The Arabic Version of the Liber Denudationis: How Fatimid Controversies Shaped Medieval European Views of Islam
ABSTRACT This article investigates an Arabic critique of Islam known as The Book of Clarity with Regard to the Truth (Kitab al Wadih bi al haqq; shortened to Clarity in Truth) composed by the Muslim convert to Coptic Christianity known as Bulus ibn Raja` (c. 950s after 1012) The article examines his biography, the historical processes that led to the composition of his work, and his use of Islamic sources, which subsequently made a considerable impact on Western Christian views of Islam. Previously, Clarity in Truth was only known in its Latin translation as the Book of Denuding (Liber Denudationis) and the circumstances of its authorship, historical origins and original content have been contested by scholars. This article answers questions about the author Bulus ibn Raja` and his Arabic text, investigates his use of Islamic sources to support his arguments, and highlights how Clarity in Truth's arguments were disseminated into the western European environment. Overall, this historical analysis explains the process by which intra Islamic polemics were integrated into Christian Arabic literature and later disseminated via Eastern Christian networks into medieval Europe, consequently shaping their views of the Qur'an and Islam.