130 Y. Tzvi Langermann
deal of space to the numerous theories displayed in response to the
19 th query, which asks, “What is the true reality (ḥaqīqa) of the soul
(nafs)?” This is the most philosophical section of Kitāb al-Rūḥ. As we
shall see in the next section, there are reports of an abridged version
prepared by Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqāʿī.
3. The Preface to Kitāb al-Rūḥ
The printed versions of Kitāb al-Rūḥ all carry an introduction that is
clearly not written by the author, but rather penned by someone else,
who observes that the book simply plunges into the topic with a series
of queries and replies.^17 Kitāb al-Rūḥ clearly stands in need of an intro-
duction, and, therefore, the anonymous prefacer will supply it. Most
printings have a note to the passage, indicating that the preface was sup-
plied later by Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqāʿī. The most extensive and penetrat-
ing footnote is found in the third Hyderabad printing (1357 A. H.):
You will learn in the course of this address [to the reader] that is not from
the pen of Ibn al-Qayyim. Perhaps it is from the pen of al-Biqāʿī. For in
Kashf al-Ẓunūn, after mention is made of Ibn al-Qayyim’s Kitāb al-Rūḥ,
are these words: ‘It was epitomized by Burhān al-Dīn Ibrāhīm bin ʿUmar
al-Biqāʿī, and he called it Sirr al-rūḥ. He died in the year 885[/1480–1481].
The incipit is, al-ḥamd lil-lāh al-muttaṣif bi-ṣifāt al-kamāl, etc.’ It seems
as if the author of Kashf al-Ẓunūn had some misgivings, so he claimed
that al-Biqāʿī epitomized the book of Ibn al-Qayyim.^18 It appears that
al-Biqaʿī only supplied the book of Ibn al-Qayyim with this preface. It
is as if on his own he called it Sirr al-rūḥ, because Ibn al-Qayyim did
not give a name to his book. It rather became known as Kitāb al-Rūḥ,
because it is a book about the meaning of rūḥ. This [title] then became
widely known. God only knows!^19The anonymous Hyderabad editor picked up the uncertainty of Ḥājjī
Khalīfa, who, so he understands, noticed that the preface is not by
Ibn al-Qayyim, and therefore decided that the book that reached us is
17 The web version, available for download at http://www.al-mostafa.com (accessed
April 4, 2010), carries no introduction at all. This has not been scanned from
any printing, but rather copied out from one of the printings; I presume that the
webmaster(s) decided to dispense with the introduction.
18 Ḥājjī Khalīfa: Kashf al-ẓunūn, ed. by Şerefeddin Yaltkaya and Rifat Bilge, 6
vols., Istanbul 1941–1955, vol. 5, p. 85.
19 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad: Kitāb al-Rūḥ, Hyderabad
(India), third printing, 1305 A. H., p. 2.
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