Muḥammad Ibn Ḥabîb and his Kitâb al-Muḥabbar1

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doi:10.1017/S0035869X00091954

Muḥammad Ibn Ḥabîb and his Kitâb al-Muḥabbar1

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Unfortunately very little is known about the life and personality of the author of the Kitâb al-muḥabbar. Abû Ja‘far Muḥammad b. Ḥabîb, al-Hâshimî al-Baghdâdî as he is usually called, was a mawlâ of the family of Muḥammad b. 'Abbâs b. Muḥammad al-Hâshimi. Ḥabîb is stated to be the name of his mother, a freed woman of the Hâshimite family, his father's name being unknown. However, in the Fihrist and by Yâqût who quotes the Fihrist he is called Muḥammad b. Ḥabîb b. Umaiya b. 'Amr. The date and the place of his birth are equally unknown and the only date we know for certain is that of his death, which occurred in Sâmarrâa in the year a.h. 245 (a.d. 859/860) in the reign of al-Mutawakkil. All the sources agree about this date, some adding the month, Dhu'l-Ḥijja, and the day, namely the 23rd of this month.

Type: Articles
Information: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 71 , Issue 1 , January 1939 , pp. 1 - 27

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00091954 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1939

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References

^{page 1 note 2} Sam'ânî, Ansâb, 587b _{19 ff.}, under the ni-sba mentions one .

^{page 1 note 3} His biography is found in Suyûṭî, , Bughya, 29Google Scholar, quoting Yâqût, and Fihrist; Yâqût, Irshâd, ed. Margoliouth, , vi, 473 ff.Google Scholar; Fihrist, 106; cf. further Flügel, , Grammatische Schulen, 67 f.Google Scholar; Brockelmann, , GAL., i, 106Google Scholar, and Supplement, 165 f.; see also Wüstenfeld, , Geschichtsschreiber, 19Google Scholar; al-Khaṭîb, Ta'r. Baghdâd, ii, 277; Ta, Ibnghr. K., ii, 321Google Scholar.

^{page 1 note 4} Fihr., loc. cit.; Flügel, loc. cit. Ibn Taghr., ed. Juynboll, i, 754_{8 ff}.; Yâqût, vi, 473.

^{page 1 note 5} Yâqût, vi, 474₁; Bughya, loc. cit.; cf. also Ibn Khall., fasc. 12, p. 114₉:

^{page 2 note 1} Fihrist, 106; Yâqâut, vi, 474, citing Fihrist.

^{page 2 note 2} See, for instance, Ḥajjî Khal., ii, 128₄, 310₇; v, 82₅, 162₁₀, etc.; v, 435₂ the date is omitted, a gap being left after

^{page 2 note 3} Ibn. Taghr., i, 754₉; Yâqût, vi, 473; Bughya, 30_7. See also Brockelmann, GAL., Suppl., loc. cit., and Rieu, Supplement to the Catalogue of the Arab. MSS. in the Brit. Museum, 305 f. (no. 508).

^{page 2 note 4} Cf. Fihr., loc. cit., Yâqût, loc. cit.,

^{page 2 note 5} Fihr., loc. cit.; Yâqût, loc. cit.; Bughya, 29_u.; cf. also the Isnâds in Muf., 591₁₁; 593₈; Agh., v³, 5₃; 34₆ f.

^{page 2 note 6} Fihr., loc. cit.; Bughya, loc. cit.; see the Isnâd in Muf., 268_23.

^{page 2 note 7} Yâqût, loc. cit.; Bughya, loc. cit.; cf. the Isnâd in Agh., xx, 160₇. For other authorities from whom he received traditions, cf. the Isnâds in Muf., 539₉; Mas'âudî, Murûj, v, 101₅; ibid., 112₄.

^{page 2 note 8} Vida, G. Levi Delia, in Actes du XVIIIe Oongr. Int. des Oriental, 236 fGoogle Scholar.

^{page 3 note 1} See below, pp. 19–22.

