Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī al-Marwazī better known simply as Ibn Qutaybah (; c. 828 – 13 November 889 CE/213 – 15 Rajab 276 AH) was an Islamic

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

descent. He served as a

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

during the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

, but was best known for his contributions to

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is ''Adab (Islam), Adab'', which comes from a meaning of etiquett ...

.Abd Allah Abu Muhammad Abd Allah ibn Muslim al-Dinwari Ibn Qutaybah
from

The Oxford Dictionary of Islam ''The Oxford Dictionary of Islam'' is a dictionary of Islam, published by the Oxford University Press, with John Esposito as editor-in-chief. Overview The dictionary contains over 2,000 entries on a wide range of Islamic related topics. Refere ...

Oxford Reference Oxford Reference (OR) is a research website launched by Oxford University Press (OUP) in 2012 which provides entries from reference works largely published by OUP, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and companions. It was preceded by Oxford ...

Christopher Melchert Christopher Melchert is an American professor and scholar of Islam, specialising in Islamic movements and institutions, especially during the ninth and tenth centuries. A prolific author, he is professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the Uni ...

, "Qur'anic Abrogation Across the Ninth Century." Taken from ''Studies in Islamic Legal Theory'', pg. 80. Ed.

Bernard G. Weiss Bernard G. Weiss (10 August 1933 – 8 February 2018) was a professor of languages and literature at the University of Utah. He has an extensive publication record and is recognized as one of the foremost scholars in Islamic law, Islamic theology ...

. Volume 15 of Studies in Islamic law and society / Studies in Islamic law and society.

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

Brill Publishers Brill Academic Publishers () is a Dutch international academic publisher of books, academic journals, and Bibliographic database, databases founded in 1683, making it one of the oldest publishing houses in the Netherlands. Founded in the South ...

, 2002. He was an

Athari Atharism ( / , "of ''athar''") is a school of theology in Sunni Islam which developed from circles of the , a group that rejected rationalistic theology in favor of strict textualism in interpreting the Quran and the hadith. Adherents of Ath ...

theologian and

polymath A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, ...

who wrote on diverse subjects, such as

Qur'anic exegesis Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

, law and jurisprudence,

grammar In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

philology Philology () is the study of language in Oral tradition, oral and writing, written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also de ...

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

Biography

His full name is Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdullāh b. Muslim ibn Qutaybah ad-Dīnawarī. He was born in

Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...

in what is now

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

.John C. Lamoreaux, ''The Early Muslim Tradition of Dream Interpretation'', pg. 27. SUNY series in Islamic spirituality. Albany:

State University of New York Press The State University of New York Press (more commonly referred to as the SUNY Press) is a university press affiliated with the State University of New York system. The press, which was founded in 1966, is located in Albany, New York and publishe ...

, 2002. John C. Lamoreaux, "Sources on Ibn Bahlul's Chapter on Dream Interpretation." Taken from ''Augustine and His Opponents, Jerome, Other Latin Fathers After Nicaea, Orientalia'', pg. 555. Ed. Elizabeth A. Livingstone. Volume 33 of Studia patristica. Peeters Publishers, 1997. He was of

descent; his father was from

Merv Merv (, ', ; ), also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian peoples, Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium& ...

Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...

. Having studied tradition and

he became

qadi A qadi (; ) is the magistrate or judge of a Sharia court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and minors, and supervision and auditing of public works. History The term '' was in use from ...

Dinawar Dinavar (also spelled Dinawar and Daynavar; ) was a major town between the 7th and 10th centuries, located to the northeast of Kermanshah in western Iran. The ruins of the town is now located near Shir Khan, in Dinavar District, Sahneh County, ...

during the reign of

Al-Mutawakkil Ja'far ibn al-Mu'tasim, Muḥammad ibn Harun al-Rashid, Hārūn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (); March 82211 December 861, commonly known by his laqab, regnal name al-Mutawwakil ala Allah (), was the tenth Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid caliph, rul ...

, and afterwards a teacher in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

. He was the first representative of the school of Baghdad

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...

s that succeeded the schools of Kufa and

Basra Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...

. He was known as a vocal opponent of "gentile" or ''

shu'ubi ''Shu'ubiyya'' () was a social, cultural, literary, and political movement within the Muslim world that sought to oppose the privileged status of Arabs and the Arabization of non-Arab civilizations amidst the early Muslim conquests, particularly ...

