The work entitled Kitāb al-Maqālāt ve maahû ʿUyūn al-masāʾil ve’l-javābāt, authored by the Muʿtazilī scholar Abū’l-Qāsim al-Balkhī (d. 319/931), which addresses the doctrinal disputes that emerged in the Islamic world during the first three centuries, was prepared for publication by İSAM. Composed in Baghdad in 290/903, Kitāb al-Maqālāt brings together the views of the various sects regarded as ahl al-qibla from the period of the Companions up to the author’s own lifetime. In one section of the work, al-Balkhī also presents the first comprehensive history of the Muʿtazila, and appends to the end of the book a relevant section from another of his works, ʿUyūn al-masāʾil ve’l-javābāt.

Kitāb al-Maqālāt is not merely a source for the history of the Muʿtazila, but an exceptional work of intellectual history that transmits the doctrines of other Muslim sects as well, offering a unique Muʿtazilī perspective on the first three centuries of Islam. The fact that it served as a source for numerous later works clearly demonstrates the scholarly significance of this rare text.

This work, whose complete critical edition was first published in 2018 based on the scholarly editing of Hüseyin Hansu, Rājih ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Kurdī, and Abed Alhameed Kurdi, was subsequently prepared for republication in 2022 following the discovery of a new manuscript in Yemen, with the participation of Musa Sancak. Prepared in accordance with the İSAM Principles for Critical Editions (İTNES), this revised edition includes, in addition to the edited text, a comprehensive introductory study examining the author’s life, works, and the content and significance of the book.