^{page 3 note 2} On him see El., s.v., and, e.g., Yâqût, iii, 62 ff.; Bughya, 218_{u. ff.}

^{page 3 note 3} Thus he is the râwi of al-Ferazdaq (ed. Boucher) and Ibn Qais ar-Ruqaiyât (ed. Rhodokanakis), and one of the main authorities for the Naqâḍ'iḍ, of Jarîr and al-Ferazdaq, see Introduction to Bevan's edition, p. xi. He may also have been the râwî of the kit. asmā' khail al-'arab, cf. G. Levi Delia Vida's ed., p. xliv f. Cf. also Fihr., loc. cit., and Yâqût, loc. cit.: among his works , cf. Ḥ.Khal., ii, 310₇; Fihr., 157₁₆ he is mentioned in the list of râwîs of Imra' al-Qais, Fihr., 158 also as that of 'Amr b. Shâ's. See also Bughya, loc. cit.

^{page 3 note 4} Muḥ. b. Ḥab., Ueber die Gleichheit u. Verschiedenheit der arabischen Stämmenamen, ed. Wüstenfeld, 1850.

^{page 3 note 5} Fihr., loc. cit.; Yâq., loc. cit.; ḥ. Khal., i, 436₅; iv, 326₇.

^{page 3 note 6} Fihr., loc. cit.; Yâq., loc. cit.

^{page 3 note 7} Fihr., loc. cit.

^{page 3 note 8} Fihr., loc. cit.; Yâq., loc. cit.; cf. Ḥ. Khal., i, 456₂.

^{page 3 note 9} Yâq., loe. cit.; Fihr., loc. cit.

^{page 3 note 10} Fihr., loc. cit.; Yâq., loc. cit.; Ḥ. Khal., ii, 128₃.

^{page 4 note 1} Yâq., loc. cit.; Fihr., loc. cit., where should be inserted.

^{page 4 note 2} Fihr., loc. cit.: and thus also Yâq., loc. cit.

^{page 4 note 3} Agh., x, 156₂₃ ff.; Yâqût, vii, 8¹² in the biography of Ibn al-A'râbî.

^{page 5 note 1} YḤqût, loc. cit., 475, cf. Bughya, 302.

^{page 5 note 2} Yâqût, loc. cit., 475; Fihr., loc. cit.; for the accusation see Yâq., loc. cit., 474; Bughya, 30₁.

^{page 5 note 3} The two lists agree with each other if one disregards such differences as appear to be due to copyists' errors or the lack of diacritical marks, as, e.g., in Fihr., against in Yâqût. See also Iṣāba, iv, 443, 10ff., 665 (No. 641).

^{page 5 note 4} Ibn Ḥabîb's works are mentioned Ḥ. Khal., i, 374₄ f., 393₇, 420₁, 436₅, 456²; ii, 128³ f., 144¹ f., 310⁷¹,; iii, 173⁹ f.; iv, 144¹⁰ f., 295⁹, 326⁷ f.; v, 82⁴ f., 162¹⁰, 411⁵, 435¹ f.; vi, 45⁵, 120³, 376^8. For and see below.

^{page 6 note 1} Cf. Index.

^{page 6 note 2} Cf. Index to the volumes of the 3rd edition; Agh., x, 172¹³ (first ed.): as-Sukkarî from Muḥ. b. Ḥab., ibid., lines 24, 30, and 173₉; x, 156₂₃ ff.: xii, 40¹⁰f., etc.

^{page 6 note 3} Nawawî, 346₁.

^{page 6 note 4} Cf. Wüstenfeld's edition, p. vi.

^{page 6 note 5} Iṣâba, iii, 753 (no. 1876) in the article on Muḥ. b. Ja'far b. Abî Ṭâlib: cf. kit. al-muḥabbar, fol. 98a _1–4. In Iṣâba, iv, 446 (64), sub Umâma bt. Ḥamza b. 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib he quotes a passage from the kit. al-muḤ. which is not in our manuscript. Iṣâba, iv, 854_{pu. f.} under Umâma bt. al-Ḥakam b. 'Abd ar-Raḥmân b. Mas'ûd . . . al-Anṣâriya Ibn Ḥajar says: most probably referring to the chapter (cf. fo. 141b ₁₆–1506 ³). See also Iṣâba, iv, 443 10ff., 665 (no. 641).

^{page 6 note 5a} Usd, v. 490₂ ff.; in other passages, Ibn Ḥabîb's name is mentioned.

