1. The Fragrant Blossom: A Work on Manners, Society, and Letters

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Abstract: Arij al-zahr: kitab akhlaqi, ijtima’i, adabi (The fragrant blossom: A work on manners, society, and letters) is a collection of essays by Shaykh Mustafa al-Ghalayini, a Lebanese Muslim teacher, writer, and authority on Islamic law. The essays cover a number of subjects presented in a readable style. Ghalayini discusses what it means to be an elegant speaker and writer in the “proper Arabic way,” avoiding the influences of what he calls a‘ujmah (non-Arabic) or afranj (European) style. In other essays, he treats the nature of mankind, the obligations of the Arabs in light of their rich history, the importance of modern education, local political currents in Beirut, and the place of social classes in a modern state. He calls on his readers to become “men of today and not men of the past.” Al-Ghalayini had a colorful career as political activist, essayist, and reformer. He was born and raised in Beirut, where he spent most of his life, except for brief stays in Cairo and Amman. In Cairo he perfected his knowledge of the Arabic language, working with teachers at al-Azhar, and he found time to publish articles in the newspaper al-Ahram (The pyramids). The title page of Arij al-zahr identifies him as Arabic instructor at the Imperial School and Ottoman College in Beirut. In 1910−11 he edited the general interest magazine al-Nibras (The lantern). During World War I, he served as a military chaplain in the Turkish army. In 1917, at the age of 32, he “took off the turban of the religious shaykh and replaced it with a tarboush,” because, as he explained, of pressure from the Turkish police to perform services that he deemed inappropriate for an imam. After World War I, he became Arabic tutor to the sons of King Abdullah I (1882−1951) of Jordan. His nationalist politics led him to prison and exile under the French Mandate. Later, because of his commitment to defending Islamic traditions in the face of the French authorities, he once again “placed the turban on his head” and regained prominence as a religious nationalist. In the final decade of his life he served as president and then as councilor of the Sunni Supreme Shari’ah (legal) Council of Lebanon. Arij al-Zahr was printed and sold at al-Ahliyah Press and Bookstore in Beirut.Physical description: 240 pages : 25 centimeters

2. The Secrets of Metaphor in Rhetoric

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Abstract: This book is a modern scholarly edition of the seminal work by al-Jurjani (died circa 1078) on Arabic rhetoric, Asrar al-balaghah fi ‘ilm al-bayan (The secrets of metaphor in rhetoric), especially the branch called al-bayan (use of metaphor and figures of speech), of which he is considered the founder. In the classical context, ‘ilm al-balaghah (rhetoric) is divided into three interconnected arts, al-ma’ani (clear expression); al-bayan; and badi’ (embellishment and beautiful style). Al-Jurjani’s study of the stylistic and psychological importance of metaphor received widespread acceptance by classical Arabic writers and remains a source of discussion and research in modern linguistics. The work is carefully organized. After defining a particular figure of speech and pointing to its differences from other types of metaphor, al-Jurjani gives examples from leading poets such as Abu Nuwas (756-814) and al-Mutannabi (915-65) and from proverbs and sayings. He then dissects the passages with reference to the morphology of the tropes. This edition, by no means the only published rendering of known manuscripts, was edited by the Lebanese-Egyptian reformer and publicist Muhammad Rashid Rida. Rida was a prominent exponent of a modern Islam, which he believed should acknowledge its scriptural roots while adapting to Western modes of expression. Neither Rashid Rida (as he is commonly called) nor his elder associate, Muhammad ‘Abduh, were known for their textual scholarship, so this text edition is not often cited in standard bibliographies. In his introduction, Rida mentions that his interest in Asrar al-balaghah derived from a desire to rescue contemporary Arabic letters from what he termed the “sickness” that had afflicted the language since the fifth century AH (12th century), and the study of which had become merely “another of the languages taught in schools.” He discussed this problem with ‘Abduh. Together they searched for and had copied several manuscripts of al-Jurjani’s work in Medina, Tripoli (Lebanon), Baghdad, and Istanbul. The present edition is the fruit of Rida’s comparison of the texts and contains extensive footnoting of variant readings and unusual words and other explanatory commentary. The book was published in Cairo at the al-Taraqqi Press.Physical description: 357 pages ; 25 centimeters

