Preface Introduction 1 Presentation of the Work 2 The Author, ibril ibn Nu al-Anbari 3 ibril''s Writings 4 The Kitab al-Itibar fi al-malakut 5 Characterisation of Kitab al-Itibar 6 Reception and Afterlife of Itibar ibril ibn Nu, Kitab al-Itibar , Arabic Text and Translation Itibar ''s Preface The Universe 5 The Universe Is like a House 6 The Colour of the Sky 7 The Benefit of Sunrise and Sunset 8 The Four Seasons 9 The Solar Year 10 The Lunar Year 11 The Movement of the Sun 12 Day and Night Have the Right Length 13 Benefits of the Moon and the Stars 14 The Benefit of the Stars. The Phases of the Moon 15 The Orbits of the Celestial Bodies 16 Signs Given by the Stars - 1 17 The Planets 18 Signs Given by the Stars - 2 19 Why the Rotation? 20 The Universe as a Water Wheel 21 Alternation of Heat and Cold 22 The Nature of Fire 23 The Benefit of Fire Is for Man Alone 24 The Lamp 25 The Wind 26 Sound The Earth 27 The Earth Is Firm and without Motion 28 Why Do Earthquakes Occur? 29 The Earth Is Not Too Dry 30 The North Is Higher than the South 31 The Usefulness of Mountains 32 Mines and Minerals 33 Man Cannot Make Gold and Silver 34 Precious Metals Are Abundant, but Inaccessible 35 The Four Elements Are Amply Available 36 The Benefits of Water 37 Is so Much Water Not Useless? 38 The Usefulness of Rain 39 Rain Falls Gradually 40 Heavy Rainfall and Hail 41 Alternating Rain and Sunshine 42 Why Inclement Weather at All? 43 Rain Is More Useful than Gold and Silver Plants 44 The Usefulness of Plants 45 Abundance 46 Seeds Are Protected 47 Trees 48 Art Imitates Nature 49 Leaves 50 Stones of Fruits 51 Fruit Pulp 52 Regeneration in Trees 53 The Pomegranate 54 Cucurbitaceae 55 Date Palms 56 The Usefulness of Wood 57 Medicinal Herbs 58 Seemingly Useless Plants 59 Dung and Excrement Animals 60 The Build of Animals 61 The Bodies of Grazing Livestock 62 Humans, Herbivores and Carnivores 63 Carnivores and Herbivores 64 The Young of Quadrupeds and Birds 65 The Legs of Animals 66 Animals Subject to Man 67 Dogs 68 The Position of the Vagina in Large Quadrupeds 69 The Fur of Animals 70 Animals Hide to Die 71 The Mouth of a Riding Animal 72 The Usefulness of the Tail 73 The Elephant''s Trunk 74 The Giraffe 75 The Monkey 76 The Dragon 77 The Panting Hart 78 The Fox That Plays Dead 79 The Dolphin That Plays Dead 80 Ants 81 The Lion 82 The Spider 83 The Anatomy of Birds 84 The Food of Birds 85 Oviparous 86 The Hen 87 The Egg 88 The Crop of a Bird 89 Ornamentation in Birds 90 The Feathers of Birds 91 Long-Legged Birds 92 Long Legs, Long Neck 93 The Food of Sparrows 94 The Food of Nocturnal Birds 95 The Bat 96 The Date Palm Bird 97 Bees 98 Locusts 99 Fish 100 The Offspring of Fish 101 The Sea Snail Humans 102 Foetus, Birth 103 Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence 104 Perfect Design in Procreation, Birth and Growth 105 The Stupidity of Babies 106 Conception. Male and Female Sperm 107 The Parts of the Body Are Perfectly Designed 108 The Nature of Nature 109 The Alimentary System 110 Only Nature Allows Bodies to Develop 111 Man Is the Only Erect Animal 112 The Place of the Organs of Perception 113 Sensory Organs Correspond to What They Perceive 114 Things Mediating between Senses and Their Objects 115 The Blind and the Deaf 116 Man Has Intelligence and All the Limbs He Needs 117 The Benefit of Physical Disabilities 118 Some Parts Come in Pairs, Others Do Not 119 The Voice Compared to a Bagpipe 120 Parts May Serve More than One Purpose 121 The Protection of the Brain 122 Who-Questions 123 Why-If Not Questions 124 More Who-Questions 125 Matching Parts 126 The Design of the Penis 127 The Place of the Anus 128 Teeth 129 Hair and Nails 130 Saliva, Vaginal Fluid 131 Tears 132 If the Belly Could Be Opened . 133 The Natural Activities 134 The Four Faculties 135 Memory and Forgetting 136 Shame 137 Speech, Writing 138 What Man Can Know and What Not 139 The Moment of Death 140 Postponement of Repentance 141 Dreams 142 The House Metaphor 3 143 Man Must Work 144 The Primary Needs: Bread and Water 145 The Benefit of Punishment and Pain 146 Male and Female 147 Images 148 Maximum Growth 149 Why Do Humans Not Resemble Each Other? 150 Beards Philosophy and Theology 151 The Wisdom of Nature 152 Abnormalities Are Not Accidental . 153 . but Planned and Intended 154 Disasters Could Have Been Worse Than They Are 155 Adversities Are Intended 156 Adversity Offers Chances and Lessons 157 Free Grace or Good Works? 158 Free Grace Would Lead to Chaos 159 Disasters Are to the Advantage of All 160 Disasters Are Right and Useful 161 Eternal Life on Earth Would Be No Good 162 Procreation Is Necessary 163 Inequality in Reward and Punishment? 164 Free Will 165 Swift and Slow Punishment 166 The Universe Is Created and Designed - 1 167 The Universe Is Created and Designed - 2 168 The Word Kosmos 169 Disbelievers Are Blind to the Design 170 Our Knowledge of the Creator Is Limited 171 The Creator Can Only Be Known by Acknowledgement 172 Man Should Obey the Creator Rather Than Seek to Know Him 173 Acknowledging God''s Attributes Does Not Lead to Knowing Him 174 Man Cannot Even Comprehend Simpler Things 175 Pagan Thinkers Disagreed about the Sun 176 About the Shape of the Sun 177 About the Size of the Sun 178 Pagan Thinkers Never Agreed 179 God''s Hiddenness - 1 180 God''s Hiddenness - 2 181 The End Commentaries Preface The Universe The Earth Plants Animals Humans Philosophy and Theology Appendix: Some Fragments from Ps.-ai, Dalail Textual Criticism Bibliography General Index.