Abū Hayyān al-Tawhīdī

ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbbās (923–1023) (Arabic: علي بن محمد بن عباس‎) also known as Abū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī (Arabic: أبو حيان التوحيدي‎) was one of the most influential intellectuals and thinkers of the 10th century. Yāqūt al-Ḥamawī described him as "the philosopher of litterateurs and the litterateur of philosophers." However, he was neglected and ignored by the historians of his era. This neglect continued until Yāqūt wrote his book Muʿjam al-Udabāʾ (معجم الأدباء), which contained a biographical outline of at-Tawḥīdī, relying primarily on what al-Tawḥīdī had written about himself.

Ali ibn Mohammed ibn Abbas
TitleAbū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī
Personal
Born923CE
Died1023CE
ReligionIslam
EraIslamic golden age
RegionIraq
Main interest(s)Literature, and philosophy
Notable work(s)Al-Imtāʿ wa al-Mu’ānasa (Enjoyment and Conviviality)
Muslim leader

Origin

There are differing views on the dates of al-Tawḥīdī's birth and death, and his origins. According to Tārīkh-i Sistān, he was born in 923 Near Baghdad or Fars,[1] and died in 1023 in Shiraz. Al-Tawḥīdī had a difficult childhood. He was born into a poor family that sold dates called tawḥīd (hence his surname), and spent much of his childhood as an orphan in the care of his uncle, who treated him poorly.

Works

In spite of the incident of burning his books collectively (which was symbolic of course) by himself, he has left a set of literary, philosophical, and Sufi works, which were distinctive in the history of the Arabic literature. Perhaps the most important works are:

  • Al-Baṣā’ir wa al-Dhakhā’ir
  • Al-Hawamil wa al-Shawamil
  • Al-Imtāʿ wa al-Mu’ānasa, with a chapter on zoology perhaps based on Timotheus of Gaza's book on animals.[2]
  • Al-Isharat al-Ilahiyya
  • Al-Muqabasat
  • Al-Sadaqa wa al-Sadiq
  • Mathalib al-Wazirain
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References
  1. Meri, Josef W. (January 2006). Medieval Islamic Civilization, Volume 1 An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 798. ISBN 978-0-415-96691-7. Al-Tawhidi was probably born in Iraq or Fars sometime between AH 310/922 CE and AH 320/932 CE, and he died in Shiraz (Iran) in 414/1023.
  2. Kopf, L. (1956). "The Zoological Chapter of the Kitab al-Imta' wal-Mu'anasa of Abu Hayyan al-Tauhidi (10th Century)". Osiris. 12: 390–466.
  • Salah NATIJ, "La nuit inaugurale d'al-Imatâ' wa l-mu'ânasa d'Abu Hayyân al-Tawhidi,une leçon magistrale d'adab", Revue Arabica, Vol. 55, No.2, 2008 = http://maduba.free.fr/Sur_Tawhidi.pdf
  • I. Keilani, Abú Hayyán al-Tawhidi (in French), Beirut, 1950.
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