3. The Most Poetical of Poetry

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Abstract: Like many of his contemporaries, Rizq Allah Hassun (1825−80) set out to transcribe the classics into a refreshed Arabic idiom. In Ashʻar al-shiʻr (The most poetical of poetry), he chooses to recast selected Old Testament texts in an accessible poetic form. The book of Job is prominently featured in the collection because, as the author says in his foreword, it ranks with Homer and Shakespeare as a monument of world literature. Hassun’s translation of the story of Job into Arabic poetry is not intended as a Bible reading for the devout, but rather as a demonstration of the richness and adaptability of the Arabic language. Hassun based his poems on the Arabic translation of Cornelius Van Dyck (1818−95), which Hassun termed “the best Arabic translation of the Bible I’ve seen,” and on the English Bible of 1811, with notes by John Styles. The work also contains poetic renditions from the books of Exodus, Deuteronomy, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations. Rizq Allah Hassun took an active part in the cultural and political life of his times. He founded one of the first Arabic newspapers and took part in the anti-Ottoman opposition in the Levant and in the imperial capital, Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), for which he was forced to go into exile in Russia and England. Ash’ar al-shi’r conforms to the pattern of Hassun’s other publications in its emphasis on literary style as a quality to be cultivated for its own sake, rather than as a vehicle for proselytizing or personal piety. There is no colophon giving publication details, but occasional notes mention that he completed drafts in 1869 while residing in England. The book was printed in 1870 at the American Press in Beirut.Physical description: 136 pages ; 22 centimeters

4. Contentment of the Seeker Regarding the Most Famous Arabic Compositions Printed by Eastern and Western Printing Presses

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Abstract: Edward Van Dyck was an American diplomat and author who served as consular clerk and vice-consul in Lebanon and Egypt from 1873 to 1882. He was the son of the missionary Cornelius Van Dyck, a medical doctor who was professor of pathology at the Syrian Protestant College (which became the American University of Beirut), but who is well known for his Arabic edition of the Bible. Kitāb iktifā' al-qanūʻ bimā huwa matbuʻ min ashhar al-ta'ālīf al-arabīya fī al-maṭābiʻ al-sharqīya wa al-gharbīya (Contentment of the seeker regarding the most famous Arabic compositions printed by Eastern and Western printing presses) is a bibliographic dictionary of printed works in Arabic, published by Edward Van Dyck in 1896.  The book consists of an introduction and three sections. The first section is on "the interest of Europeans in the Arabic language." The second is on "Arabic literature from its origins to shortly after the fall of Baghdad." The third section covers Arabic literature from "the 13th to the 17th century [CE]." The book includes an index of the literary works discussed in the text and an index of authors. The main body of the book was completed on September 9, 1896; however, the indices were not completed until the following year. Following them is a statement: “The indices were finished and the printing completed in April 1897.” The author’s afterword is dated March 1897, so the publication date of 1896 printed on the cover of the entire work appears to be an error. The book was edited by Muḥammad ʻAlī al-Bablawī, and was published by Maṭbaʻat al-ta'ālīf (al-hilāl), in Cairo.Physical description: 677 pages ; 25 centimeters

