IBN QUTAIBA

ibn qutaiba, or kotaiba [abu mahommed ibn muslim ibn qutaiba] (828-889), arabian writer, was born at bagdad or kufa, and was of iranian descent, his father belonging to merv. having studied tradition and philology he became cadi in dinawar and afterwards teacher in bagdad, where he died. he was the first representative of the eclectic school of bagdad philologists that succeeded the schools of kufa and basra (see arabia: _literature_, section "grammar"). although engaged also in theological polemic (cf. i. goldziher, _muhammedanische studien_, ii. 136, halle, 1890), his chief works were directed to the training of the ideal secretary. of these five may be said to form a series. the _adab ul-katib_ ("training of the secretary") contains instruction in writing and is a compendium of arabic style. it has been edited by max grunert (leiden, 1900). the _kitab ush-sharab_ is still in manuscript. the _kitab ul-ma'arif_ has been edited by f. wustenfeld as the _handbuch der geschichte_[1] (gottingen, 1850); the _kitab ush-shi'r wash-shu'arai_ ("book of poetry and poets") edited by m. j. de goeje (leiden, 1904).[2] the fifth and most important is the _'uyun ul-akhbar_, which deals in ten books with lordship, war, nobility, character, science and eloquence, asceticism, friendship, requests, foods and women, with many illustrations from history, poetry and proverb (ed. c. brockelmann, leiden, 1900 sqq.). for other works (which were much quoted by later arabian writers) see c. brockelmann, _gesch. der arabischen literatur_, vol. i. (weimar, 1898), pp. 120-122. (g. w. t.) footnotes: [1] summary in e. g. browne, _a literary history of persia_ (london, 1902), pp. 387 f. [2] the preface was translated into german by theodor noldeke in his _beitrage_ (hanover, 1864), pp. 1-51. ibn sa'd [abu 'abdallah mahommed ibn sa'd ibn mani' uz-zuhri, often called katib ul-waqidi ("secretary of waqidi") of basra] (d. 845), arabian biographer, received his training in tradition from waqidi and other celebrated teachers. he lived for the most part in bagdad, and had the reputation of being both trustworthy and accurate in his writings, which, in consequence, were much used by later writers. his work, the _kitab ul-tabaqat ul-kabir_ (15 vols.) contains the lives of mahomet, his companions and helpers (including those who fought at badr as a special class) and of the following generation (the followers) who received their traditions from the personal friends of the prophet. this work has been edited under the superintendence of e. sachau (leiden, 1904 sqq.); cf. o. loth, _das classenbuch des ibn sa'd_ (leipzig, 1869). (g. w. t.)