Scholars have pointed out that al-Fasi, in all the controversies between the
Rabbinites (
rabbanim) and the
Karaites (
maskilim), invariably sides with the latter, often criticizing the views of the former. His method is concise, bringing down the definition of words as understood by his contemporaries, without mentioning them by name. The only authority that he mentions by name (twice) is
Saadia Gaon, whom he calls
al-Fayyumi. Although in many cases, al-Fasi's method of elucidation is similar to that of Saadia Gaon, in other areas of elucidation, he does not withhold his criticism from Saadia Gaon's method without naming him explicitly. Early rabbinic sources, such as the
targums (Aramaic translations) of
Onqelos and of
Jonathan bar Uzziel are alluded to by his use of such titles as
al-Targum,
al-Suriani and
al-Mutarjim. In
Hebrew grammar, al-Fasi is known to have distinguished between the “šoršiyyot” (
triliterals) and the “šimušiyyot” (theoretical roots; servile letters) but gave to them no
Hebrew abbreviations. ==Anecdotes on Jewish history==