5. Excellence in the Rhetorical Arts

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Abstract: Al-Khawāṭir al-ḥisān fī al-ma‘ānī wa-al-bayān (Excellence in the rhetorical arts) is an introduction for students to the elements of Arabic composition. The work emphasizes the correct choice of words and the importance of the sentence as the basic building block of written composition and formal speech. The author, Jabr Dumit (1858−1930), was a teacher at the Syrian Evangelical College in Beirut. In this primer of grammar and usage he introduces students to the various kinds of sentences (declarative, interrogative, and so forth), giving examples of grammatical construction and pointing out pitfalls, such as confusion over use of pronouns and their antecedents. He moves from simple prescription to the handling of more complex conditional sentences and embellishments. The work no doubt was intended for use at the mission schools in the Levant. This printing at Al-Hilal Press in Egypt indicates that it was adopted more widely in the region. Dumit was born in Safita (in present-day Syria, near the border with Lebanon). He was educated at American missionary schools and spent much of his teaching life at the schools in Beirut. In 1882 he travelled to Egypt, where he was employed first at the newspaper Al-Mahrusah (The protected one [i.e. Cairo]) and later as a translator with the British armed force sent to the Sudan in 1884−85. He returned to Lebanon, where he died in 1930. Dumit dedicated the book to the memory of American missionary Mrs. Samuel Jessop, whose home he frequented as a child.Physical description: 1276 pages ; 24 centimeters

6. Capstone Dictionary of Unusual Words of Hadith and of Yore

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Abstract: Al-Nihāyah fī gharīb al-ḥadīth wa-al-athar (Capstone dictionary of unusual words of hadith and of yore) is a four-volume dictionary of words in the hadiths, or the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, by the medieval scholar Majd al-Din Ibn al-Athir (1149−1210). It is a specialized concordance of unusual or less-common words occurring in hadiths, supplemented by terms from the Qurʼan and early Islamic history. The work was recognized in its day as a significant contribution to lexicography and was incorporated into the magisterial Lisān al-ʻArab (The Arabic language) by Ibn Manzur (died 1311 or 1312). A note lists corrigenda for the Lisān based on Ibn al-Athir’s dictionary. The Ibn al-Athir family, father and sons, is commonly associated with the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, where they taught, wrote, and provided literary substance to the local court. They frequently traveled on diplomatic assignment. Majd al-Din Ibn al-Athir is sometimes confused in the secondary literature with one or the other of his brothers, historian Diyaʻ al-Din (died 1239) or ‘Izz al-Din (died 1233), who was also a scholar and court official but with a more literary bent. A commentary by the well-known Egyptian scholar Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (1445−1505) accompanies the main text in the margin. After teaching in Cairo, al-Suyuti lived much of his life in seclusion. He is recognized for his commentaries on the work of earlier scholars and is the author of Jamiʻ al-jawamiʻ (Compilation of compilations), a standard reference on hadith. The present work was printed at the expense of ʻUthman ʻAbd al-Raziq, owner of the ʻUthmaniyah Press in Cairo, Egypt.Physical description: 4 volumes ; 29 centimeters.

7. Correspondence of the Masters of Eloquence

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Abstract: Rasa’il al-bulagha’ (Correspondence of the masters of eloquence) is a compilation of classical epistolary writing assembled by the famous modern authority on the Arabic language Muhammad Kurd ‘Ali. It focuses on the writings of the eighth-century literary master ‘Abd Allah ibn Muqaffa’ and contains shorter pieces by other writers whom Kurd ‘Ali judged to be exemplars of style, such as ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Yahya al-Katib and Ibn Qutayba. ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Muqaffa’, whose prose style is regarded as a model for writers to this day, is represented by several works in the anthology, including al-Adab al-kabir (The greater essay) and al-Adab al-saghir (The lesser essay), as well as his letter of advice to princes known as Risalah fi-al-sahabah (A letter of friendship). In order to assist the student in appreciating and emulating Ibn Muqaffa’, each of these works is fully vowelled. Each selection is preceded by a biographical-bibliographical essay detailing the textual history of the piece, extant manuscripts, and critical editions. Muhammad Kurd ‘Ali was a foremost figure in the revival of literary and journalistic Arabic. His influence extended until well into the 20th century and was based both on his own writing and his leadership of the prestigious Arabic Language Academy of Damascus, which he founded after World War I and continued to lead until his death in 1953. Kurd ‘Ali himself was not a native speaker of the language he did so much to influence. Born into a Kurdish family in northern Iraq, he developed an interest in languages at an early age. He is known for his fluency in Turkish and Arabic as well as his native Kurdish. He spent most of his life in Damascus, although he practiced journalism in Cairo and Paris for short periods. This is the second, expanded, edition of the work. It was published in Cairo at the well-known press operated by the Al-Babi al-Halabi brothers, Mustafa, Bakri, and ‘Isa.Physical description: 320 pages ; 22 centimeters

