Temi alchemici e motivi religiosi nel Kitāb alrahma di Ğābir ibn Hayyān

For several reasons, the Kitāb al-raḥma (Book of Mercy), composed by the first and most important Arabian alchemist, Ğābir ibn Ḥayyān, who lived mainly in Kūfa and Baghdad during the 8th century of the Christian Age, proves to be of major importance for the learning and understanding of Ğābirian alchemy. First of all, it is the first work in a corpus consisting of thousands of texts, both Ğābir's and his scholars', up to the 10th century. Secondly, the Kitāb conveys theoretical ideas besides technical precepts already discussed in other alchemical works. Such elements, which are the main focus of this short essay, represent the essential principles of Ğābir's alchemical doctrine: the way of art, the theory of elixir, the relationship between spirit and body. [Publisher's text]