A Treatise on the Ills of Satiety and the Principles of Medical Practice by Muhammad ben Musa ben al-Nu’man al-Tilimsani: A Critical Edition and Study

Abstract

The publication of this epistle is part of an exploration of Algerian heritage, and more specifically its lesser-known aspects. The contributions of Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Nu'man al-Tilimsani have remained largely unknown, with a few rare exceptions. This epistle sheds light on his Sufi leanings and his exploration of a concept that transcends mere hunger and satiety, focusing instead on the conflict between reason and passion, between the purification and corruption of the soul. This perspective is not limited to conduct, but touches upon the very essence of Sufi knowledge. For him, attaining knowledge, and ultimately knowing God, requires struggling against and mastering one's desires and passions. All of this, according to him, necessitates a framework of self-purification and liberation from base desires. Therefore, this research aims to comment on and publish the epistle, as well as to study it in order to define Ibn al-Nu'man's perspective on conduct and the inner conflict between reason and passion. The work also examines his proposals for purifying the soul and mastering its desires. All of this requires the application of textual criticism methods and an internal analysis of the text's assertions and implications in order to identify the textual foundations and intellectual contexts that guide and orient it.