Category Archives: On the Arabic Bookshelf

al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh,

In response to a recent request, this post will provide a list of some of the main classical books specifically related to the Arabic language from which one may benefit, be it for the sake of research or general interest. The post will be divided into categories based on the most important areas of research. The books may either be wholly dedicated to their category, or simply contain enough information related to the category to merit mention.

I apologise in advance that this list will be of more specific benefit to those who already are able to read and understand a level of Arabic. In shaa’ Allaah, the regular posts will resume shortly.

Please note that this is not a complete list, but rather a general guide.

On Grammar (nahw):
1. al-Kitāb by Sībawayhi
2. Ma‘ānī al-Qur’ān by al-Farrā’
3. al-Muqtadab by al-Mubarrad
4. al-Usūl fi al-Nahw by Ibn al-Sarrāj
5. al-Mufassal by al-Zamakhsharī
6. al-Kāfiyah by Ibn al-Hājib
7. al-Alfiyyah by Ibn Mālik
8. Mughnī al-Labīb by Ibn Hishām

On Morphology (sarf):
1. al-Tasrīf by al-Māzinī
2. al-Tasrīf by Ibn Jinnī
3. Nuzhat al-Tarf fī ‘ilm al-Sarf by al-Maydānī
4. al-Mumti‘ fī al-Tasrīf by Ibn ‘Usfūr
5. al-Shāfiyah by Ibn al-Hājib

Dictionaries (Ma‘ājim al-Alfādh):

(Arranged according to articulation points)
1. al-‘Ayn by al-Khalīl ibn Ahmad
2. Tahdhīb al-Lughah by al-Azharī

(Arranged alphabetically – starting with first root letter)
1. al-Jīm by Abu ‘Umar al-Shaybānī
2. Jamharat al-Lughah by Ibn Durayd
3. Mu‘jam Maqāyīs al-Lughah by Ibn Fāris
4. Asās al-Balāghah by al-Zamakhsharī
5. al-Misbāh al-Munīr by al-Fayyūmī

(Arranged alphabetically – starting with last root letter)
1. Tāj al-Lughah by al-Jawharī
2. Lisān al-‘Arab by Ibn Mandhūr
3. al-Qāmūs al-Muhīt by al-Fayrūzābādī
4. Tāj al-‘Arūs by al-Zubaydī

Thesauri (Ma‘ājim al-Ma‘ānī):
1. al-Gharīb al-Musannaf by Ibn Salām
2. al-Alfādh by Ibn al-Sikkīt
3. al-Alfādh al-Kitābiyyah by al-Hamadānī
4. Jawāhir al-Alfādh by Qudāmah ibn Ja’far
5. Fiqh al-Lughah by al-Thālibī
6. al-Mukhassas by Ibn Sīdah

On Rare words in the Qur’ān (Gharīb al-Qur’ān):
1. Tafsīr Gharīb al-Qur’ān ibn Ibn Qutaybah
2. Mufradat alfādh al-Qur’ān by al-Isfahānī

On Rare words in the Hadīth (Gharīb al-Hadīth):
1. al-Fā’iq fī gharīb al-Hadīth wa al-Athar by al-Zamakhsharī
2. al-Nihāyah fī gharīb al-Hadīth wa al-Athar by Ibn al-Athīr

On Philology (Fiqh al-Lughah):
1. al-Khasā’is by Ibn Jinnī
2. al-Sāhibī by Ibn Fāris
3. Fiqh al-Lughah by al-Tha’ālibī
4. al-Muzhir by al-Suyūtī

On common solecisms and correct usages:
1. Mā talhanu fīhī al-‘Awām by al-Kisā’ī
2. Islāh al-Mantiq by Ibn al-Sikkīt
3. Adab al-Kātib by Ibn Qutaybah
4. al-Fasīh by Tha‘lab
5. Lahn al-‘Āmmah by al-Zubaydī
6. Tathqīf al-Lisān by Ibn Makkī al-Siqlī
7. Durrat al-Ghawāmid fī Awhām al-Khawāss by al-Harīrī

Allāhumma ‘allimnā mā yanfa’unā, wa infa’nā bi mā ‘allamtanā.
Oh Allāh, teach us what will benefit us, and benefit us with what You have taught us.

Ameen.

al-Bayaan wa al-Tabyeen by al-Jaahidh الجاحظ

The author is Abu ‘Uthman ‘Amr ibn Bahr ibn Mahbub al-Kinaa’ee, known as al-Jaahidh (d. 255 Hijri). He was born in Basrah, and among his teachers were Abu ‘Ubaydah, Abu Zayd al-Ansari, and al-Akhfash. He was a brilliant polymath who wrote on many subjects including Philosophy, ‘Aqeedah, Politics, Economics, History, Geography, Mathematics, Ethics, Sociology and Literature. It is said that he wrote over 350 books, most of which, sadly, have been lost.

One of the last books he wrote was al-Bayaan wa al-Tabyeen, an encyclopedic work, the main axis of which revolves around rhetoric and eloquence. The three main areas that he covered at length in this book are: Continue reading →

al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh,

In classical times, students of knowledge would be given speific lessons that familiarised them with the most important classical books in our heritage on various subjects such as fiqh, tafseer, Arabic, 'aqeedah, and so on. This tradition even continued it seems right up until the previous generation, where students of Arabic in Arab universities, for example, were required to take a class on al-Maktabah al-'Arabiyyah; the Arabic Library.

It remains an important subject today, because it familiarises us with our heritage and the wealth of information available to seekers; it is also, in shaa' Allaah, a powerful drive to encourage people to learn Arabic. The posts in this section will be of two types; one that will provide a list of the most important books for each area of study, and another that will be a short review of the contents of a particular book and its author.