Dogma and ritual in Kitàb Al-Ma'àrif by the Nusayrì Theologian Ab ù Sa'ìd Maymùn B. Al-Qà Sim Al-Tabarànì (d. 426/1034-35)

The study presents and analyzes Kitàb al-ma'àrif by Abù Sa'ìd Maymùn b. al-Qàsim al- Tabarànì (d. 426/1034-35), an outstanding Nusayrì leader and a prolific author in the formative period of the Nusayrì religion. Inner knowledge (ma'rifa) constitutes the conceptual core of the treatise, whose twenty-three chapters deal with esoteric knowledge of various aspects of religion. The article focuses on the central theological issues discussed by al-Tabarànì, such as manifestations of the deity, in human form and in the historical Si'i Imams, and knowledge of God through visual perception. It further discusses certain ritual issues - such as the antinomian stance toward Muslim law, especially regarding the five pillars of Islam, as well as al-Tabarànì's uncommon view of taqiyya.