'' Islam, i.e. openness to non-Islamic wisdom and values.

Legacy

He was viewed by

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

Muslims as a hadith Master, foremost philologist, linguist, and man of letters. In addition to his literary criticism and anthologies, he was also known for his work in the problems of

Tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

or Qur'anic interpretation. He also authored works on astronomy and legal theory. His book ''Uyun al-Akhbar'', along with the romantic literature of

Muhammad bin Dawud al-Zahiri Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Dawud al-Zahiri, Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Dāwūd al-Iṣbahānī, also known as Avendeath, was a medieval theologian and scholar of the Arabic language and Islamic law. He was one of the early propagators of his father Daw ...

and

Ibn Abi Tahir Tayfur Abū al-Faḍl Aḥmad ibn Abī Ṭāhir Ṭayfūr (b. 204 AH/819 CE, d. 280 AH/August 893 CE) was a Persian people, Persian linguist and poet of Arabic language. He was born in Baghdad. Tayfur was his father's name who was from Greater Khorasan, ...

, were considered by lexicographer

Ibn Duraid Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Duraid al-Azdī al-Baṣrī ad-Dawsī Al-Zahrani (), or Ibn Duraid () (c. 837-933 CE), a leading grammarian of Baṣrah, was described as "the most accomplished scholar, ablest philologer and first poet of ...

to be the three most important works for those who wished to speak and write eloquently. His work ''Taʾwīl mukhtalif al-ḥadīth'' was an influential early Atharite treatise that rebuked rationalists on the nature of Tradition. In his treatise, Ibn Qutayba censures the ''mutakallimūn'' (scholastic theologians) for holding contradictory and differing views on the principles of religion.

Ibn Muṭarrif al-Ṭarafī Abū ʿAbdallāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Muṭarrif al-Kinānī al-Ṭarafī (born Córdoba, Spain, Cordova 386 AH / 997 CE, d. 454 AH / 1062 CE) was a prominent al-Andalus, Andalusi scholar, noted today particularly for a book of stories about t ...

(d. 1062 CE) gathered passages from Ibn Qutayba's ''Kitāb mushkil al-Qurʾān'' and ''Kitāb ghafīb al-Qurʾān'' and arranged them to be in the same order as the relevant Qurʾān chapters in a work called ''Kitāb al-Qurṭayn''.Roberto Tottoli, 'The ''Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ'' of Ibn Muṭarrif al-Ṭarafī (d. 454/1062): Stories of the Prophets from al-Andalus', ''Al-Qantara'', 19.1 (1998), 131–60.

Works

He wrote more than 60 books, including : *''Gharīb al-Qur'an'', (var., ''Mushkil al-Qur'an''), lexical complexities in the Qur'an. *''Ta’wīl Mukhtalif al-Hadīth'', (

The Interpretation of Conflicting Narrations ''The Interpretation of Conflicting Narrations'' or ''Treatise on Hadith Differences'' () is a book written by Ibn Qutaybah (828 – 885 CE / 213 – 276 AH), a renowned Islamic scholar of the Golden Age of Islam, in which he defends and reconcile ...

), defence of

s against

Mu'tazilite Mu'tazilism (, singular ) is an Islamic theological school that appeared in early Islamic history and flourished in Basra and Baghdad. Its adherents, the Mu'tazilites, were known for their neutrality in the dispute between Ali and his opponents ...

critics. *''Kitāb Adab al-Kātib'' (“Ibn Kutaiba’s Adab al-Kātib,” ed.

Max Grünert Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) (1 ...

, Leiden, 1900) *''Kitāb al-Anwā’''. (Hyderabad, 1956) *''Kitāb al-Ma‘ānī al-Kabīr fī Abyāt al-Ma‘ānī''. 2 vols. (Hyderabad, 1949) *''Kitāb al-Ma’ārif'', short universal history, from Creation to the

Jāhiliyya In Islamic salvation history, the ''Jāhiliyyah'' (Age of Ignorance) is an era of pre-Islamic Arabia as a whole or only of the Hejaz leading up to the lifetime of Muhammad. The Arabic expression (meaning literally “the age or condition of i ...

