The Reign of the Abb sid Caliph al-Q dir bill h (381/991-422/1031)

This book studies the political, economic and religious aspects of the reign of the Abb sid caliph,al-Q dir bill h, who assumed power in 381/991.It gives a balanced description of his achievement and reveals the causes of political and economic decline of the Abb sid caliphate.Instead of being a submissive caliph, al-Q dir tried to get rid of the Buwayhid tutelage and presented himself as politico-religious opposition party against the Sh ites and Buwayhid am rs. He rejected the appointment of the Sh ite shar f to the post of grand q d who had been appointed by Bah al-Dawla. He led a movement of a Sunnite restoration in which he condemned Mu tazilism and R fidism and all allegedly deviant doctrines. Inspired by the Hanbalites, al-Q dir wrote the epistles called the Q dirite Creed in which he acknowledged the excellence of the Sunnite orthodoxy and denounced the teachings of the Mu tazilites, Ash arites, and R fidites,in particular on the issue of Kal m (Words) of God and Hisattributes. In addition, to oppose the prevailing Sh ite literature on the theory of the Sh ite im mate, the caliph encouraged the Sunnite scholars to compose the theory of the Sunnite caliphate.