..,·ish to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to the
Department of Religion at Ter..ple University, to Dropsie Uni·ersity,
and to the Departnent of Oriental Languages and Literatures at Cairo
University, for their instruction and counsel. also wish to express
my great appreciation for the co~nents, direction and consideration
of my Ph.D. Committee· Drs. Guilford Dudley JIJ, Allan Lazaroff and
Norbert Samuelson.

To Professor Isoacil R. al Faruqi, Chairman of the Disserta-
tion Committee, I o~e special thanks for the care and guidance with

which he has directed and advised me throu~hout my graduate study.
Finally. I .:ould like to thank Hr. Joseph Lc1>i s for his able
assistance in editing my English and ~!iss Linda Scherr for her patient
and painstaking lahor in t}~ing the manuscript.

Wisdom consists in knowing things as they are in their
real, observable character, not as someone would desire or like them to be. --Saadia~ Kitab al 'Amanat tJa al
zctiqadat, p. tss.

As justice is a quality liked and coveted for its o•:rn self,
for its intrinsic beauty, the same applies to truthfulness,
except perhaps in the case of such people as never tasted how
sweet it is, or know the truth, but deliberately