Abd al-Rahman ibn Dirham
- Died
- 1362 AH
- Born in
- -
Abd al-Rahman ibn Dirham (d. 1362 AH / 1943 CE) was an Arabic man of letters and anthologist best known for his literary collection Nuzhat al-Absar bi-Taraif al-Akhbar wa al-Ashar (The Promenade of Sight in Choice Anecdotes and Poems).
Biography and Background
His full name was Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah ibn Ahmad, known by the surname Ibn Dirham . While standard chronological records register his death in 1362 AH (1943 CE), some bio-bibliographical sources note an estimation placing his life approximately in the 11th century AH (17th century CE) .
Scholarly Standing and Impact
Ibn Dirham compiled Nuzhat al-absar bi-tara'if al-akhbar wa-l-ash'ar, a two-volume adab compendium that brings together historical anecdotes, narratives, and poetic selections, published in Doha, Qatar . Within the anthology, he also included a didactic poem of his own titled Hidayat al-akarim ila sabil al-makarim (The Guidance of the Noble to the Path of Virtues), composed to encourage noble manners, wisdom, and moral rectitude .
His anthology serves as an important source for rare and uncollected poetic verses from earlier poets. In particular, it contains thirty-three poetic fragments (maqtu'at) by Ibn Waki' al-Tannisi, twenty-three of which are preserved uniquely in his work . Modern scholars of textual criticism, including Muhammad Ajmal al-Islahi, evaluated the published edition of the anthology, noting that despite being prepared by two editors, the printed text contained numerous typographical errors and metrical irregularities, indicating the need for a revised scholarly edition .
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List of Works
Nuzhat al-Absar bi-Taraif al-Akhbar wa al-Ashar (The Promenade of Sight in Choice Anecdotes and Poems) is an Arabic literary and poetic anthology. The adab compendium gathers choice historical anecdotes, rare narratives, and selections of Arabic poetry, serving as a source for uncollected poetic fragments from early and medieval poets.