Synopses & Reviews
A Treasury of Virtues is a collection by the Fatimid Shafi‘i judge al-Quda‘i (d. 454 H/1062 AD) of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40 H/661 AD). ‘Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, the first Shia Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph. An acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a sage of Islamic wisdom, Ali was renowned for his words, which were collected, quoted, and studied over the centuries, and extensively anthologized, excerpted, and interpreted.
Of the many compilations of ‘Alis words, A Treasury of Virtues arguably possesses the broadest compass of genres, and the largest variety of themes. Included are aphorisms, proverbs, sermons, speeches, homilies, prayers, letters, dialogues and verse, all of which provide instruction on how to be a morally upstanding human being. The shorter compilation included here, One Hundred Proverbs, is attributed to the eminent writer al-Jahiz (d. 255 H/869 AD). This volume presents a new critical edition of the Arabic based on several original manuscripts, the first English translation of both these important collections, and an extended introduction.
Review
"The quality of the translation is superior… and the choice of maxims is well advised, as they constitute a major category of Arabic (and also medieval European) literature, a genre with which modern readers are not acquainted. This translation will introduce them to it."-Beatrice Gruendler,Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, Yale University
Review
"Tahera Qutbuddin, associate professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Chicago, translates a collection by the Fatimid Shafi'i judge al-Quda'i of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali is an acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a sage of Islamic wisdom. While several versions of the text exist, Qutbuddin is primarily using the Istanbul text."-Islamic Horizons,
Synopsis
A Treasury of
Virtues is a collection
by the Fatimid Shafi'i judge al-Quda'i (d. 454 H/1062 AD) of sayings, sermons, and teachings
attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40 H/661 AD). Ali was the cousin
and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, the first Shia Imam and the fourth
Sunni Caliph. An acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a
sage of Islamic wisdom, Ali was renowned for his words, which were collected, quoted, and studied over the centuries, and extensively anthologized, excerpted, and interpreted.
Of the many compilations of 'Ali's
words, A Treasury of Virtues arguably possesses the broadest compass of genres, and the largest variety of themes. Included are aphorisms, proverbs, sermons, speeches, homilies, prayers, letters, dialogues, and verse, all of which provide instruction on how to be a morally upstanding human being. The shorter compilation included here, One Hundred Proverbs, is attributed to the eminent writer al-Jahiz (d. 255 H/869 AD). This volume presents a new critical edition of the Arabic based on several original manuscripts, the first English translation of both these important collections, and an extended introduction.
Synopsis
A Treasury of Virtues is a collection of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40/661), the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, the first Shia Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph.
An acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a sage of Islamic wisdom, 'Ali was renowned for his eloquence: his words were collected, quoted, and studied over the centuries, and extensively anthologized, excerpted, and interpreted.
Of the many compilations of 'Ali's words, A Treasury of Virtues, compiled by the Fatimid Shafi'i judge al-Quda'i, arguably possesses the broadest compass of genres and the largest variety of themes. Included are aphorisms, proverbs, sermons, speeches, homilies, prayers, letters, dialogues, and verse, all of which provide instruction on how to be a morally upstanding human being. The shorter compilation included here, One Hundred Proverbs, is attributed to the eminent writer al-Jahiz (d. 255/869). This volume presents the first English translation of both of these important collections.
Synopsis
Insights into a life of integrity by a master of Arabic eloquence
A Treasury of Virtues is a collection of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40/661), the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, the first Shia Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph. An acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a sage of Islamic wisdom, 'Ali was renowned for his eloquence: his words were collected, quoted, and studied over the centuries, and extensively anthologized, excerpted, and interpreted.
Of the many compilations of 'Ali's words, A Treasury of Virtues, compiled by the Fatimid Shafi'i judge al-Quda'i, arguably possesses the broadest compass of genres and the largest variety of themes. Included are aphorisms, proverbs, sermons, speeches, homilies, prayers, letters, dialogues, and verse, all of which provide instruction on how to be a morally upstanding human being. The shorter compilation included here, One Hundred Proverbs, is attributed to the eminent writer al-Jahiz (d. 255/869). This volume presents the first English translation of both of these important collections.
A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
About the Author
Al-Qadi al-Quda'i (d. 454 H/1062 AD) was a Sunni jurist, a scholar of hadith and history, and a senior government official of the Fatimid dynasty in Cairo.
Tahera Qutbuddin is Associate Professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Chicago. She is the author of Al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Da'wa Poetry: A Case of Commitment in Classical Arabic Literature.
Table of Contents
Introduction
'Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40/661): Life and Personality
Orality, Authenticity, and Collection of 'Alis Words: Layered Sources
The Literary Style of 'Alis Words: Oral Patterns, Islamic Ethos, and Arabian Context
Al‐Qadi al‐Quda'i (d. 454/1062): Career and Books
A Treasury of Virtues: Form and Content
Al‐Jahiz (d. 255/869) and the One Hundred Proverbs
'Alis Wisdom in the West
Acknowledgements
A Note on the Text
A Treasury of Virtues
Chapter 1: Wise Sayings
Chapter 2: Exhortations to Reject Worldliness
Chapter 3: Counsel
Chapter 4: Prescriptions and Proscriptions
Chapter 5: 'Alis Questions with Answers, and 'Alis Answers to Questions
Chapter 6: Sayings with Unusual Words
Chapter 7: Unique Sayings and Pithy Words
Chapter 8: Prayers and Supplications
Chapter 9: Verse
One Hundred Proverbs
Glossary of Names and Terms
Bibliography
Further Reading
Index