8. The Commentary of al-Allāma Ibn ʻAqīl on “al-Alfiya” by al-Allāma Ibn Mālik

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Abstract: This work is a commentary by Ibn ʻAqīl on the famous 1,000-line poem on the principles of Arabic grammar, al-Alfīya by Ibn Malik. ʻAbd Allah ibn ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʻAqil was born in Cairo in about 1294 and died there in 1367. He was a leading grammarian of the Arabic language and wrote prolifically, but not much is known about his life. In addition to his commentary on al-Alfiya, his works include Taysīr al-istiʻdād li rutbat al-ijtihād (The facility of preparedness for the capacity of independent reasoning) and al-Jāmiʻ al-nafīs ʻalā madhhab al-imām Muḥammad ibn idrīs (The precious encyclopedia on the method of the Imam Muḥammad ibn Idrīs, in six volumes). Both al-Alfiya and the commentary are standard texts in the traditional Islamic curriculum. Muhammad ibn ʻAbd Allāh ibn Malik (died 1274) was an Arab grammarian born in Jaén in Andalusia (present-day Spain). After leaving Andalusia he settled in Syria. He is best known for his al-Khulāsa al-alfīya (or al-Alfiya for short), a versification of Arabic grammar that was to become one of the principal texts for education in the Arabic language across much of the Islamic world. At least 43 commentaries have been written on this work, which is so important because scholars had previously searched for dependable authentication of the grammar and lexicon of Arabic. Ibn Malik intended his poem as a teaching tool rather than a work of research. However, students were required to memorize it, which became controversial in modern times. This edition of the Commentary on the Alfiya by Ibn ʻAqīl was published in Beirut by al-Maṭbaʻa al-adabīya in 1885.Physical description: 336 pages ; 21 centimeters

9. Soothing the Desire to Learn About Speech from Other Languages

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Abstract: This publication is a dictionary of words, idioms, and proper names taken into Arabic from other languages. It includes personal names from scripture and literature, their supposed derivations, and examples of usage. Place-names are included, along with guides to variant pronunciation. With its intriguing title, Shifa’ al-Ghalil fi-ma fi-Kalam al-‘Arab min al-Dakhil (Soothing the desire to learn about speech from other languages)  is a fascinating lexical history of classical and colloquial Arabic. The author, Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad Al-Khafājī (1571 or 1572−1659), was born in Egypt and received his early education from his father, a distinguished scholar. Al-Khafājī continued to study in many fields and was licensed to teach both Shafi’i and Hanafi texts. The title page of the book provides details of his career, which differ significantly, however, from those contained in standard biographical sources. It is doubtful, for example, whether Al-Khafājī ever attained the elevated rank of Qadi al-Asakir [sic] (chief judge) or Shaykh al-Islam, as claimed in this work. Rather, he was appointed by Sultan Murad IV to more modest judgeships in Thessaloniki and later in Egypt, which appointment he subsequently resigned in order to travel to Istanbul, Damascus, and Aleppo. After clashing with a local religious authority in Aleppo, he returned to Cairo, where he spent the rest of his life, presumably as a teacher. He is the author of several surviving manuscripts including a biographical dictionary of contemporary writers and a diwan of poems. This edition of Shifa’ al-Ghalil was printed at the Bulaq Press in Cairo in 1865, a time of transition of ownership and administration under Egyptian ruler Isma’il Pasha (reigned 1863−79).Physical description: 245 pages ; 23 centimeters

