1. Ibn Mahdí Mámṭírí. His grave at Mámṭír had been visited by the author.
2. Muḥammad al-Yazdádí. His writings are so well known as to need no mention.
3. Ibn Fúrak, the preacher of the Masjid-i-sálár at ´Amul. The pulpit which still stands there by the miḥráb was erected for him. “I have heard,” says the author, “from my master Ibráhím b. Muḥammad Náṣiḥí, that the Ṣáḥib [Isma'íl b.] 'Abbád, prompted by fanaticism, arrested and imprisoned him in a darkened house at Ray. Abú Isḥáq of Isfará`in the scholastic philosopher (mutakallim) used at this time to go to the Ṣáḥib and hold discussions with him every day. One day while they were thus engaged in a garden, the discussion turned on the ‘creation of actions’ (<Arabic>). The Ṣáḥib stretched out his hand, picked an apple from a tree, and said, ‘Is not this my act?’ (f. 59b) ‘If it be thine act,’ replied Abú Isḥáq, ‘restore it to the same place.’ The Ṣáḥib, unable to reply to this, said, ‘Ask thy boon.’ ‘My boon,’ said the other, ‘is [Ibn] Fúrak.’ The Ṣáḥib immediately ordered his release; whereupon he came to ´Amul.” There he remained till the end of his life, and then the Sálár built for him the Mosque still known as the Sáḷár’s Mosque. While in prison Ibn Fúrak composed two books on Scholastic Philosophy (<Arabic>). He is buried in the quarter of 'Alí Kaláwa (<Arabic>) above the Dome of the Cross-roads (<Arabic>).
4. The Qáḍi`l-quḍát Abu`l-Qásim al-Bayyá'í. He was remarkable for his knowledge in Jurisprudence, Scholastic Philosophy, Poetry, Epistolary style and Philosophy. He wrote, both in prose and verse, in Arabic, Persian and the dialect of Ṭabaristán.
5. The Great Master Abu`l-Faraj 'Alí b. al-Ḥusayn b. Hindú*. Though his ancestors came from Qum, he himself was born and brought up in Ṭabaristán. His grave is at Astarábád, in a house which was his property. Of him al-Bákharzí says:
<Arabic>
The following are the best-known and most widely read of his works:
<Arabic>
Besides these he has written much on Philosophy, Medicine and Philology, and his collected poems amount to 15,000 couplets, or even more, “pure as limpid water and like unto lawful magic.” His Arabic treatises form five volumes in his writing.
<Arabic>
6. The Imám 'Abdu`l-Qádir al-Jurjání, concerning whom al-Bákharzí says:
<Arabic>
His grammatical works include the Jumal and its commentary, the commentary on the Íḍáḥ-i-'Aḍudí, and the Talkhíṣ Some of his poems are cited in the Dumya [tu`l-Qaṣr of al-Bákharzí].
7. Abú Sa'íd Mudhaffar b. Ibráhím. He was a learned jurisconsult, and was for some time attached to the Ṣaḥib ['Isma'íl] b. 'Abbád, after whose death he sought the patronage of Abú Ṭálib Hárún ath-Thá`ir al-'Alawí, who bestowed on him ample favours, and dismissed him to his home, but he was unfortunately drowned in the Caspian Sea while crossing to Ábasgún. These verses are his:
<Arabic>
Al-Bákharzí gives an account of him in the Dumyatu l-Qaṣr, and cites these verses which occur in a qaṣída composed by him in praise of Qábús:
<Arabic>
Mention is also made of his son Abu`l-Majd and his brother Abu`l-Faraj al-Mudhaffar b. Isma'íl, the jurisconsult, traditionist, anchorite and man of letters.
8. 'Adí b. 'Abdu`lláh; 9. Abú Sa`d aṣ-Ṣaydalání; 10. Abú Ḥanífa Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Astarábáḍí Bári'-i-Jurjání:
<Arabic>* <Arabic>
11. Abu`l-'Alá al-Mihrawání, lawyer, mathematician, poet, jurisconsult, etc.
12. Muḥammad b. Jarír b. Rustam as-Sarwí, jurisconsult, philosopher, traditionist, etc. He was a fervent Shí'ite, and was for a long while in attendance on the Eighth Imám, 'Alí b. Músá ar-Riḍá. His most famous works are the Kitábu`l-Mustarshid and the Kitábu 'Khudhu`n-na'l` (“Book of ‘Pluck off thy shoes’”).
13. Khwája Imám 'Imád Kujaj*, called Faqíh-i-Ál-i-Muḥammad, a learned, pious and ascetic man. The Amír Ibn Darrám* detained him for a couple of years at Ḥilla. The people of Baghdad and Kúfa and the Shí'ites of Arabia sought him out to profit by his learning, and subscribed yearly a sum of 1000 dínárs for his maintenance. Ibn Darrám* married his daughter, and one of their descendants was living at Ḥilla in the time of the author (who had visited him), and enjoyed the favour of the reigning Caliph an-Náṣir li-díni`lláh (A. H. 575—622 = A. D. 1180—1225), by reason of his learning, virtue and nobility.