Al-Farrà(), he was Abà « ZakarëyàYaḥyàibn ZiyÃÂd ibn Abd AllÃÂh ibn Maná¹£à «r al-Daylamë al-Farrà(), was a Daylamite scholar and the principal pupil of al-KisÃÂâÂÂë (). He is the most brilliant of the Kà «fan scholars. Muḥammad ibn Al-Jahm quotes Ibn al-Quá¹Ârub that it was al-FarrÃÂâÂÂs melodic eloquence and knowledge of the pure spoken Arabic of the Bedouins and their expressions that won him special favour at the court of HÃÂrà «n al-Rashëd. He died on the way to Mecca, aged about sixty, or sixty-seven, in 822 (207 AH).
Abà « Zakarëyah ibn ZiyÃÂd al-FarrÃÂâ was born in al-Kà «fah into a family of Iranian Daylamë origin. He was a mawla (client, or, apprentice) of the Banà « Minqar (), although Salamah ibn âÂÂÃÂá¹£im said he was called al-âÂÂAbsë (), i.e. of the Banà « Abs. Abà « âÂÂAbd AllÃÂh ibn Muqlah () claimed Al-Yà «sufë called him Yaḥyàibn ZiyÃÂd ibn QÃÂwë-Bakht ibn DÃÂwar ibn Kà «danÃÂr. The main details of his life come from ThaâÂÂlab () who quotes Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyàsaying: âÂÂIf the expression spoils the meaning it is not the words of the Bedouin Arabs, or âÂÂpureâÂÂ. But al-FarrÃÂâ says it correctly because he based Arabic and grammar on the spoken language of the Arabs. He (al-FarrÃÂ) said: When the expression agrees with its meaning, the expression is correct. Sëbawayh errs because his etymological work is not founded in the expressions of the 'Desert Arabs' (Bedouin) and is without knowledge of their oral language and their poems, but instead relies on the poems of the urban Arabs and the pharaohs and applies the expression to the meaning.â Al-FarrÃÂâ was said to be called FarrÃÂâ because he was 'free to speak'.
He knew the grammarians of al-Kà «fah after the time of al-KisÃÂâÂÂë's, whom he adopted. The Kà «fans claimed that he borrowed much from Yà «nus ibn Habëb but this was denied by the Baá¹£rans. He loved to speak and yet was retiring and pious. He was a zealous adherent of Sëbawayh, writing under his leadership. In his Al-Hudud he used philosophical terminology.
Tha'lab relates that al-FarrÃÂâÂÂs was a friend of âÂÂUmar ibn Bukayr (), the preceptor to the vizier of the caliph Al-Ma'mà «n, who was called ÃÂmir al-Ḥasan ibn Sahl (). Al-Farràtaught in the mosque next to his house. Umar approached him for exegetic advice on teaching Qur'ÃÂnic studies to the vizier, and so al-FarrÃÂ' dictated the book MaâÂÂÃÂnë aI-QurâÂÂÃÂn for his students to copy out. At the request of the caliph al-Ma'mun he dictated his KitÃÂb al-Ḥudà «d (), 'Classifications' (in poetry and grammar), as a project to instruct the students of al-KisÃÂâÂÂë. Over the sixteen year period it took to complete, a muezzin reader read while al-FarrÃÂâ explained the entire QurâÂÂÃÂn. He continued dictating long after most students had lost interest and only two remained. Instruction without recourse to a text book was a good proof of memory and the mark of a great scholar. Tha'lab makes a point of saying that al-FarrÃÂâ was only once seen with a book and that was his dictation from a manuscript of the chapter âÂÂMulÃÂzimâÂÂ. A neighbour of Al-FarrÃÂâÂÂs, named al- WÃÂqidë (), remarked on al-FarrÃÂâ particular use of philosophical terms in his literary dictations. Al-FarrÃÂâ lived most of his life at BaghdÃÂd and was very frugal, and even hunger did not concern him. He spent forty days annually at al-Kà «fah, his native town, and distributed most of his considerable earnings from teaching among his people.
His father Ziad had his hand cut off in the war with Abë Tharwan and Abà « Tharwan the mawla of the Banà « Abs. Ibn al-Nadëm lists Al-FarrÃÂ's associates as Ibn QÃÂdim and Salamah ibn ÃÂá¹£im, who was with him in his final illness, when his mind had gone. Those who quoted him listed by Suyà «á¹Âë were; Qais ibn al-Rabë, Mandal ibn âÂÂAlë al-KisÃÂâÂÂë, Salamah ibn ÃÂá¹£im and Muḥammad ibn Jahm al-Samari, who transmitted his books.
Salamah ibn ÃÂá¹£im said it was al-ṬuwÃÂl () who preserved his only extant poetry in some verses quoted by Abà « Ḥanëfah al-Dënawarë ():
Al-Suyuti recorded eleven works by him, Ibn al-Nadim listed thirteen, while Ibn Khallikan and Yaqut al-Hamawi each attributed seventeen works to him. Some of the listed titles may actually be referring to individual chapters of his larger work, al-Ḥudà «d. In total, his writings are said to have amounted to three thousand sheets. Several of his works are now lost, while other survive only in manuscript form.
Lost Work
Printed.
Lost Work
It was commissioned by Al-Ma'mun and compiled with the help from the caliph's secretaries around 204 / 819. Al-MaâÂÂmun ordered the work to be kept in his treasury. According to Ibn al-Nadim, it contained 45 chapters; Al-Suyuti counted 46, while Al-Zubaydë recorded 60. A table of contents is cited in Ibn al-Nadëm's Fihrist and a slightly different version is cited by Al-Qifá¹Âë. Lost Work
Lost Work. Cited by Ibn Rashëq.
A manuscript is located in the FÃÂtiḥ Library, Istanbul, (MS no. 4009). Not printed yet
Possibly a chapter in al-Ḥudà «d. It was cited by Al-Suyuti in al-MuáºÂhir. Lost Work
Lost Work
Printed
The work addressed ambiguous QurþÃÂnic expressions. Lost Work
The work addressed ambiguous QurþÃÂnic expressions. Lost Work
Lost Work
His most important work. He started it on the suggestion of his friend ÿUmar bin Bukayra and completed it in three years (202âÂÂ204 / 817âÂÂ819) dectating it entirely from memory. A refutation of this work was written by Ibn Durustawayh and an abridgement was produced by al-DënawÃÂrë. Printed multiple times.
Also called al-Manqà «á¹£ wa-l-mamdà «d. Printed
Lost Work
Lost Work
Possibly a chapter heading of al-Ḥudà «d
Lost Work
Yaqut al-Hamawi recorded it as KitÃÂb YÃÂfiÿwa-YÃÂfiÿa, which comprised 50 folios together with Kitab al-Mulazim.
It was written for Abdallah ibn Tahir. Lost Work
Lost Work
Lost Work