[1] The significance of the work lies in its availability to Europe's educated elite from as early as the twelfth century as a source of information about Islam.
[3] Both men were part of a team recruited by Peter the Venerable, who also commissioned translations of other Arabic texts, including the Qur'an.
[5] After circulating in manuscript, Peter the Venerable's so-called Toledan Collection was published in print in the sixteenth century with a preface by Martin Luther.
He is also described as having a close and trusted Christian friend called "Abd al-Masih ibn Ishaq al-Kindi" (which translates as "Servant of Christ, son of Isaac, from the tribe Kindah").
Arguing for a parallel between criticisms contained in the letter and in the work of the Muslim heretic Ibn al-Rawandi (d. 298 AH/910 CE), Paul Kraus concludes that the Christian author took these criticisms from al-Rawandi and therefore he argues the letter was composed at the beginning of the 4th AH/10th CE century, agreeing with Massignon.
[13] Scholars continue to argue as to whether the letters derive from actual persons or represent a work of fiction by a single author.