Qadi Abu Bakr died on Saturday, 21 Dhu'l-Qa'da, 403 according to al-Khatib.

What is famous of his debates with the sects and his reports in that

Al-Khatib said, "It is reported to us that Ibn al-Mu'allim, the shaykh and mutakallim of the extreme Shi'ites, was present at a debate with his companions when Qadi Abu Bakr al-Ash'ari came up. Ibn al-Mu'allim turned to his companions and said, "Shaytan has come to you." The Qadi heard what he said while he was some distance away. When he sat down, he turned to Ibn al-Mu'allim and his companions and said to them, "Allah Almighty says, 'Do you not see that We send the shaytans against those who reject to goad them on?' (19:83)"

"Someone else reported that the story took place with the people of assembly of the shaykhs of the Mu'tazilites held by Fana-Khusrau, the king. He had entered when he heard them mentioning him and telling them, "He is only a shaytan." Then the Qadi reached them reciting the ayat. I heard one of the shaykhs recount that Ibn al-Mu'allim spoke for some time with him. When the words which they exchanged became heated, Ibn al-Mu'allim threw at him a broad bean (baqilla') he had ready to allude to his lineage (al-Baqillani) in order to embarass him. The Qadi replied immediately and reached up his sleeve and threw a pearl which he had ready. He was amazed at his cleverness and his readiness for matters before they occured."

His famous debates in the assembly of 'Adud ad-Dawla

Abu 'Abdullah Al-Azdi and others said: The king 'Adud ad-Dawla Fana-Khusrau ibn Yazid ad-Daylami liked scholars. His assembly was full of them. He used to hold assemblies for their debate.The Head Qadi was Bishr ibn al-Husayn, a Mu'tazilite. One day 'Adud ad-Dawla remarked to him, "This assembly is full of scholars, but I do not any of the people of Affirmation (i.e. hadith) sitting in it to support their school." His qadi said to him, "They are common adherents of taqlid and transmission who relate a report and its opposite and believe them both. I do not know of anyone of them who can deal with this matter". He meant to disparage them. Then he began to praise the Mu'tazilites.

'Adud ad-Dawla said to him, "It is impossible that throughout the earth the school lacks anyone to defend it. Look and see what there is someone who can debate to whom we can write to attend our assembly." When he resolved on it, the Qadi said, "They tell me that in Basra there is a shaykh and a young man. The shaykh is known as Abu'l-Hasan al-Bahili (One variant has Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid), and the young man is known as Ibn al-Baqillani."

The king wrote to his governor to send them to him and he sent money for their expenses from his wholesome wealth. When the letter reached them, the shaykh and some of his people said, "Those are sinful disbelieving people because the Daylamites are Shi'ites. It is not lawful for us to step on their carpet. The desire of the king is only that it can be said that his assembly contains people of all inkwells. If he were sincere for Allah, you would do it."

The Qadi said, "I told them, 'Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Muhasibi and those of their time said that al-Ma'mun was sinful and his assembly should not be attended. Eventually he sent Ahmad ibn Hanbal to Tarsus, and it there happened to him what is known [the Inquisition]. If he they debated with al-Ma'mun, they would have kept him from doing that and made their evidence clear to him. O shaykh, you will also contiue until what happened to Ahmad happens to the fuqaha'. They state that the Qur'an is created and deny the Vision. I will go if you do not go.' The shaykh said, 'Since Allah has expanded your breast to this, go. So I went with the courier to Shiraz by sea and arrived there. I asked about how to go to him and was told that on Jumu'a, the person with a scholar's shawl was not impeded because there was an assembly of debate.

"In the morning, I selected my garment and went to the king. When he had prayed Dhuhr and sat for the scholars, the curtain was lifted and everyone with a scholar's shawl entered. I entered when the people had gathered. The king was on a seat and in front him were some slaves with burnished swords in their hands. There were steps to his right and left. What was on his right was empty because only a minister or a great king sat there. I disliked to sit at the end of the people. So I went and sat at his right opposite the Qadi of Qadis who was on his left. The king looked at the Qadi of Qadis with a look of disapproval. No one in the assembly knew me except one person. They were alarmed by what I had done and my presence.

"He said to the Qadi of Qadis, 'This is the man whom the king requested from Basra. Inform the king.' He turned to him indicated the curtain with his eye and they left me. Then he came back and said, 'Present the question.' Present in the assembly was the leader of the Baghdadi Mu'tazilites, al-Ahdab. He was the most eloquent and knowledgeable of them. There were a number of the Mu'tazilites of Basra, the most eminent of them being Abu Ishaq an-Nasibi.

