Islamic History and Civilization
2 primary works • 3 total works
Book 98
This critical Arabic text edition of Salwat al-'arifin wa-uns al-mushtaqin, a manual of early Sufism by Abu Khalaf al-Tabari (d. ca. 470/1077), is based on a very old manuscript preserved in Dar al-Kutub al-Misriya of Cairo, Egypt and copied in 459/1067. It is introduced by a detailed analytical study of the author and his work. Salwat al-'arifin forms an integral part of Sufi literature and reflects Islamic developments in Nishapur in northeastern Iran. This crucial Arabic text, published for the first time, is especially valuable because of its great philological accuracy and sound textual tradition. It represents an essential source for the intellectual history of Islam during the middle of the 4th/10th to the middle of the 5th/11th century.
Book 120
This critical Arabic text edition of K. Makarim al-akhlaq wa-mahasin al-adab wa-bada'i' al-awsaf wa-ghara'ib al-tashbihat(Book of Noble Character, Excellent Conduct, Admirable Descriptions, and Curious Similes) is a substantial work of adab attributed to the prominent litterateur Abu Mansur al-Tha'alibi (d. 429/1039) that consists of a short introduction and three chapters. The first chapter addresses acquiring noble character and excellent conduct (al-tahalli bi-makarim al-akhlaq wa-mahasin al-adab); the second addresses shunning away from base character and ugly traits (al-tazakki 'an masawi' al-akhlaq wa-maqabih al-shiyam); and the third addresses admirable descriptions and curious similes (bada'i' al-awsaf wa-ghara'ib al-tashbihat). At the end of the text one finds a relatively large collection of widely circulating proverbs (amthal sa'ira) that are alphabetically arranged. Makarim al-akhlaq is in essence an anthology of "good conduct" and of quotations suitable for social and literary discourse. It reflects the three ingredients of adab: behavior, literary culture, and learning. The work is introduced by an analytical study discussing the attribution of the work, the related genres, and the unique manuscript of the text.
Radiant Lights, Eloquent Words: A Scholarly Edition of Al-Anwār Al-Bahiyya Fī Taʿrīf Maqāmāt Fuṣaḥāʾ Al-Bariyya. Attributed to Abū Manṣūr Al-Thaʿālibī (D. 429/1039)
by Bilal Orfali and Ramzi Baalbaki
Published 20 May 2022