(pre-Islamic); with index of the Companions, famous jurists and masters of

hadīth Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

(„Ibn Coteiba’s Handbuch de Geschichte“, ed.,

Ferdinand Wüstenfeld Heinrich Ferdinand Wüstenfeld (31 July 1808 – 8 February 1899) was a German orientalist, known as a literary historian of Arabic literature, born at Münden, Hanover. He studied theology and oriental languages at Göttingen and Berlin. He ...

, Gottingen, 1850); (ed., Tharwat ‘Ukāshah, Cairo, 1960). *''Kitāb al-Shi‘r wa-al-Shu‘arā’'' (“Liber Poësie et Poëtarum,” ed., M. J de Goeje, Leiden, 1904) *''Kitab ‘Uyūn al-Akhbār''. 4 vols. (Cairo, 1925-30); biographic history of eminent figures.Arvide Cambra, L.M. (2014), "Kitab 'Uyun al-Akhbar of Ibn Qutayba (828-889)", Advances in Education Research (Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Applied Social Science, ICASS 2014), vol. 51, pp. 650-653. *''Kitāb al-Amwāl'' *''Kitāb al-‘Arab wa ‘Ulūmuhā''; history of Arab scholars *''Kitāb al-Ashriba''; alcoholic beverages. *''Kitāb Dalā’il al-Nubuwwa'', or ''A‘lām al-Nubuwwa'' on the Proofs of the Prophets. *''Kitāb Fad.l al-‘Arab ‘alā al-‘Ajam'', in praise of the Arabs over the Persians; translated into English as '' The Excellence of the Arabs'' (

NYU Press New York University Press (or NYU Press) is a university press that is part of New York University. History NYU Press was founded in 1916 by the then chancellor of NYU, Elmer Ellsworth Brown. Directors * Arthur Huntington Nason, 1916–193 ...

, 2017) *''Kitāb I‘rāb al-Qur’ān'', a philological commentary on the Qur'ān. *''Kitāb al-Ikhtilāf fī al-Lafz wa al-Radd ‘alā al-Jahmiyya wal-Mushabbiha'', a refutation of the Allegorizers and Anthropomorphists. (Egypt,several editions) *''Kitāb al-Ishtiqāq'' *''Kitāb Is.lāh. Ghalat'', corrections of ''Gharīb al-H.adīth'' by al-Qāsim ibn Salām. *''Kitāb Jāmi‘ al-Fiqh'', jurisprudence, dispraised as unreliable by al-T.abarī and Ibn Surayj, as was Ibn Qutayba’s al-Amwāl. *''Kitāb Jāmi‘ al-Nah.w al-Kabīr and Jāmi‘ al-Nah.w al-S.aghīr'' *''Kitāb al-Jarāthīm'', linguistics. *''Kitāb al-Jawābāt al-H.ād.ira''. *''Kitāb al-Ma‘ānī al-Kabīr'' *''Kitāb al-Masā’il wal-Ajwiba.'' *''Kitāb al-Maysar wal-Qidāh'', ('Dice and Lots'). *''Kitāb al-Na‘m wal-Bahā’im'', cattle and livestock. *''Kitāb al-Nabāt'', botany. *''Kitāb al-Qirā’āt'', ('The Canonical Readings'). *''Kitāb al-Radd ‘alā al-Qā’il bi Khalq al-Qur’ān'', ('Against the creationist claims about the Qur’an'). *''Kitāb al-Radd ‘alā al-Shu‘aybiyya'', ('Refutation of a sub-sect of the ‘Ajārida ‘At.awiyya, itself a sub-sect of the Khawārij). *''Kitāb al-Rah.l wal-Manzil''. *''Kitāb Ta‘bīr al-Ru’yā'', ('Interpretation of Dreams'). *''Kitāb Talqīn al-Muta‘allim min al-Nah.w'' on grammar. *''Kitāb ‘Uyūn al-Shi‘r'', on poetry.

Citations

References

* * * * * * *

External links

* A. Guellati, ''La notion d'adab chez Ibn Qutayba : étude générique et éclairage comparatiste'' (= ''Bibliothèque de l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes, Sciences Religieuses'' 169), Turnhout: Brepols, 2015, * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ibn Qutaybah 820s births 889 deaths 9th-century Iranian historians 9th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Atharis Scholars from the Abbasid Caliphate Arabic-language writers Persian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam People from Kufa