"Al-Ahdab told one of his students, 'Ask him if Allah has obliged creatures that of which they are incapable.' His goal was to make us appear ugly to the king. That is why he asked that. I replied. 'If by obligation you mean the word itself, it exists. Allah Almighty says, "Say: 'Be rock or stoneÉ'" (17:50); and we cannot be like that. Allah says, "Tell me the names of these if you speak the truth." (2:31). So He asked them what they did not know. He says, "The Day when legs are bared and they are called on to prostrate, they will not be able to do it." (68:42). All of this is a command of which the creature is incapable. If you mean 'imposition'. you mean what you know and which it is valid to do or not do, then the words are contradictory and your question is false and does not require an answer because you said 'imposition' (taklif), and that necessitates an action which contains toil and hardship for the one on whom it is imposed. It is not applied to what he cannot do whether hardship or without hardship.'

"'The speaker was silent. Al-Ahdab began to speak. He said, 'O man, I asked about words which are understood and you turned that into possibilites. That is not an answer. The answer when you are asked is that you say yes or no.' I noted his words by which he did not respect me or respect the shaykhs and I observed, 'O person! You are asleep and your feet are in the water. You broached the question about possibilities and I clarified the possible aspects. If you have something to say about the question, then do so. Otherwise speak on something else.' He repeated the first words.

"The king said, 'O shaykh, the aspects of the possibility are clear, and you do not have to trouble yourself with it or cheat. I have only brought you together for benefit, not for bickering, and not for what does not befit the scholars.' Then the king turned to the Qadi and said to him, 'Speak on the question.' The Qadi said, 'That of which someone is incapable has two aspects. One is that he is incapable because he is distracted by its opposite, as when it is said, "A certain person is unable to act because he is busy with writing." This is the way of the unbeliever who cannot believe because he is preoccupied with disbelief which is its opposite. The other is that he is unable. It has not come in the Shari`a that he is obliged. If it had come, it would be permitted. Allah Almighty praised the one who asked him not to burden him with what he could not do. The Almighty says, "Our Lord, do not load us with anything we have not the strength to bear!" (2:286) because Allah Almighty can do whatever He wills in His kingdom.' Then al-Ahdab moved on to speak of something else and the Qadi spoke with him.

"The king inclined to his words. Then the king turned and said, 'Ask Abu Ishaq an-Nasibi about the question about the Vision of Allah.' An-Nasibi denied that Allah could be seen in the Next World. He was asked for his proof. He stated, 'Anything which is seen by the eye must have before the eye of the seer.' The king turned to Qadi Abu Bakr. Qadi Abu Bakr said, 'He is not seen with the eye.' The king liked what he said. The Qadi of the Qadis asked, 'If He is not seen by the eye, by what is He seen?' The Qadi replied, 'He is seen by the perception which Allah originates in the eye, which is sight. If man say by the eye, then every eye must see. We know that people have eyes and do not see anything.' An-Nasibi said, 'I did not know that he says this. I thought that he accepted my position.'

"He said many things in this assembly which the king liked. He continued to find his words agreeable and he moved his seat until he was with him and in front of him. Then the king turned to the Chief Qadi. He said, 'Did I not tell you that the school which covers the earth must have a defender?' When the assembly ended, one of the chamberlains accompanied me to the lodging where there was prepared for me all that was needed and I lived there and remained with the king until he came to Baghdad."

The king sent him his son to teach him the school of the people of the Sunna and train him in it. He wrote at-Tamhid for him. He learned that from him. At that time Abu 'Abdu'r-Rahman as-Sulami as-Sufi and a group of the people of the Sunna were in Shiraz. They read to him the commentary of al-Luma'. The king said to the Qadi, "I pondered what manner he should be killed when he sat without my permission. Now, I know that he is more entitled to my place than I am."

His debates in the assembly of the Byzantine Emperor

'Adud ad-Dawla sent Qadi Abu Bakr ibn at-Tayyib on one of his missions to the Byzantine emperor. He selected him for that so that he could assist the elevation of Islam and diminish Christianity. When he was preparing to depart, the wazir of 'Adud ad-Dawla asked the Qadi, "Have you consulted a astrological chart about your departure?" He said, "All success and failure, good and evil is in the hand of Allah. The stars have not the slightest atom of power. Astrological books were written by the ignorant common people are crushed. They have no basis in fact." The wazir said, "Summon Ibn as-Sufi present. He is advanced in this area."

When he was present, the wazir told him to debate with the Qadi to show what he had said was invalid. Ibn as-Sufi said, "Debate is not part of my business. I say that when there is such-and-such in the stars, then such-and-such will happen. As for its causality, it is part of the knowledge of the people of logic and the people of kalam. The one who could debate that is Abu Sulayman al-Mantiqi." He was summoned and commanded to speak with the Qadi.

