Book of Divine Unity

Not much of al-Qūmisī’s Arabic Book of Divine Unity (Kitāb al-tawḥīd) survives. The title and contents of this book bear the stamp of Mu‘tazilī theology, a branch of kalām (rationalist theology). Here, he engages the important Mu‘tazilī topics of divine unity and the workings of reward and punishment. Al-Qūmisī nevertheless expresses sharp opposition to the study of “foreign wisdom” as dangerous and corrupting. Instead, he calls on his followers to practice asceticism and study the Torah. Here, he contrasts the philosophical (i.e., Aristotelian) approach to nature with the approach found at the outset of Genesis. Al-Qūmisī’s rejection of philosophy is in striking contrast to his embrace of rationalist and literal approaches to scripture.