Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani

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Notable worksSifat Jazirat ul-Arab and Al-Iklīl

Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Hamdānī (

grammarian, historian, and astronomer, from the tribe of Banu Hamdan, western 'Amran, Yemen.[2] He was one of the best representatives of Islamic culture during the last period of the Abbasid Caliphate
. His work was the subject of extensive 19th-century Austrian scholarship.

Biography

The biographical details of al-Hamdani's life are scant, despite his extensive

scientific work. He was held in high repute as a grammarian, wrote much poetry, compiled astronomical tables and is said to have devoted most of his life to the study of the ancient history and geography of Arabia.[3]

Before he was born his family had lived in al-Marashi (المراشي). Then they moved to

Himyar (حمْير), but was imprisoned for two years due to his political views. After his release from prison, he went to Raydah (ريدة) to live under the protection of his own tribe. He compiled most of his books while there and stayed on until his death in 945.[4]

Writings

His Geography of the Arabian Peninsula (Sifat Jazirat ul-Arab) is by far the most important work on the subject,[3] where he describes the geography and the linguistic situation in the Arabian peninsula and Socotra.[5] The manuscript was used by Austrian orientalist, Aloys Sprenger in his Post- und Reiserouten des Orients (Leipzig, 1864) and further in his Alte Geographie Arabiens (Bern, 1875), and was edited by D.H. Müller (Leiden, 1884; cf. Sprenger's criticism in Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellschaft, vol. 45, pp. 361–394).[6]

His work has been the subject of extensive research and publications by the Austrian Arabist,

Himyarites and the wars waged by their kings. Volume 8, on the citadels and castles of southern Arabia, has been translated into German, edited and annotated by David Heinrich Müller as Die Burgen und Schlösser Sudarabiens (Vienna, 1881).[7]

Other works said to have been written by al-Hamdani are listed in G. L. Flügel's Die grammatischen Schulen der Araber (Leipzig, 1862), pp. 220–221.[7]

List of works

  • Kitab al-Jawharatayn al-ʻatīqatayn - A book describing metals known at that time, including their physical and chemical properties as well as treatment and processing (such as gold, silver, and steel).[8] He is also considered the first person who explained gravity of Earth in a way similar to magnetic field behavior.[9]
  • Sifat Jazirat ul-Arab (صفة جزيرة العرب), Geography/Character of the Arabian Peninsula.[10]
  • Kitāb al-Iklīl min akhbār al-Yaman wa-ansāb Ḥimyar (الإكليل من أخبار اليمن وأنساب حمير); Crowns from the Accounts of al-Yemen and the genealogies of Ḥimyar. al-Iklīl consists of ten volumes. However, only four volumes have been found (Vol.1, Vol.2, Vol.8 and Vol.10); the other volumes are missing.[11]
  • History of
    Sabaʾ
    .
  • Language of Himyar and Najran.

References

Citations

  1. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_sim_2666. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help
    )
  2. ^ "أبو محمد الحسن الهمداني" [Abu Muhammed Al-Hasan al-Hamdani]. yemen-nic.info. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b Thatcher 1911, p. 875.
  4. ^ Biography of al-Hamdani.
  5. ^ Vitaly Naumkin (1989) Fieldwork in Socotra, British Society for Middle Eastern Studies. Bulletin, 16:2, 133-142.
  6. ^ Thatcher 1911, pp. 875–876.
  7. ^ a b Thatcher 1911, p. 876.
  8. ^ Description of metals (in Arabic).
  9. OCLC 607846741
    .
  10. ^ Geography/Character of the Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic).
  11. ^ Crowns from the Accounts of al-Yemen and the genealogies of Himyar (in Arabic).

Bibliography

External links