Abu Sulayman said to him, "This Qadi said that when there are ten people in a ship in the Tigris, before they reach the other shore, the Creator is able to add another to them so that there is eleven and that Allah created the eleventh in that instant. If I say that He is unable to do that – and this is impossible – they would cut out my tongue and kill me. If they were lenient to me, they would bind me and throw me into the Tigris. If the matter is as you mentioned, there is no sense to my debating with him."

The wazir turned to the Qadi and said, "Qadi?" He said, "What we are discussing here is not the power of the Creator. The Creator is able to do anything, even if this heretic denies that. What we are discussing is the influence of these stars. He has changed the subject because of his incapacity and lack of knowledge. Otherwise, how is the power of the Creator connected to our question? Even if I said that the Almighty is able to do that, I do not say that He breaks the normal patterns and does that now as it is not permissible for us to today to create a human being without two parents. Since that is the case, the wazir knows that this is evading the issue. It is as I said."

Al-Mantiqi said, "Debate is a skill which requires experience. I do not know the debates of these people and they do not know our subject and expressions. There cannot be a debate between people like this." The wazir said to him, "We accept your excuse. The truth is clear." Turning to face him, the Qadi said, "Travel in the safekeeping of Allah."

He said, "I departed and entered the territory of the Greeks and went to the emperor in Constaninople who was informed of our arrival. He sent someone to met us who said, 'Do not go into the emperior wearing your turbans. Remove them except for thin kerchiefs. Also remove your leather socks.' I said, 'I will not do it and I will not enter without my garment and dress. If you do not allow it, then take the books and read them and then send their answers and I will reply.'

"The emperor was informed of that and stated, "I want to know the reason for this and why he refuses my edict.' The Qadi was asked about that and said, 'I am one of the Muslim scholars. What you want from us is abasement and belittement. Allah Almighty has elevated us by Islam and exalted us by our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Furthermore, it is part of the behaviour of kings that when one of them sends his emissaries to another king, that king should then esteem them and not abase them, especially when the emissary is one of the people of knowledge and his worth is established, thereby undermining his rank with Allah and the Muslims.' The translater acquainted the emperor with that and he said, 'Let him and those with him enter as they wish.'

"I entered wearing excellent clothes, a turban and scholar's shawl. When he looked at me, the emperor brought me near and raised me above everyone and began to ask me about my dress. I said, 'These are the garments we wear when we visit our greatest king who is subject to the Amir al-Mu'minin. That is how we visit our noblest ruler whom Allah and His Messenger commanded be obeyed. They do not object to this. I am one of the Muslim scholars. If I came to you without my proper appearance and was subject to your rule, then I would abase both knowledge and myself, and I would forfeit my esteem among the Muslims.'

"He told his translator, 'Tell him that we accept his excuse and we elevate his position and his place with us is not like that of the other emissaries. His place with us is that of the excellent pious ones. Tell him that his fellow has written that he is the tongue of the Muslims and a notable debater among them. I want to learn that and listen to him.' I replied, 'If the king gives permission.' He said, 'Stay in the rooms I have prepared for you and there will be a meeting later.'"We went to the place prepared for us."

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi mentioned that when the Qadi arrived in the city of the Tyrant [the Emperor] who knew about him and his position in knowledge, the tyrant thought about the situation and knew that the Qadi would not exalt him when he visited him like the common people who kiss the earth before its kings. He decided to put his seat behind a low door which no could enter except bowing so that the Qadi would have to come in to him in that fashion. It was a subsitute for exalting him. When he sat for him, he commanded that the Qadi be admitted through that door. When the Qadi saw that, he thought a moment and then turned his back and bowed his head, and entered the door walking backwards, with his back to the emperor until he was before him. Then he raised his head and stood upright and turned to face the emperor who was astonished by his cleverness, and respect for him came into his heart.

The Qadi said, "On Sunday, the emperor sent for me saying, 'Part of what the emissary does is to attend the meal, and we would like you to reply come to our food and not to disparage all of our customs. I told his messenger, 'I am one of the Muslim scholars and I am not like the emissaries of the army and others. Those do not know what is obliged of them in these situations. The king knows that scholars have no excuse when they enter into these things knowingly. I fear that there will be pork on his table and things which Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the Muslims.' So the translater left and then came back and said, 'The king says to you, '"On my table and in my food there is nothingyou would dislike. I have recommended what you will be brought. We do not consider you like other emissaries, you are greater. The pork you dislike will not be in your presence."' So I went and sat. Food was presented and I stretched out my hand but I suspected the food and did not eat any of it although I did not see on the table anything disliked. When the food was finished, the assembly was fumigated and perfumed.

