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A study of al-Risalah al-Bahirah presents a departure in the interpretation of Abu Y`acqub al-Sijistani's (d. approximately between 386/996 and 393/1002--3) writings. It is the first critical edition and translation of al-Risalah al-Bahirah . / Previous scholarship has concentrated on the quest for the historical Sijistani and his alignment with the Fat&dotbelow;imid Imams. This thesis explains Sijistani's relationship with the Fat&dotbelow;imids through a critical analysis of his doctrines of revelation, resurrection and retribution using the Bahirah as its focus.

This dissertation attempts to elucidate early Isma`ili thought on various aspects of prophecy during the 4th A.H./10th C.E. century in the light of Kitab al-Is&dotbelow;lah&dotbelow; (Book of Correction) by Abu H&dotbelow;atim al-Razi (d. ca. 322/934--5), one of the leading da`is (missionaries) in the Iran of his day. Al-Is&dotbelow;lah&dotbelow; is on one level an early example of Neoplatonist influence on Isma`ili thought, taking the form of a polemic aimed at his coreligionist, Muh&dotbelow;ammad al-Nasafi. However, al-Is&dotbelow;lah&dotbelow; also shows a new doctrinal formulation of early Isma`ili discourse on prophetology, especially concerning the messianic figure of the Qa'im. / In al-Is&dotbelow;lah&dotbelow; al-Razi discusses the missions of each of the enunciator-prophets (nut&dotbelow;aqa' ) using the terminology of Greek-Hellenistic sciences, thereby implying that the Qa'im possesses a rank higher than any other prophet. In addition, whereas he appears to assign the Qa'im's political role to the leaders of the Isma`ili community in the present age, al-Razi describes a new era to be inaugurated by the figure, constituting a purified version of this world. In this way the figure of the Qa'im is depoliticized and spiritualized. It is thus suggested that al-Razi's thought on prophecy in al-Is&dotbelow;lah&dotbelow;, while theorizing the place of the Qa'im in sacred history, represents a response to the crisis in his own time engendered by the postponement of the Qa'im's final advent and victory.

The study asks the following question: to what degree do the categories of philosophical knowledge apply to the original work of Abu Ya'qub al-Sijistani? In order to answer the question, the study tries to characterize al-Sijistani's thought as expressed in the Kitab al-Yanabi'. The textual analysis emphasizes the role of Sijistani's theory of Sources and theory of kalimah, which allow useful comparisons with aspects of the hermetic and hermeneutic traditions. The analysis aims at demonstrating that the hermeneutical thought of al-Sijistani, although gnostic in character, integrates in its spiritual itinerary the conceptual expression characteristic of philosophical knowledge. The possibility of such an integration rests on the ta'wi l's function of synthesis. The various aspects of the synthesis are finally discussed by reference to the ismaili conception of prophecy.

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