Abà « ÿAbd AllÃÂh Muḥammad ibn ZiyÃÂd (), surnamed Ibn al-AÿrÃÂbë () (ca. 760 â 846, SÃÂmarrÃÂ); a philologist, genealogist, and oral traditionist of Arabic tribal poetry. A grammarian of the school of al-Kà «fah, who rivalled the grammarians of al-Baá¹£rah in poetry recital. He was famous for his knowledge of rare expressions and for transmitting the famous anthology of ancient Arabic poetry, Al-Mufaá¸Âá¸ÂalëyÃÂt.
The meaning of the word A'rÃÂbë, and its difference to the word Arabë, is explained by the exegete al-SijistÃÂnë, in his book on rare QurâÂÂÃÂnic terms: A'rÃÂbë is an Arab desert inhabitant, whereas Arabë is a non-desert dwelling Arab.
Ibn al-AÿrÃÂbë was born in al-Kà «fah in 760. His father, ZiyÃÂd, had been captured from Sindh, probably by the Banà « HÃÂshim, or possibly by the Banà « ShaybÃÂn or some other tribe. He himself was a mawla (client) of al-AbbÃÂs ibn Muḥammad ibn Alë ibn ÿAbd AllÃÂh. He was said to have a cast. His mother had been a servant of, and later married, al-Mufaá¸Âá¸Âal ibn Muḥammad al-á¸Âabbë, the author of Al-Mufaá¸Âá¸ÂalëyÃÂt, and as his stepson, Ibn al-AÿrÃÂbë received a broad education in the Ḥadëth, poetry, history, theology, genealogy and literature. The centres of scholarship in these fields encompassed by the term ÿphilologyâ were at al-Baá¹£rah, al-Kà «fah, and later at BaghdÃÂd. Apart from al-Mufaá¸Âá¸Âal, Ibn al-A'rÃÂbë's principal tutor was the qÃÂá¸Âë (judge) al-QÃÂsim ibn MaâÂÂn ibn ÿAbd al-RaḥmÃÂn. Abà « MuâÂÂÃÂwiyah al-á¸Âarër, and al-KisÃÂâÂÂë, also tutored him.
Ibn al- AÿrÃÂbë became a scholar of the Arab tribes and of the poets of the Jahiliya (pre-Islamic) and Islamic era, up to the beginning of the rule of the Banà « al-ÿAbbÃÂs. Other scholars were Abà « ÿAmr al-ShaybÃÂnë, KhÃÂlid ibn Kulthà «m , Muḥammad ibn Ḥabëb, al-á¹¬à «së, and al-Aá¹£maâÂÂë.
His lectures were very popular and Abà « al-AbbÃÂs ThaâÂÂlab, who was his student of ten years, reports that a hundred people typically attended his lectures, coming from as far afield as IsfëjÃÂb in Transoxiana, and from Spain. A glimpse into the setting for scholarly debate occurring at this time is indicated in an anecdote told by Thaÿlab, where a group of scholars, that included al-Sukkarë, Abà « al-ÿÃÂliyah and Ibn al-A'rÃÂbë, had assembled at the home of Aḥmad ibn SaâÂÂëd. It appears that Aḥmad ibn Saÿëd and Ibn al-Aÿrabi were astonished, presumably impressed, by ThaÿlabâÂÂs precocious critique of a poem by al-ShammÃÂkh. Conversely, he had a running feud with his uncle Abà « Naá¹£r Aḥmad b. ḤÃÂtim al-BÃÂhilë, who destested him.
Ibn al-AÿrÃÂbë quoted such Arabian linguistic authorities as al-á¹¢amà «të, al-Kalbë, and Abà « Mujëb. His pupils included IbrÃÂhëm al-Ḥarbë, Ibn al-Sikkët, and Ibn al-Azhar. As a leading philologist, Ibn al- AÿrÃÂbë was critical of rival scholars of rare linguistic expressions (al-kalÃÂm al-gharëb), and in particular of Abà « Ubaydah and al-Aá¹£maâÂÂë. He proposed orthographic liberalisation and urged permissiveness in the substitution of the letter dÃÂd (ö) for the letter zà(ø). Muḥammad ibn Ḥabëb, quoted Ibn al-AâÂÂrÃÂbë, along with Quá¹Ârub, Abà « ÿUbaydah, Abà « al-YaqáºÂÃÂn, et al.
ThaâÂÂlab and al-Ṭabarë wrote Ibn al-A'rÃÂbë's biography, while anecdotes about him and his philological commentaries were popular. Thaÿlab reports never seeing a book in his hand, even when he was over eighty years old. This was a huge tribute as scholars attached great importance to facility of memorisation. Tha'lab also claims no one surpassed Ibn al-A'rÃÂbë in his knowledge of poetry. Al-Nadëm read Ibn al-Kà «fë ÿs account that Thaÿlab had heard him say he was born the night Abà « Ḥanëfah died. Al-QÃÂsim had met, and was an admirer of, Abà « Ḥanëfah.
Ibn al-AÿrÃÂbë died in 846 (231 AH), in Surra Man RaâÂÂÃÂ, (i.e. the ancient name of SÃÂmarrÃÂ), Iraq, aged eighty years, four months and three days.
Among his books there were:
Al-A'rÃÂbë's importance as a philologist, or linguistic scientist, of the Arab language, and his milieu, can be estimated by the account given by the tenth-century bibliophile Al-Nadim, who writing about a hundred and fifty years after the death of Ibn al-A'rÃÂbë, describes visiting the library in the city of al-Ḥadëthah of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn, known as ÿIbn Abë BaÿrahâÂÂ, who had received a collection of ancient writings from a ShëâÂÂë book-collector of al-Kà «fah. Among the material on the sciences of Arabs and other nations, there were documents written on double parchment, deeds, taÿlëqÃÂt, poems, papers on grammar, anecdotes, historical traditions, names, genealogies, etc., on adam skins and on paper from Egypt, China, TihÃÂmah, and KhurÃÂsÃÂn; notes written in an ancient calligraphy by ÿAllÃÂn the Grammarian and al-Naá¸Âr ibn Shumayl; and Ḥadëth authorities, such as SufyÃÂn ibn ÿUyaynah, SufyÃÂn al-Thawri, al-AwzÃÂÿë.Of the scholars, whose handwritten notes on Arabic grammar and philological literature, and other ancient works, he lists are Abà « ÿAmr ibn al-ÿAlÃÂ', Abà « ÿAmr al-Shaybanë, al-Aá¹£maâÂÂë, Ibn al-AÿrÃÂbë, Sëbawayh, al-FarrÃÂâÂÂ, al-KisÃÂâÂÂë, Abà « al-Aswad (in the handwriting of Yaḥyàibn Yaÿmar).
Ibn al-AÿrÃÂbë transmitted the authorised edition of the Al-Mufaá¸Âá¸ÂalëyÃÂt, one hundred and twenty-eight poems, that begins with a poem of TaâÂÂabbaá¹Âa Sharran ThÃÂbit ibn JÃÂbir, where others selected, extended, and reordered the poems.