"Then the Emperor asked, "What is your position about your claim of your Prophet's miracle in splitting of the moon?' I replied, 'It is sound in our view. The moon was split in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that people saw it. Those who were present and looked or happened to look saw in that state.' The emperor asked, 'How is it that all people did not see it? I replied, 'Because people were not prepared and told that it would be split and that that would occur.' He said, 'There is a relationship and kinship between you and it in any case. The Greeks and other people do not know it. Only you saw it.' I said, 'There is a special relationship between you and this table [which was sent down to 'Isa and the Apostles]. You believe it rather than the Jews, Magians, Brahmans, and atheists, especially your neighbours. All of them deny this. You believe it rather than others.' The king was confused and said in his own language, 'Glory be to God!' So he ordered that a certain priest be summoned to speak to me.

"They brought a man who resembled a wolf andhad straight fair hair. He sat and was told what the question was. He said, 'That which the Muslim says is necessary. It is the truth. I do not know of any other answer to it except what he said.' I asked him, 'Do you say that when there is an eclipse, all of the people of the earth see or or the only the people of the area where it occurs.' He replied, 'Only those in the area see it.' I said, 'So why do you deny the splitting of the moon when it occurs in one place where only the people of the area and those who are prepared to look at it see it? As for the one who turns from it, even if he is in the places where the moon is not seen, will not see it.' He said, 'It is as you said. No one will debate it. The discussion is about those who transmitted it. As for the attack by another aspect, it is not sound.'

"The emperor asked, 'How are the transmitters attacked?' The Christian said, 'If signs like these are true, then they must be transmitted by a large number to a large number so that knowledge of it would have reached us. If it had happened, we would necessarily have had knowledge of it. We do not have knowledge of it, and so that indicates that the report transmitted is false.' So the emperor turned to me and said, 'Your reply?' I said, 'What he holds about the descent of the table is what I hold about the splitting of the moon. It could be said, "If it were true that the table had been sent down, then it would be necessary that a large number transmit it, and there would be no Jew, Christian or pagan who did not know this by necessity. Since they do not know that by necessity, then the report is a lie.' The Christian, emperor and those present were speechless. The people dispersed on that."

The Qadi said, "Then the emperor asked me in another gathering, 'What do you say about the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him?' I replied, 'He is the Spirit of Allah and His Word, His slave, Prophet and Messenge. He is like Adam, whom He created from dust, and then Allah said to him, 'Be!' and he was.' (3:59) I recited the text to him.' He said, 'Muslim, do you say that the Messiah is a slave?' 'Yes,' I replied, "That is what we say and it is our deen.'

"He said, 'You do not say that he is the son of God?' 'I seek refuge with Allah!' I replied, 'Allah has no son and there is no other god accompanying Him.' (23:91) You are saying something terrible. If you make the Messiah the son of Allah, who then is his father, brother, grandfather, paternal uncle, and maternal uncle?' listing possible relatives, and he was confused.

"He asked, 'Muslim, can a slave create give life, heal the blind and leper?' I replied, 'He cannot do that. That was all the action of Allah Almighty.' Then he asked, 'How could the Messiah be the slave of Allah and create what he created?' He mentioned all these signs and asked, 'How could he do all of that?' I replied, 'I seek refuge with Allah. The Messiah did not bring the dead to life nor heal the blind or leper.' He was confused and impatient. He said, 'Muslim, do you eny this when it is well-known among people and people accept it?' I replied, 'None of the people of understanding and knowledge state that the Prophets performed miracles from themselves. Rather a miracle is something which Allah Almighty performs at their hands to confirm them. It is like testimony.'

"He said, 'A group of the descendants of your Prophet were present with me and are famous among you and we know that that is in your Book.' I replied, 'O king, all of that in our Book is "by the permission of Allah".' I recited the text of the Qur'an to him, "by My permission, by My permission."' I said, 'The Messiah did all of that by the permission of Allah alone, who has no partner. It was not the Messiah on his own. If the Messiah had brought the dead to life, healed the blind and leper on his own and by his own power, it would be permitted to say that Musa split the sea and brought forth his hand white without any harm on his own. The miracles of the Prophets, peace be upon them, are not actions without the will of the Creator. Since this is not permitted, it not permitted to ascribe the miracles which occurred at the hand of the Messiah to him.' The king said, 'All of the Prophets from Adam onwards prayed to the Messiah to do what they asked.' I replied, 'This is terrible in the language of the Jews. They cannot say that the Messiah used to entreat Musa. Every one with a Prophet says that the Messiah entreated their Prophet. There is no difference in the claim in either case.'"