^{page 6 note 6} Ed. Vida, G. Levi Delia, Leiden, 1928, p. xlivGoogle Scholar.

^{page 6 note 7} See p. 3, note 3.

^{page 6 note 8} Yâqût, loc. cit., 475.

^{page 7 note 1} Fihrist, loc. cit.

^{page 7 note 2} v,435₁ f. (No. 11574). Cf. Fihrist, ii, p. 49, n. 25, to vol. i, p. 106; it is difficult to decide whether or not the found in Ḥ. Khal., ii, 128₃f., 144₁.; v, 411₅f., and discussed in this note is to be considered as identical with the kit. al-muḥ. The entry in Ḥ. Khal., ii, 128₃ f., seems to speak against this identification: . . . occurs in Ibn an-Nadîm's as well as in Yâqût's list of Ibn Ḥabîb's works as an independent work.

^{page 7 note 3} Cf. Rieu, loc. cit.

^{page 7 note 4} Cf. Yâqût, loc. cit.; Bughya, loc. cit. See O. Spies, Die, Bibliotheken des Hidschas, in ZDMG., 90, Heft 1, p. 119, Anm. 1.

^{page 7 note 5} See Rieu, , Supplem. to the Catal. of Arabic MSS. in the Brit. Museum, p. 305 f., No. 508Google Scholar.

^{page 8 note 1} A. Ghandour Bey, in ibid.

^{page 8 note 2} These are, of course, common features in Arabic manuscripts.

^{page 9 note 1} In the list of the cf. Naq., 1023₁₁ ff.

^{page 9 note 3} The mark of the water is visible in triangular shape from fol. 119b to the end of the MS. but has not done any damage to the writing otherwise than stated above.

^{page 9 note 4} Rieu, loc. oit., reads 751; see below, p. 12.

^{page 11 note 1} This verse occurs also in the text on fo. 87a ₁₃ but is not found in Ḥậtim, aṭ-Ṭâ'î's dîwân (ed. Schulthess, , Leipzig, 1897)Google Scholar, nor anywhere else.

^{page 11 note 2} See above, p. 6.

^{page 11 note 3} Iṣâba, iii, 710, 13 (1786).

^{page 11 note 4} Iṣâba, ii, 1184 (10007).

^{page 12 note 1} i.e. he belonged to the family of the famous governor of the Umaiyads al-Muhallab b. Abî Ṣufra al-Azdî al-'Atîkî.

^{page 12 note 2} Cf.Brockelmann, , GAL., ii, 173, 7, 1Google Scholar.

^{page 12 note 3} I am indebted to Professor Levi Delia Vida for the reading of the colophon.

^{page 13 note 1} Or 290, thus Bughya, 219⁸.

^{page 13 note 2} See below, p. 19.

^{page 13 note 3} Ibn Sa'd occasionally mentions the mother's mother or the mother's maternal grandmother of, say, a caliph, but he does not go much farther. Ibn Ḥabîb seems to have specialized in this side of genealogical research, as is shown by the titles of others of his works: as, for instance, kitâb ummahât an-Nabî, kit. ummahât a'yân B. 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, kit. ummahât as-Shî'a min Quraish, and a kit. man nusiba ilâ ummihi min ash-shu'arâ' mentioned in O. Spies, Die Bibliotheken des Hidschas, in ZDMG., 90, 1, 119 (no. 119).

^{page 14 note 1} Cf., for instance, Ibn Hish., p. 485ss.

^{page 14 note 2} Cf. Ibn Hish., p. 208ss.

^{page 16 note 1} Kind communication from Professor Levi Delia Vida. It is noteworthy that the 'âm al-ghadr is not mentioned in TA. s.v. ghadr, which shows that this era had entirely fallen into oblivion in later times.

^{page 17 note 1} See below, p. 21.

