Al-Jahiz bibliography

The bibliography of ʻAmr ibn Baḥr al-Jāḥiẓ (ca. 773 - 869) are the titles listed in chapter five of al-Fihrist of Isḥāq al-Nadīm (d. ca. 998). Most of Chap. V, §1 survives only in the Beatty MS and is published in the English edition by Bayard Dodge (New York, 1970). An incomplete list is found also in the Irshād al-Arīb alā Ma’rifat al-Adīb ('Dictionary of Learned Men') by Yāqūt al-Hamawī (1179-1229).

Published works

• Kitāb al-Ḥayawān () ‘Book of Animals’; in seven sections is dedicated to Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Mālik al-Zayyāt, who paid him 5,000 gold coins (5., dÄ«nār).
• Kitāb al-Nisā’ () ‘Women’; on differences between the sexes. Appended to al-Ḥayawān.
• Kitāb al-Bighāl () ‘The Mules’. Al-NadÄ«m saw these two books written in the handwriting of ZakarÄ«yā’ ibn Yaḥyā ibn Sulaymān, AbÅ« Yaḥyā, who was a warrāq (scribe) of al-Jāḥiẓ.
• Kitāb al-Ibil () ‘The Camel’; al-NadÄ«m notes this book did not resemble the style of al-Jāḥiẓ.
• Kitāb al-Bayān wa-al-TabyÄ«n () 'The Book of Eloquence and Exposition'; dedicated to Ibn AbÄ« Dā’ūd, who paid him 5,000 gold coins.
• Kitāb al-Zar’ wa-al-Nakhl () 'The Book of Sowing and the Palm Tree’; dedicated to IbrāhÄ«m ibn ‘Abbās al-ṢūlÄ«, who paid him 5,000 gold coins.

