Abà « al-ûAtÃÂhiyya (; 748âÂÂ828), full name Abu Ishaq Isma'il ibn al-Qasim ibn Suwayd Al-Anzi (), was one of the principal Arab poets of the early Islamic era, a prolific muwallad poet of ascetics who ranked with BashshÃÂr and Abà « NuwÃÂs, both of whom he met. He renounced poetry for a time on religious grounds.
Abà « l-ûAtÃÂhiyya was born in Ayn al-Tamr in Karbala. There are two views regarding his lineage: the first is that he was from the Anazzah tribe, while the other is that his family were mawali of the tribe of ûAnaza. His youth was spent in Kufa, where he sold pottery. While he was selling pottery, he saw poets assemble for a competition and participated in it. Later, he composed eulogia to the governor of Tabaristan, emir Umar Ibn al-Alà(783-4/ 167AH).
With his reputation growing, Abà « l-ûAtÃÂhiyya was drawn to Baghdad, the seat of the AbbÃÂsid court where he soon became famous for his verses, especially for those addressed to âÂÂUtbah, a concubine of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi. His love was unrequited, although Caliph al-Mahdi, and after him Caliph ar-Rashëd, interceded for him. At one point he offended the caliph, and was imprisoned for a short time.
Abà « l-ûAtÃÂhiyya died in 828 during the reign of Caliph al-Ma'mà «n. Al-Nadëm cites the qÃÂá¸Âë of al-Kà «fah Ibn KÃÂmil (d.961) that he died on the same day as the grammarian âÂÂAmr ibn Abë âÂÂAmr al-ShaybÃÂnë and the court musician IbrÃÂhëm al-Mawá¹£ilë in 828-9 / 213 AH. His tomb was on the banks of the êsàcanal opposite the Kantarat al-ZaiyÃÂtën ('Oilmen Bridge')
The poetry of Abà « l-ûAtÃÂhiyya is notable for its avoidance of the artificiality almost universal during his lifetime. The older poetry of the desert had been constantly imitated up until this time, although it was not natural to town life. Abà « l-ûAtÃÂhiyya was one of the first to drop the old qasëda (elegy) form. He was very fluent and used many metres. He is also regarded as one of the earliest philosophical poets of the Arabs. Much of his poetry was concerned with the observation of common life and morality, and at times was pessimistic. Thus he was strongly suspected of heresy.
Ibn Abë ṬÃÂhir Ṭayfà «r (819/20 âÂÂ893/94) published an anthology of Abà « al-âÂÂAtÃÂhiyahâÂÂs poetry. He was also included in HÃÂrà «n ibn âÂÂAlë al-MunajjimâÂÂs unfinished anthology âÂÂTraditions of the Poets,â along with contemporary poets Abà « NuwÃÂs and BashshÃÂr. The vizier Ibn âÂÂAmmÃÂr al-Thaqafë (d. 931/ 319 AH) wrote Traditions about Abà « al-âÂÂAtÃÂhiyah.
The Family of Abà « al-âÂÂAtÃÂhiyah
Abà « al-âÂÂAtÃÂhiyah produced poets among his children and grandchildren:
Of the many anecdotes told of al-âÂÂAtÃÂhiyah, al-Nadëm relates one attributed to the AbbÃÂsid court musician, IsḥÃÂq al-Mawá¹£ilë, that whenever he, al-Mawá¹£ilë, saw three men, three others appeared: "Wherever al-Haytham ibn 'Adi was seen, HishÃÂm al-Kalbë was there; if âÂÂAllawëyah was there then MukhÃÂriq turned up; Abà « NuwÃÂs was on hand if Abà « al-âÂÂAtÃÂhiyah appeared.".