Al-Jahiz bibliography


The bibliography of ʻAmr ibn Baḥr al-Jāḥiẓ are the titles listed in chapter five of al-Fihrist of Isḥāq al-Nadīm. Most of Chap. V, §1 survives only in the Beatty MS and is published in the English edition by Bayard Dodge. An incomplete list is found also in the Irshād al-Arīb alā Ma’rifat al-Adīb by Yāqūt al-Hamawī.

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.
  • Kitāb al-Nisā’ ‘Women’; on differences between the sexes. Appended to al-Ḥayawān.
  • Kitāb al-Bighāl ‘The Mules’. Al-Nadīm saw these two books written in the handwriting of Zakarīyā’ ibn Yaḥyā ibn Sulaymān, Abū Yaḥyā, who was a warrāq of al-Jāḥiẓ.
  • Kitāb al-Ibil ‘The Camel’; al-Nadīm notes this book did not resemble the style of al-Jāḥiẓ.
  • Kitāb al-Bayān wa-al-Tabyīn 'The Book of Eloquence and Exposition'; dedicated to Ibn Abī 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 Ibrāhīm ibn ‘Abbās al-Ṣūlī, who paid him 5,000 gold coins.

Epistles

Risālatuhu alā Abū al-Faraj ibn Najjāḥ fī imtiḥān ‘uqūl al-awliyā’ 'His epistle to Abū al-Faraj ibn Najjāḥ about examining the wise ideas of the ancients';
  • Risālatuhu alā Abū Najm fī al-kharāj 'His epistle to Abū al-Najm about the land tax';
  • Risālatuhu fī al-qalm 'His epistle about the pen ';
  • Risālatuhu fī 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-nabīdh 'His epistle about praise of wine';
  • Risālatuhu dhamm al-nabīdh 'His epistle about the reproach of wine';
  • Risālatuhu al-‘afw wa-al-ṣafḥ 'His epistle about forgiveness and pardon';
  • Risālatuhu ithm al-sukr ‘His epistle about the offense of drunkenness’;
  • Risālatuhu al-amal wa-al-ma’mūl ‘His epistle about hope and the hoped-for’;
  • Risālatuhu fī al-ḥilyah ‘His epistle about ornament ;’
  • Risālatuhu dhamm al-kuttāb ‘His epistle about the reproach of secretaries;
  • Risālatuhu fī madh al-warrāqūn ‘His epistle in praise of the warrāqūn’;
  • Risālatuhu fī mawh al-Kitāb ‘His epistle on suggestiveness of the book;
  • Risālatuhu fī dhamihim ‘His epistle about reproaching them’;
  • Risālatuhu fiman ‘His epistle about who among the poets was named ‘Umar’;
  • Risālatuhu fī farq jahl Ya‘qūb ibn Isḥāq al-Kindī ‘His epistle about the excess of the ignorance of Ya‘qūb ibn Isḥāq al-Kindī’;
  • Risālatuhu fī al-karmi alā Abū al-Faraj ibn Najah ‘His epistle about generosity; addressed to Abū al-Faraj ibn Najah;
  • Risālatuhu al-yatīmah ‘His epistle about the unique’;
  • Risālatuhu fī maut Abū Ḥarb al-Ṣaffār al-Baṣrī’ ‘His epistle about the death of Abū Ḥarb al-Ṣaffār al-Baṣrī’;
  • Risālatuhu fī al-mīrāth ‘His epistle about inheritance’;
  • Risālatuhu fī kīmiyā’ wa-al-kīmiyā’ ‘His epistle about Alchemy and Alchemy;
  • Risālatuhu fī al-istibdād wa-al-mushāwarah fī al-ḥarb ‘His epistle about obstinate arbitrariness and consultation in War’;
  • Risālatuhu al-radd ‘alā al-qawlīyah ‘His epistle about refutation of the qawlīyah.

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 ;
  • 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 fī al-ghaḍab wa-al-riḍā’ 'Epistle to Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Mālik, about anger and satisfaction';
  • al-shukr epistle about thanks ;
  • 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-Yazīdī;
  • Four epistles to Ibn Najāḥ Abū al-Faraj, about the mind, judgment, and other things ;
  • Epistle to Abū ‘Amr Aḥmad ibn Sa’īd, to whom three other epistles were also addressed.
  • Epistle to ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Yaḥyā ibn Khāqān;
  • Epistle to Ibn Abī Dā’ūd about the book “Order of the Qur’ān” ;
  • Also an epistle addressed to him about the qualities of the book “The Judicial Interpretation ;
  • Epistle to Abū al-Walīd ibn Aḥmad about cauterization ;
  • Epistle to ‘Abdān ibn Abī Ḥarb, to whom he also addressed two other epistles;
  • Epistle about the reproach for what is plagiarized;
  • Epistle to Aḥmad ibn Hamdūn al-Nadīm about the qualities of a court companion ;
  • 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-Khaṭīb, which was the last epistle listed in the handwriting of Ibn al-Furāt.