Bibliography list from Beatty MS of al-Fihrist

• Kitāb al-Bayān wa-al-TabyÄ«n () ‘Explanation and Exposition’;
• al-Zar’ wa-al-Nakhl () ‘Sowing and the Palm Tree’
• al-Farq bayn al-NabÄ« wa-al-MutanabbÄ« () ‘The Difference between a Prophet and One Claiming to Be a Prophet’;
• al-Ma‘rifah () ‘Knowledge’;
• Jawābāt min jawāb Kitāb al-Ma’rifah () The Replies of the Book of Knowledge;
• Masā’īl Kitāb al-Ma’rifah () 'Questions of the Book of Knowledge';
• al-radd ‘alā á¹£ihāb al-ālhāmi () 'Refutation of Those Who Claim to Have Divine Inspiration';
• Naẓm al-Qur’ān, thalāthat nusakh () 'Order of the Qur’ān, three copies’;
• Masā’īl fī’l-Qur’ān () 'Questions in the Qur’ān;
• FadhÄ«lah al-Mu‘tazilah () 'Excellence of the Mu‘tazilah;
• al-radd ‘alā al-Mushabbihah () Refutation of the Mushabbihah;
• Ḥikāyat Qawl Aá¹£naf al-ZaydÄ«yah () Statement about the Declaration of the Branches of the ZaydÄ«yah’
• al-Imāmat ‘alā madhhab al-Shī’ah () 'The Imamate, according to the Doctrine of the Shī’ah'.
• al-‘UthmānÄ«yah ()
• Historical Traditions and How They Are Valid; ()
• Refutation of the Christians; ()
• The Heavy-Spoken Man of al-Mirbad; ()
• Refutation of the ‘UthmānÄ«yah; ()
• The Caliphate of Mu’āwiyah; ()
• Imāmat BanÄ« al-‘Abbās () ‘The Caliphate of the ‘Abbāsids’
• al-Fityan () ‘The Two Youths’
• al-Quwwād () The Leaders (Military Chiefs)
• al-Luṣūṣ () ‘The Robbers’
• Dhikr mā bayn al-ZaydÄ«yah wa-al-Rāfiḍah() 'Mention of what is [shared] between the ZaydÄ«yah and the Rāfiḍah';
• al-Tawḥīd () ‘Discourse about Oneness’
• á¹¢anā'ah al-Kalām () The Art (Formation) of Speech;
• Taá¹£wib ‘AlÄ« fÄ« taḥkÄ«m al-ḥakamÄ«n () ‘Praising of ‘AlÄ«, about giving authority to the judges’
• WujÅ«b al-Imāmah () ‘Things Necessary for the Caliphate’
• al-Aá¹£nām () ‘Idols’
• al-Wukalā’ wa-al-MuwakkalÄ«n () ‘Deputies and Guardians’
• al-Shārib wa-al-MashrÅ«b () ‘The Drinker and What Is Drunk’
• Iftikhār al-Shitā’ wa-al-Sayf () ‘The Glory of Winter and Summer’
• al-Mu‘allimÄ«n () ‘The Teachers’
• al-JawārÄ« () ‘Slave Girls; or al-ḤawārÄ« () ‘Associates’;
• Nawādir al-Ḥusn () ‘Rare Forms of Goodness ‘; or Nawādir al-Ḥasan () ‘Rare Anecdotes about al-Ḥasan’
• al-Bukhalā’ () ‘The Misers’
• Farq ma bayn fÄ« ‘Abd Shams wa-MakhzÅ«m () The Difference between the BanÅ« ‘Abd Shams and MakhzÅ«m;
• al-‘Urjān wa-al-Burṣān () ‘The Lame and the Lepers’;
• Takhir al-QaḥṭānÄ«a wa-al-‘AdnānÄ«a () Nobility of the Members of Qaḥṭān and ‘Adnān;
• al-Tarbi‘ wa-al-TadwÄ«r () ‘Making a Quadrangle and a Circle’
• al-TufaylÄ«yÄ«n () ‘Humble Companions’
• Akhlāq al-MulÅ«k () ‘Dispositions of the Kings’
• al-Futyā () ‘The Judicial Interpretation’
• Manāqib Jund al-Khilāfah wa-Faḍā’il al-Atrāk () Excellence of the Troops of the Caliphate and Superior Qualities of the Turks’.
• al-Ḥāsid wa-al-MaḥsÅ«d () ‘The Envious and the Envied’
• al-radd ‘alā al-HÅ«dd () Refutation of the Jews;
• al-á¹¢uraḥā’ wa-al-Hujanā’ () The Pure [-Blooded] and the Sons of Slave Mothers
• al-SÅ«dān wa-al-Bīḍān () ‘The Blacks and the Whites’
• al-Ma‘ād wa-al-Ma‘āsh () ‘Life in the Next World and the Present Life’