^{page 18 note 1} Cf., for instance, the list of the chiefs of the caliphs' bodyguard (fol. 131b ₉—133a ₁₀) ending with al-Mutawakkil (whose reign began 232), that of the men of Baṣrah and Kûfah who bought their freedom (fol. 120a ₁₇–123a ₄), that of the persons crucified or otherwise executed, mentioned above, that of the secretaries of the caliphs (fol. 133a ₁₀–134a ₇) which is not even continued up to 232 or 245. In the course of preparing the edition of the whole work each name will have to be carefully examined with a view to identifying the person and his time; it may then be found in some cases that the person lived after Ibn Ḥabîb's time, which would mean only that the information did not belong to the original work. In this introduction, however, it is impossible to go beyond the general statement.

^{page 19 note 1} The date of as-Sukkarî's death is related differently, either 275 or 290 (thus Bughya, p. 219₈). Against Rieu's opinion expressed in his note on the MS. in the Catalogue of the Brit. Mus., loc. cit., that this passage in the kit. al-muḥ, “favours the later of the above dates” speaks the fact that the list is not continued beyond the accession of al-Mu'taḍid in the year 279. It seems more likely that either a copyist or a reader has made this entry, perhaps in the margin of his copy which has later been inserted in the text before as-Sukkarî's concluding note:

^{page 19 note 2} See, for instance, Yâqût, iii, 62 ff.; Bughya, 218 u.ff.

^{page 20 note 1} A proof for the correctness of this statement may be seen in the fact that in the kit. al-muḥ. we find names for which the only other source is the Jamharat al-ansâb, e.g. fol. 45b ₁₅, fol. 26a ₁; a few of the verses occur also only in works of Ibn al-Kelbî's in the kitâb al-khail and in the Jamhara (kind communication from Professor Levi Delia Vida). Cf., however, Ṭab. i, 1667₁₆ ff.

^{page 20 note 2} There remains the possibility that the other scholars got their information through a different riwâya; however, in comparison with later authors, e.g. Ṭabarî, Muḥammad b. Ḥabib has the advantage of having studied with Ibn al-Kelbî himself.

^{page 20 note 3} Cf. Fihrist, 95, in the article on Ibn al-Kelbî.

^{page 20 note 4} See below, p. 23, n. 4.

^{page 21 note 1} Ibn Sa'd, v, 387.

^{page 21 note 2} Is he identical with Abû Sahl mentioned Ibn Sa'd, v, 5: Abû Sahl as-Sâ'dî, of whom Ibn Sa'd himself did not know anything but his name ?

^{page 21 note 3} Ibn Sa'd, vii, 1, 89, an Abû Firâs is mentioned without any details.

^{page 22 note 1} The titles have been taken from Yâqût's article on Ibn al-Kelbî, in which the Fihrist is quoted, vol. vii, p. 249 ff.

^{page 23 note 1} See, e.g., Brockelmann, , GAL., i, 140, Suppl., 213; Yâqût, vii, 261 ff.Google Scholar

^{page 23 note 2} Yâqût, vii, 266₄.

^{page 23 note 3} GMS., fol. 66a ₂.

^{page 23 note 4} Cf.Wolffensohn, I., Ka'b al-Aḥbâr u. s. Stellung im Ḥadîṯ u. d. isl, Legendenliteratur, Frankfurter Diss., 1933Google Scholar.

^{page 24 note 1} Cf. Aghânî (3rd ed.), i, 14₁₀ f. = al-Ḥaramî b. Abi' 1-A'lâ', see also ii, 272₁ f.; iii, 28₆, 319₉, 327₈, 370₃.

^{page 24 note 2} Ṭabarî, i, 3048: Abû Ḥaiya al-MḤzinî; Ibn Sa'd, vii, 1, p. 46; Abû Ḥaiya at-Tamîmî, ibid., vi, 165; Abû Ḥaiya al-Wâ'idî.

^{page 24 note 3} Ibn Sa'd, ii, 2, p. 112.

^{page 24 note 4} Cf. Ibn Sa'd, vii, 1, p. 154₁₀ f.: 5–8 See p. 25.

^{page 24 note 5} In Ṭabarî, iii, 620 (and 1121 ?, the question mark is by the editor) mention is made of Abû Yûnus Isḥâq b. Isma'îl, without nisba, but together with az-Ziyâdî and al-Qawârîrî; in Sam'ânî, 363b, is found Abû, Isḥ. b. Ism. at-Ṭâliqânî, a scholar from Baghdad, died 224.

