Sallami and Al-Nutaf wa Al-Turaf

Many historians based on the existing sources, ascribed Akhbar Wulat Khurasan to Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Ahmad al-Sallami al-Bayhaqi, the historian of the 4th/ 10 century, but these histrians have undermined the contradictions and ambiguities in the historical scources regarding this matter. Also another book entitled al-Nutaf wa al-Turaf, is ascribed to Bayhaqi. However, neither of these two books are found. This article is a critical look at the existing works which ascribed al-Nutaf wa al-Turaf to al-Sallami. Considering that the book is not existed, the paper will use those sources that contain the text.The author argues that the book under study had been a known book that were frequently cited until the 6th century, but many parimary sources do not confirm ascription of this book to Abu- Ali Hussain al-Sallami. Moreover, some Shii scholars of medieval period, claimed Abu Abd Allah al-Salami as the author of the al-Nutaf wa al-Turaf. Perhaps they mean Abu al-Hasan Abd Allah ibn Musa al-Salami al-Akhbari who wrote on history of rulers. But this ascription might be because of resemblance of the works of these two authors. All these evidences raise doubt about the reliability of the claims of contemporary historians about the author of Wulat Khurasan.