• al-Nisā’ () ‘Women’ (See published books)
• al-TaswÄ«yah bayn al-‘Arab wa-al-‘Ajam () 'Comparison between the Arabs and Persians (Foreigners);
• al-Sultān wa-Ikhlāwahluhu ()The Government (al-Sultan) and the Dispositions of Its People (Administrators);
• al-Wa’īd () ‘The Threat’
• al-Buldān () ‘The Towns’ (Regions)
• al-Akhbār () ‘Historical Traditions
• al-Dalālah ‘alā an al-Imāmah Farḍ () ‘The Demonstration that the Imamate is a Divine Command’
• al-Istiṭā’ah wa-Khalq al-Af‘āl () 'Predestination and Creation of Action';
• al-MuqayyinÄ«n wa-al-Ghanā’ wa-al-á¹¢an‘ah () ‘The Artisans (Saddle Makers), Wealth and Craftwork’
• al-Hadāyā () ‘Gifts’
• al-Manḥūl () ‘The Emaciated’ (The Plagiarized)
• al-Ikhwān () ‘The Brothers’
• al-radd ‘alā man al-Ḥad fÄ« kitāb Allāh () ‘Refutation of Whoever Has Apostatized, about the Book of Allāh’
• Ay al-Qur’ān () ‘What Is the Qur’ān?’
• al-‘Āshiq al-NāshÄ« al-MutalāshÄ« () ‘The Amorous: Growing Hot, Growing Cold’
• ḤanÅ«t ‘Aṭṭār () ‘A Perfume Shop’
• al-TamthÄ«l () ‘The Comparison’
• Faḍl al-‘Ilm () ‘The Excellence of Learning’
• al-Mirāh wa-al-Jadd () ‘Gaiety and Earnestness’
• Jamharat al-MulÅ«k () ‘The Assembly of Kings’
• al-á¹¢awālijah () ‘Polo Sticks’
• Dhamm al-Zinā’ () ‘Denouncing Fornication’
• al-Tafakkur wa-al-I‘tibār () ‘Meditation and Consideration’
• al-Ḥujjah wa-al-NubÅ«wah () ‘Proof and Prophecy’
• al-mukātabah () ‘to IbrāhÄ«m ibn al-Mudabbir about correspondence’
• Iḥālat al-Qudrah ‘alā al-Ẓulm () ‘The Trickery of Force [Employed] against Oppression’
• Ummahāt al-Awlād () ‘Freed Slave Mothers of Children’
• al-I‘tizāl wa-Faḍluhu ‘an al-Faḍīlah () ‘The Doctrine of the Mu‘tazilah and Its Excellence Due to Superior Virtue’
• al-Akhṭār wa-al-Marātib wa-al-á¹¢inā‘āt () ‘Dignities, Ranks, and Professions’
• UḥdÅ«that al-‘Ālam () ‘Story of the World’
• al-Radd 'alā man za'amān al-Insān juz lā yatajazza () 'Refutation of Whoever Supposes that Man Is One Piece (Juz’) and Not Divided (Yatajazza’)
• AbÅ« al-Najm wa-jawābhu() 'AbÅ« al-Najm and His Reply';
• al-Tuffāḥ () ‘The Apple’
• al-Uns wa-al-Salwah () ‘Social Life and Contentment’
• al-Ḥazm wa-al-‘Azm () ‘Steadfastness and Resolution’
• al-Kibar al-Mustaḥsan wa-al-Mustaqbah () ‘The Great, the Beautiful, and the Ugly’
• Naqḍ al-Ṭibb () ‘Refutation of Medicine’
• ‘Unāṣir al-Ādāb () ‘The Elements of Morals’
• Taḥṣīn al-Amwāl () ‘Preserving Possessions’
• al-Umthāl () 'Similes (Proverbs)';
• Faḍīl al-Faras ‘alā al-Himlāj () ‘Superiority of the Horse over the Pack Animal’
• al-Āsad wa-al-Dhi’b () ‘The Lion and the Wolf’;
• al-MulÅ«k wa-al-Umam: al-Sālifah wa-al-Bāqiyah () 'The Kings and the Nations: Those Extinct and Those Surviving';
• al-Quḍāh wa-al-Wulāh () ‘Judges and Governors’;
• al-‘Ālim wa-al-Jāhil () ‘The Wise and the Ignorant’;
• al-Nard wa-al-Shaá¹­ranj () al-Nard and Chess’;
• Ghashsh al-á¹¢ina‘āt () ‘Adulteration of the Crafts’
• Khuṣūmat al-Ḥūl wa-al-‘Ūr () ‘Dispute between the Cross-Eyed Man and the Man Blind in One Eye’
• DhawÄ« al-‘Āhāt () ‘Stricken by Blights’
• al-MughannÄ«yÄ«n () ‘The Singers’
• Akhlāq al-Shuṭṭār () ‘The Manners of Those Who Pester Their Friends’.

