Les quatrains irréligieux d’Omar Khayyâm. G. Lazard.
In: Au carrefour des religions: mélanges offerts à Philippe Gignoux. Bures-sur-Yvette, Groupe pour l’Étude de la Civilisation, 1995. p. 177-182.

The Persian poems of Omar Khayyam give interesting information on the religious views of this famous scientist. An investigation of the quatrains preserved by the most reliable sources points to Khayyam most likely being an atheist. This hypothesis explains why his poetry is ignored by the oldest writers who mention his name: it was produced for a small circle of close friends and, out of cautiousness, was not made known outside of it for some time.