^{page 24 note 6} (a) Jarîr b. Ḥâzim: Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 36, born 85, died 170; (b) Jarîr b. 'Abd al-âamîd ar-Râwî: Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 110: born 107 in Kûfah, died in Raiy.

^{page 24 note 3} Flügel, , Gramm. Schulen, 39 ff., al-Leith b. al-Muẓaffar b. Naṣr b. Saiyâr, friend of Khalîl (100–175); Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 104: al-Laith b. Sa'd, Abu'l-Ḥârith, a mawlâ of the B. Qais: born 93 or 94, died 165. But probably the former is referred to in the IsnâdGoogle Scholar.

^{page 24 note 8} Ibn Sa'd, v, 334: al-Muhâjir b. Qunfudh b. 'Umair b. Jud'ân b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taim b. Murra, who reported traditions from the Prophet.

^{page 25 note 1} Isḥâq b. Muḥammad al-Musaiyibî: Yâqût, vii, 12₁₄; Muḥammad b. Isḥâq al-Musaiyibî: Aghdnî (3rd ed.), 17₁₅.

^{page 25 note 1a} Both this Isnâd and maṭn are found in the article on aḍ-Ḍaḥḥâk b. Muzâḥim in Ibn Sa'd, vi, 210₁₁ f. On al-Faḍl see Fihr., 227₁ ff., 306₂₅, and vol. ii, 23₃₁ ff., 99₁₉ f. He is quoted very often in Ṭabarî, cf. Index s.v. Abû Nu'aim al-Faḍl b. Dukyan. For Bashîr b. Salmân cf. Ibn Sa'd, vi, 25₁ f.

^{page 25 note 2} Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 71, the name only.

^{page 25 note 3} Ismâ'il b. Abî Khâlid, mawlâ Bajîla, cited very often in Ṭabarî, cf. Index. Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 240, died 146 in Kûfah.

^{page 25 note 4} = 'Abd al-A'lâ' b. Mushir al-Ghassânî, Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 174, died 218.

^{page 25 note 5} Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 171₂₀ f.

^{page 26 note 1} Yâqût, i, 37₁₄, 224₁; ii, 127₁₁.

^{page 26 note 2} Yâqût, ii, 231₁₂; Ṭabarî, i, 114; iii, 2508.

^{page 26 note 3} Ṭabarî, i, 2316, 3227:

^{page 26 note 4} Ibn Sa'd, v, 183: Died in the caliphate of al-Walîd b. 'Abd al-Melik, az-Zuhrî reported traditions from him.

^{page 26 note 5} Cf. Fihrist, 47₂₆ f.: .

^{page 26 note 5a} Sam'ânî, 379b ₁ ff. and 404a ₁₇ ff.: 'Ubaid Allâh b. Muḥ- (or 'Amr) b. Ḥafs . . . al-Qurashî, died 228.

^{page 26 note 6} = Ibrâhim b. al-Mundhir, Aghânî (3rd ed.), i, 29₁₀.

^{page 26 note 7} Yâqût, iii, 145₆ ff. = al-Ḥasan b. 'Uthmân b. Ḥammâd b. Ḥassân b. 'Abd ar-Raḥmân b. Yazîd Abû Ḥassân az-Ziyâdî who is a pupil of al-Ḥaitham b. 'Adî's, died 242 or 243. But see alsoBrockelmann, . GAL., Suppl. 168Google Scholar: Abû Isḥâq Ibrâhîm b. Sufyân az-Ziyâdi, died 249.

^{page 26 note 8} Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 87: died in Baghdad, anno 238.

^{page 26 note 9} = 'Ubaid Allâh b. 'Umar, Ibn Sa'd, vii, 2, p. 89; died 235 in Baghdad.

^{page 27 note 1} It is amazing that Abû 'Ubaida, who is said to have been his teacher (cf. above, p. 2), is not mentioned at all. I have omitted references to such well-known scholars as al-Madâ'inî, Ibn al-A'râbî, etc. But some authorities I was unable to identify at all. The references given are in some cases not more than attempts at an identification; I am rather doubtful about some of them.

^{page 27 note 2} SeeBrockelmann, , GAL., Suppl., p. 166Google Scholar.

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