Abd al-Masih ibn Ishaq al-Kindi

The *Apology of al-Kindi*, also spelled *al-Kindy*, is a medieval theological polemic that advocates for Christianity and highlights alleged weaknesses in Islam. The term "apology" here is a translation of the Arabic word *risalah*, used in the sense of apologetics. It is attributed to an Arab Christian identified as Abd al-Masih ibn Ishaq al-Kindi. This individual is distinct from the Muslim philosopher Abu Yûsuf ibn Ishâq al-Kindī. The work's importance stems from its accessibility to Europe's educated elite from the twelfth century onwards, serving as a source of information about Islam. The composition date of the *Apology* is debated. While the earliest surviving Arabic manuscripts are from the seventeenth century, a twelfth-century Latin translation from Spain predates them, suggesting the Arabic text was in circulation among Mozarabs. This Latin translation was a collaborative effort, with Peter of Toledo as the primary translator, though he had a limited understanding of classical Arabic. A French scholar, Peter of Poitiers, refined the Latin text. Both were recruited by Peter the Venerable, who commissioned translations of other Arabic works, including the Qur'an, with the goal of converting Muslims. While Peter the Venerable's interpretation of Islam was inherently negative, he aimed for a more reasoned approach using Islamic sources. His collection was published in print in the sixteenth century. Excerpts of the *Apology of al-Kindy* were translated into English by William Muir in 1882, also for missionary purposes. The book is extensively quoted in Vincent of Beauvais' *Speculum Maius*, a significant thirteenth-century encyclopedia. The *Apology* is presented as a dialogue between a Muslim and a Christian, although it contains two apologies, with the Christian's response constituting the majority of the text. The participants are given pseudonyms: the Muslim is 'Abd-Allah ibn Ismail al-Hashimy, a cousin of the Caliph, and the Christian friend is 'Abd al-Masih ibn Ishaq al-Kindi. Controversy surrounds the dating of the work. William Muir favored a ninth-century date, aligning it with the reign of Caliph Al-Ma'mun (813-833 CE), based on political allusions and the author's freedom in discussing Islam. However, other scholars, like L. Massignon and Paul Kraus, propose later dates (tenth century CE) based on comparisons with works by al-Tabari and Ibn al-Rawandi. The debate continues on whether the letters represent actual individuals or a fictional narrative.