10. Fabrica, or Dictionary of Vernacular Arabic and Italian Language

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Abstract: Dominicus Germanus de Silesia (1588–1670) was a German priest and missionary. Born in Schurgast (present-day Skorogoszcz, Poland), he entered the Franciscan order in 1624 and devoted himself to learning Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. In 1630 he went to Palestine as a pastor, where he continued with his language studies. In 1635 he returned to Rome where he joined the Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda de Fide (Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith). In 1636 he became a teacher at the Mission of San Pietro in Montorio, Rome, and published his grammar of Arabic and Italian, Fabrica overo dittionario della lingua volgare arabica, et italiana (Fabrica, or dictionary of vernacular Arabic and Italian language). Shown here is the rare first edition of his Fabrica, printed by the press of the Propagande de Fide. Dominicus was also the editor of the famous Arabic–Latin dictionary printed at the same press in 1639, and the author of a polemical work, Antitheses Fidei, published in 1638. In 1645 he was sent to Persia on a political mission by King Wladyslaw IV of Poland. Although his destination was Samarkand, he appears to have reached no further than Isfahan, where he remained, studying Persian and Turkish, before returning to Rome in 1651. In 1652 he went to Spain to the court of Philip IV as teacher and translator. A number of his translations survive at the Escorial Palace. In Madrid he completed a translation of the Bible into Arabic, which the Vatican published in 1671. His translation of the Qur’an appears to have been incomplete at his death in 1670, in Madrid.Physical description: 112 pages

11. The Last Word on the Foundations of the Language of the Arabs

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Abstract: Faṣl al-khiṭāb fī uṣūl lughat al-Aʻrāb (The last word on the foundations of the language of the Arabs) is an introductory grammar of classical Arabic by Nasif al-Yaziji, one of the founders of the renaissance of Arabic culture in the 19th century. In design and presentation it differs markedly from traditional descriptive grammars and pedagogy by Sibawayh (died 796), Ibn Malik (died 1274), and Ibn Ajarrum (died 1324). In format, al-Yaziji’s textbook provides rules and paradigms for memorization along with exhaustive explanations. In a short preface he explains that the book is an introduction to the rules of desinential inflection, conjugation of verbs, and declension of nouns, which are subsumed under the Arabic term tasrif. In contrast to other intellectuals of his generation, such as al-Shidyaq (died 1887) or ‘Ali Mubarak (died 1893), who brokered the introduction of Western thought into the Arab world, al-Yaziji reached back to the past, especially the linguistic past, to create a new appreciation of the glories of Arab civilization. His approach was to demonstrate that the received literary heritage of the Arabs is an adequate vehicle for the modern imagination. He made his living through mastery of classical Arabic, beginning as court scribe for Lebanese mountain rulers and then as the first teacher of Arabic at the Syrian Protestant College (later the American University of Beirut), which opened in 1866. Although al-Yaziji’s role in the Arab literary revival is well documented, this grammar and its approach and influence have been largely ignored by scholars.Physical description: 255 pages ; 18 centimeters

12. Brief Principles of the Arabic Language

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Abstract: Philippo Guadagnoli (1596–1656) was a Franciscan priest and Italian orientalist. A native of Magliano in the province of Tuscany, he joined the Franciscan order in 1612 and devoted himself to studying Arabic and other languages of the Middle East. He served as professor of Arabic and Aramaic at Università “La Sapienza” in Rome. His writings include an Arabic translation of the Bible (said to have taken him 27 years to complete) and a polemical work entitled Apologia pro Religione Christiana (In defense of the Christian religion), published in Rome in 1649. Breves Arabicae Linguae Institutiones (Brief principles of the Arabic language) is a study of Arabic grammar. Guadagnoli mentions the didactic poem al-Qasīdah al-Khazrajī by Ḍiyāʾ al-Dīn Abū Muḥammad al-Khazraj̲ī, which contains the author’s encapsulation of the principles of Arabic metrics, thus introducing this important work to Western audiences. Guadagnoli dedicated this work to Cardinal Antonio Barberini (1607–71), a patron of the arts and a member of the prominent Barberini family. It was apparently submitted for publication in 1640, at the church of San Lorenzo, in Lucina, Rome, but it was not published until 1642.Physical description: 362 pages ; 32 centimeters