The Book of Truthfulness

Abu sa’id al-kharraz is a lessknown Baghdadi mystic whose kitab al-sidq is a widely known sufi treatise popularised in the English speaking world chiefly through the translation of Arthur john arberry titled “the book of truthfulness”.

Tr : Arthor John Arberry

ARTHUR JOHN ARBERRY renowned British orientalist and scholar, translated Kitab al Sidq and popularised it in the English speaking world. Arberry is famous for his innumerable scholarly translations from Persian and Arabic, including the Quran, Rumi, Iqbal, Omar Khayyam etc. His complete bibliography shows a total of some ninety books that he wrote, translated, or edited, a similar number of scholarly articles, and many reviews and other short contributions.

His writings include edited texts of Persian and Arabic works, translations of classical Persian and Arabic poetry, Quran studies, Islamic theology and philosophy, Sufism, Persian and Arabic language, bibliography and library catalogues, readers and anthologies for students et al. His most outstanding work was the English translation of the Quran, which superseded all previous efforts in this field. His catalogues of the oriental manuscripts in the India Office, Cambridge University, and Chester Beatty libraries provide an essential tool for all scholars working in the Islamic field. It is Arberry’s principal achievement to have made the fruits of his own scholarship available not only to students following in his footsteps, but also to the general public.