Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Rabbih (Arabic: ابن عبد ربه; 860–940) was an Arab[1] writer and poet widely known as the author of al-ʿIqd al-Farīd (The Unique Necklace).
He was born in Cordova, now in Spain, and descended from a freed slave of Hisham I, the second Spanish Umayyad emir. He enjoyed a great reputation for learning and eloquence.[2][3] Not much is known about his life. According to Isabel Toral-Niehoff,
He came from a local family whose members had been clients (mawālī) of the Umayyads since the emir Hishām I (788–796). His teachers were Mālikīfuqahāʼ and muḥaddithūn who had travelled to the East in search of knowledge: Baqī b. Makhlad (816–889), Muḥammad b. Waḍḍāḥ (815–899), and a scholar named Muḥammad b. ʻAbd al-Salām al-Khushanī (833–899), who is said to have introduced much poetry, akhbār and adab from the Islamic East to Andalusia. Ibn ʻAbd Rabbih himself is said to have never left the Peninsula. In spite of his education as faqīh, he became more a man of letters than a jurist, and functioned as a court poet since the start of the emir ʻAbdallāh’s (888–912) reign. He reached the apogee of his career at the court of caliph ʻAbd al-Raḥmān III (912–961).[4]
Worksedit
Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih was a friend of many Umayyad princes and was employed as an official panegyrist at the Umayyad court.[5] No complete collection of his poems is extant, but many selections are given in the Yatima al-Dahr[2] and Nafh al-Tip.[6]
More widely known than his poetry is his great anthology, the al-ʿIqd al-Farīd (The Unique Necklace), a work divided into 25 sections. The 13th section is named the middle jewel of the necklace, and the chapters on either side are named after other jewels. It is an adab book resembling Ibn Qutaybah's `Uyun al-akhbar (The Fountains of Story) and the writings of al-Jahiz from which it borrows largely.[2][7][8] Although he spent all his life in al-Andalus and did not travel to the East like some other Andalusian scholars, most of his book's material is drawn from the East Islamic world. Also, Ibn Abd Rabbih quoted no Andalusian compositions other than his own. He included in his book his 445-line Urjuza, a poem in the meter of the rajaz in which he narrates the warlike exploits of Abd al-Rahman al-Nasir, along with some of his eulogies of the Umayyads of al-Andalus.[9]
Booksedit
Ibn Abd Rabbih’s book, Al-Iqd Al-Fareed, is one of the best known of such literary selections. It is a treasure of the finest sort. The title means, The Unique Necklace. Ibn Abd Rabbih’s conception of his book is that it is a necklace made of 25 fine jewels, 12 pairs and a larger middle one. Under each one of these jewels he includes poetry, proverbs, anecdotes, fine prose, etc. speaking about the same topic. Yet the two topics of a pair of jewels need not have anything in common. Thus the first pearl speaks about government and governors, while the second pearl is devoted to anecdotes and funny incidents.
Referencesedit
Arabic Wikisource has original text related to this article:
^ abcOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Thatcher, Griffithes Wheeler (1911). "Ibn 'Abd Rabbihi". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 219.
^Isabel Toral-Niehoff, 'The "Book of the Pearl on the Ruler" in The Unique Necklace by Ibn ʻAbd Rabbih: Preliminary Remarks', https://www.academia.edu/7399721, pp. 134-51.
^L. Alvarez. (1998). Ibn `Abd Rabbih. In Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature (Vol. 1, pp. 302-303). Taylor & Francis.
Ibn Abd Rabbih and music, musicologie.org (in French)
, muslimheritage.com
January 01, 1970
rabbih, ahmad, muhammad, ʿabd, rabbih, arabic, ابن, عبد, ربه, arab, writer, poet, widely, known, author, ʿiqd, farīd, unique, necklace, contents, biography, works, books, references, external, linksbiography, edithe, born, cordova, spain, descended, from, free. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Rabbih Arabic ابن عبد ربه 860 940 was an Arab 1 writer and poet widely known as the author of al ʿIqd al Farid The Unique Necklace Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 Books 4 References 5 External linksBiography editHe was born in Cordova now in Spain and descended from a freed slave of Hisham I the second Spanish Umayyad emir He enjoyed a great reputation for learning and eloquence 2 3 Not much is known about his life According to Isabel Toral Niehoff He came from a local family whose members had been clients mawali of the Umayyads since the emir Hisham I 788 796 His teachers were Maliki fuqahaʼ and muḥaddithun who had travelled to the East in search of knowledge Baqi b Makhlad 816 889 Muḥammad b Waḍḍaḥ 815 899 and a scholar named Muḥammad b ʻAbd al Salam al Khushani 833 899 who is said to have introduced much poetry akhbar and adab from the Islamic East to Andalusia Ibn ʻAbd Rabbih himself is said to have never left the Peninsula In spite of his education as faqih he became more a man of letters than a jurist and functioned as a court poet since the start of the emir ʻAbdallah s 888 912 reign He reached the apogee of his career at the court of caliph ʻAbd al Raḥman III 912 961 4 Works editIbn ʿAbd Rabbih was a friend of many Umayyad princes and was employed as an official panegyrist at the Umayyad court 5 No complete collection of his poems is extant but many selections are given in the Yatima al Dahr 2 and Nafh al Tip 6 More widely known than his poetry is his great anthology the al ʿIqd al Farid The Unique Necklace a work divided into 25 sections The 13th section is named the middle jewel of the necklace and the chapters on either side are named after other jewels It is an adab book resembling Ibn Qutaybah s Uyun al akhbar The Fountains of Story and the writings of al Jahiz from which it borrows largely 2 7 8 Although he spent all his life in al Andalus and did not travel to the East like some other Andalusian scholars most of his book s material is drawn from the East Islamic world Also Ibn Abd Rabbih quoted no Andalusian compositions other than his own He included in his book his 445 line Urjuza a poem in the meter of the rajaz in which he narrates the warlike exploits of Abd al Rahman al Nasir along with some of his eulogies of the Umayyads of al Andalus 9 Books editIbn Abd Rabbih s book Al Iqd Al Fareed is one of the best known of such literary selections It is a treasure of the finest sort The title means The Unique Necklace Ibn Abd Rabbih s conception of his book is that it is a necklace made of 25 fine jewels 12 pairs and a larger middle one Under each one of these jewels he includes poetry proverbs anecdotes fine prose etc speaking about the same topic Yet the two topics of a pair of jewels need not have anything in common Thus the first pearl speaks about government and governors while the second pearl is devoted to anecdotes and funny incidents References edit nbsp Arabic Wikisource has original text related to this article Ibn Abd Rabbih Ibn Abd Rabbih LAROUSSE a b c nbsp One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Thatcher Griffithes Wheeler 1911 Ibn Abd Rabbihi In Chisholm Hugh ed Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 14 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 219 Ibn Khallikan s Biographical Dictionary Isabel Toral Niehoff The Book of the Pearl on the Ruler in The Unique Necklace by Ibn ʻAbd Rabbih Preliminary Remarks https www academia edu 7399721 pp 134 51 L Alvarez 1998 Ibn Abd Rabbih In Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature Vol 1 pp 302 303 Taylor amp Francis The Unique Necklace Al iqd Al farid 2007 Trans Issa J Boullata p XIV ISBN 1 85964 184 9 L Alvarez 1998 William Montgomery Watt Pierre Cachia 1996 A History of Islamic Spain p 73 Edinburgh University Press Boullata 2007External links editIbn Abd Rabbih and music musicologie org in French Ibn Abd Rabbihi 860 940 muslimheritage com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ibn Abd Rabbih amp oldid 1221924353, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
