Epistle of Forgiveness, Volume Two: Hypocrites, Heretics, and Other Sinners

Jul 6, 2026

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Epistle of Forgiveness (Volume Two) presents a bilingual English and Arabic edition of Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī’s Risālatal-ghufrān, edited and translated by Geert Jan van Gelder and Gregor Schoeler. The volume organizes material around hypocrisy, excess praise, and the Sheikh’s narrative return to Aleppo, then expands to heretics, apostates, impious poets, and varied beliefs. It includes discussion of Quraysh, Muʿtanabbī, other poets, timelines of key stories, and extensive thematic sections on repentance, sins, pilgrimages, and worldly vanity, with notes, references, and indexes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages361

Reading Time9 h 16 min

Letter from the General Editor

Introduction

Notes to the Introduction

The Epistle of Forgiveness

On Hypocrisy

On Ibn al-Qāriḥ’s excessive praise of Abū l-ʿAlāʾ

The Sheikh’s Return to Aleppo

Heretics, Apostates, and Impious Poets

Various forms of belief

Old Age, Grave Sins, Pilgrimages, and Sincere Repentence

!e Epistle of Forgiveness Volume Two Library of Arabic Literature Editorial Board General Editor Philip F. Kennedy, New York University Executive Editors James E. Montgomery, University of Cambridge Shawkat M. Toorawa, Cornell University Editors Julia Bray, University of Oxford Michael Cooperson, University of California, Los Angeles Joseph E. Lowry, University of Pennsylvania Tahera Qutbuddin, University of Chicago DevinJ. Stewart, Emory University Managing Editor Chip Rossetti Volume Editor James E. Montgomery Letter from the General Editor !e Library of Arabic Literature is a new series o5ering Arabic editions and English translations of key works of classical and pre-modern Arabic literature, as well as anthologies and thematic readers. Books in the series are edited and translated by distinguished scholars of Arabic and Islamic studies, and are published in parallel-text format with Arabic and English on facing pages. !e Library of Arabic Literature includes texts from the pre-Islamic era to the cusp of the modern period, and encompasses a wide range of genres, including poetry, poetics, 6ction, religion, philosophy, law, science, history, and historiography. Supported by a grant from the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, and established in partnership with NYU Press, the Library of Arabic Literature produces authoritative Arabic editions and modern, lucid English translations, with the goal of introducing the Arabic literary heritage to scholars and students, as well as to a general audience of readers. Philip F. Kennedy General Editor, Library of Arabic Literature "! $\# %'&! \# ,-0123456 ,<(=+01\# > ? .BC( \# DH! IJKLM 8,!01B \# PQRUB\# !e Epistle of Forgiveness or A Pardon to Enter the Garden by Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī edited and translated by Geert Jan van Gelder and Gregor Schoeler Volume Two: Hypocrites, Heretics, and Other Sinners NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London Copyright © 2014 by New York University All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Abū al- ʻAlāʼ al-Maʻarrī, 973-1057. !e epistle of forgiveness or, A pardon to enter the garden / by Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī ; edited and translated by Geert Jan van Gelder and Gregor Schoeler. volumes cm Bilingual English and Arabic edition. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 978-0-8147-6378-0 (cl : alk. paper) --ISBN 978-0-8147-6899-0 (e-book) --ISBN 978-0-8147-7197-6 (e-book) --ISBN 978-0-8147-7194-5 (cl : v. 2) --ISBN 978-0-8147-6896-9 (e-book : v. 2) --ISBN 978-0-8147-6970-6 (e-book : v. 2) I. Gelder, G. J. H. van, translator editor. II. Schoeler, Gregor, translator editor. III. Abū al- ʻAlāʼ al-Maʻarrī, 973-1057. Risālatal-ghufrān. IV. Abū al- ʻAlāʼ al-Maʻarrī, 973-1057. Risālat al-ghufrān. English. V. Ibn al-Qāriḥ, ʻAlī ibn Manṣūr, b. 962. Risālat Ibn al-Qāriḥ . VI. Ibn al-Qāriḥ, ʻAlī ibn Manṣūr, b. 962. Risālat Ibn al-Qāriḥ . English. VII. Title. VIII. Title: Pardon to enter the garden. PJ7750.A25R513 2013 892.7’134--dc23 2013007519 CIP New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. Series design by Titus Nemeth. Typeset in Tasmeem, using DecoType Naskh and Emiri. Typesetting and digitization by Stuart Brown. Manufactured in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Josef van Ess, who, like no other, knows about Islamic heretics, on the occasion of his eightieth birthday (!01YZ\[,3(!7`TU_bc! . . .) Table of Contents Letter from the General Editor iii Abbreviations used in the Introduction and Translation x Introduction xi Notes to the Introduction xiv The Epistle of Forgiveness 1 On Hypocrisy 2 Hypocrisy in humans and animals 2 On Ibn al-Qāriḥ’s excessive praise of Abū l-ʿAlāʾ 10 !e Sheikh’s Return to Aleppo 16 Ibn al-Qāriḥ’s arrival in Aleppo 16 !e s

FAQs

What is the focus of Volume Two of Epistle of Forgiveness?

It centers on hypocrisy, heresy, and other sinners, moving through themed discussions and narrative episodes tied to al-Maʿarrī’s work.

Who edited and translated this edition?

Geert Jan van Gelder and Gregor Schoeler edited and translated the volume.

How is the volume structured according to the table of contents?

It begins with editorial and introductory materials, then proceeds through sections such as on hypocrisy, the Sheikh’s return to Aleppo, heretics and impious poets, and broader themes of belief and repentance.

Jul 6, 2026

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