The Qadi said, "Then we spoke in a third gathering and I asked him, 'Why would divine nature become unified with human nature?' He replied, 'Because he wanted to save mankind from perdition.' I said to him, 'Did he know that he would be killed, crucified and those things which were done and that the Jews would not believe in him? If you say that He did not know what the Jews intended, then it is false that he is a god. If it is false that he is a god, then it is false that he is a son. If you say that He knew, and entered into this matter with full knowledge, then he was not wise because wisdom precludes offering oneself to affliction.' He was speechless. It was the last meeting I had with him."

Ibn Hayyan mentioned that the Tyrant set a time for Qadi Abu Bakr to meet with him in one of the Christian festivals on a day he named. Abu Bakr attended and the assembly was under way and very splendid. The emperor approached him, was polite to him, and had him sit on a chair a little below his own. The emperor was in his pomp and his elite, wearing the crown and ring. The men of the kingdom were arrayed in ranks. The Patriarch, the custodian of their religion, came and the emperor pledged vigilance to him. The Patriarch was the last person to come and was surrounded by his followers reciting the Gospel and fumigating with incense in ceremonial dress. In the middle of the assembly the emperor and his men stood to pay him his due respect and and touched his hem and the emperor seated him beside him.

Then he turned to Qadi Abu Bakr and said, "Faqih, the Patriarch is the Custodian of the Religion and Protector of the creed." The Qadi greeted him and asked him, "How are your family and children?" His words were thought terrible by all of them. They changed towards him, and sternness showed on their faces out of disliked what Abu Bakr had said. He stated, "People, you find it terrible that this person should take a consort and children and put him above that but you do not think it terrible for your Lord, whose Face is exalted, and that the ascription of that to him is the same as this idea. It is a clearer error!" They were speechless and did not give an answer and they had great respect for him and were contrite.

Then the emperor asked the Patriarch, "What do you think about this devil?" He said, "Fulfil his need, be kind to his master and send gifts to him. Expel this Iraqi from your land immediately if you can. If not, there will be no security against Christianity being undermined ." The emperor did that and hastened his depature and sent with him a number of Muslim captives and copies of the Qur'an. He gave the Qadi some soldiers to guard him until he reached security.

Someone else said that the Qadi went to the Byzantine emperor in about 380.

The books of Qadi Abu Bakr

I transmitted them from what was written by my shaykh, Abu 'Ali as-SadafI:

The Kitab al-Ibana or "Clarification of the Invalidity of the School of the People of Disbelief and Misguidance"; Kitab al-Istishhad, Kitab al-Kuffar al-Muta'awwilin wa Hukm ad-Dar; at-Ta'dil wa't-Tajrih; at-Tamhid, the commentary on al-Luma'; the Great Trust; the Minor Trust; Exposition of the Adab of Argument; The Major Sources of Fiqh; The Minor Sources; Questions on the Sources; Dictations on the Consenus of the People of Madina; Virtue of Jihad; Questions; Famous Sessions, the Book on the Transmigrationists; the Book of the Hudud according to Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Qasim; the Book on what is unclear to the Mu'tazilites in the interpretation of the Qur'an; the Book of the Premises on the Principles of Religions in that the non-existent is nothing; the Victory of al-'Abbas and the imamate of his Prophet in Miracles; Constantinople Questions; al-Hidaya (a large book); Reply to the People of Palestine; Baghdad Questions; Nisapur Questions; Jurjan Questions; the Questions about which Ibn 'Abdu'l-Mu'min asked; Isfahan Questions; at-Taqrib wa'l-Irshad, The Sources of fiqh (a large book which was edited by al-Hamdani); al-Muqanna' on usul al-fiqh; Helping the Qur'an; Fine Points of Kalam; the Karamat; Imperfections of al-Funun by al-Hafiz; the Behaviour of the worshippers and the difference between creation and acquistion; Judgements and Legal Reasons; Book of Blood which occured between the Companions.

Part of what I did not find in what the shaykh mentioned but which I came across was the Kitab al-Bayan on the obligations of the religion and the Laws of Islam; the Description of what is obliged of what the pens have written of the knowledge of judgements; a Summary of at-Taqrib, the lesser Irshad (and I think there is a Middle version), Book of the Virtues of the Imams, Kitab at-Tabsira, Risala al-Hurra, Risala al-Amir, the Revealing of Secrets in refutation of the Batiniyya, the I'jaz al-Qur'an, and the Book on the Leadership of the Abbasids.