Epistles

• Risālatuhu alā AbÅ« al-Faraj ibn Najjāḥ fÄ« imtiḥān ‘uqÅ«l al-awliyā’() 'His epistle to AbÅ« al-Faraj ibn Najjāḥ about examining the wise ideas (minds) of the ancients';
• Risālatuhu alā AbÅ« Najm fÄ« al-kharāj () 'His epistle to AbÅ« al-Najm about the land tax';
• Risālatuhu fÄ« al-qalm () 'His epistle about the pen (script)';
• Risālatuhu fÄ« faḍl ittikhādh al-kutub () 'His epistle about excellence in choice of books;
• Risālatuhu kitmān al-sirr () 'His epistle about keeping a secret';
• Risālatuhu madh al-nabÄ«dh () 'His epistle about praise of wine';
• Risālatuhu dhamm al-nabÄ«dh () 'His epistle about the reproach of wine';
• Risālatuhu al-‘afw wa-al-á¹£afḥ () 'His epistle about forgiveness and pardon';
• Risālatuhu ithm al-sukr () ‘His epistle about the offense of drunkenness’;
• Risālatuhu al-amal wa-al-ma’mÅ«l () ‘His epistle about hope and the hoped-for’;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« al-ḥilyah () ‘His epistle about ornament (elegance of literary style);’
• Risālatuhu dhamm al-kuttāb () ‘His epistle about the reproach of secretaries;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« madh al-warrāqÅ«n () ‘His epistle in praise of the warrāqÅ«n’;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« mawh al-Kitāb () ‘His epistle on suggestiveness of the book;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« dhamihim () ‘His epistle about reproaching them’;
• Risālatuhu fiman () ‘His epistle about who among the poets was named ‘Umar’;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« farq jahl Ya‘qÅ«b ibn Isḥāq al-KindÄ« () ‘His epistle about the excess of the ignorance of Ya‘qÅ«b ibn Isḥāq al-Kindī’;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« al-karmi alā AbÅ« al-Faraj ibn Najah () ‘His epistle about generosity; addressed to AbÅ« al-Faraj ibn Najah;
• Risālatuhu al-yatÄ«mah () ‘His epistle about the unique’;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« maut AbÅ« Ḥarb al-á¹¢affār al-Baá¹£rī’ () ‘His epistle about the death of AbÅ« Ḥarb al-á¹¢affār al-Baá¹£rī’;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« al-mÄ«rāth () ‘His epistle about inheritance’;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« kÄ«miyā’ wa-al-kÄ«miyā’ () ‘His epistle about Alchemy and Alchemy;
• Risālatuhu fÄ« al-istibdād wa-al-mushāwarah fÄ« al-ḥarb () ‘His epistle about obstinate arbitrariness and consultation in War’;
• Risālatuhu al-radd ‘alā al-qawlÄ«yah () ‘His epistle about refutation of the qawlÄ«yah.

Additional letters

Written in the handwriting of Ibn al-Furāt, near the epistles of al-Jāḥiẓ, in the Beatty MS of al-Nadīm's al-Fihrist:

• Epistle to Aḥmad ibn Isrā’īl; ()
• Epistle to Aḥmad ibn al-Munajjim, about care of speech (ḥifẓ al-lisān); ()
• Another epistle to Aḥmad ibn al-Munajjim; ()
• Epistle to Sulaymān ibn Wahb; ()
• Epistle to al-Ḥasan ibn Wahb; ()
• Risālat ‘alā Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Mālik fÄ« al-ghaḍab wa-al-riḍā’ () 'Epistle to Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Mālik, about anger and satisfaction';
• al-shukr () epistle about thanks (praise);
• al-jidd wa-al-hazl () epistle about earnestness and joking;
• Epistle about the description of the important matters concerning the creation of the Qur’ān, about which there are also five other epistles; ()
• Epistle to Muḥammad al-YazÄ«dÄ«; ()
• Four epistles to Ibn Najāḥ AbÅ« al-Faraj, (fl. 870) about the mind, judgment, and other things (al-‘aql al-ḥukm wa-ghayrihi); ()
• Epistle to AbÅ« ‘Amr Aḥmad ibn Sa’īd, to whom three other epistles were also addressed. ()
• Epistle to ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Yaḥyā ibn Khāqān; ()
• Epistle to Ibn AbÄ« Dā’ūd about the book “Order of the Qur’ān” (Naẓm al-Qur’ān); ()
• Also an epistle addressed to him about the qualities of the book “The Judicial Interpretation (al-Futyā); ()
• Epistle to AbÅ« al-WalÄ«d ibn Aḥmad about cauterization (al-kayy); ()
• Epistle to ‘Abdān ibn AbÄ« Ḥarb, to whom he also addressed two other epistles; ()
• Epistle about the reproach for what is plagiarized; ()
• Epistle to Aḥmad ibn HamdÅ«n al-NadÄ«m about the qualities of a court companion (á¹£ifāt al-nadÄ«m); ()
• Epistle to Aḥmad ibn al-Mudabbir; ()
• Ḥifẓ al-Sirr wa-al-Lisān ()
• ‘Epistle to Aḥmad ibn al-Mudabbir ‘Awn; about guarding a secret and use of the tongue;
• Epistle to the Commander of the Faithful al-Muntaẓar bi-Allāh Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan; ()
• Epistle to Aḥmad ibn al-Khaá¹­Ä«b, which was the last epistle listed in the handwriting of Ibn al-Furāt.

Notes

References

External links

• Chester Beatty_Al-Fihrist_Ar_3315
• Kitāb al-Fihrist by al-NadÄ«m, pp.237-240