Abu al-Abbas al-Sharishi
- Died
- 619 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu al-Abbas al-Sharishi (577–619 AH / 1181–1223 CE; another report gives 557 AH) was an Andalusian Maliki grammarian, lexicographer, and literary scholar from Jerez (Sharish), best known for his comprehensive commentaries on the Maqamat of al-Hariri .
Life and education
His full lineage was Ahmad ibn Abd al-Mu'min ibn Musa ibn Isa ibn Abd al-Mu'min al-Qaysi al-Sharishi . He was born in Jerez, where he commenced his education, and he undertook scholarly travels to the Islamic East before returning to settle in his home city .
Al-Sharishi studied under a prominent group of Andalusian scholars, including Abu al-Hasan ibn Labbal, Abu Bakr ibn al-Azhar, Abu Abd Allah ibn Zarqun, and the travel writer Ibn Jubayr . He also learned from Ibn Kharuf, Mus'ab ibn Abi Rakb, and Abu al-Hasan Nujbah .
Teaching and scholarly standing
In Jerez, al-Sharishi assumed a teaching circle dedicated to Arabic grammar, lexicology, literature, and prosody . His lectures attracted notable students, foremost among them the historian Ibn al-Abbar, who attended his readings and received a formal certification (ijaza) from him, as well as Abu al-Hasan al-Ru'ayni and Ibn Fartun .
Biographers praised al-Sharishi for his profound mastery of syntax, extensive memory of rare Arabic vocabulary, eloquence in prose, and poetic skill . He achieved renown for composing three distinct commentaries on al-Hariri's Maqamat (large, intermediate, and concise), of which the extensive version incorporates rich literary, historical, and philological lore; Ibn Taghribirdi characterized it as the finest commentary ever produced on the work . He also composed Sharh al-Idah, explaining Abu Ali al-Farisi's grammatical treatise, and produced an abridgment of Abu Ali al-Qali's al-Nawadir .
Death
Al-Sharishi died in Jerez in the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah 619 AH (January 1223 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri is an Arabic literary commentary on the fifty picaresque assemblies (maqamat) of al-Hariri. The title commonly designates the major, extensive commentary among three versions produced, offering a comprehensive line-by-line exposition that functions as an encyclopedic survey of Arabic literature and language. It covers geography, obscure lexicology, proverbs, biographical profiles, illustrative poetry, and the resolution of grammatical riddles and rhetorical nuances embedded in the original rhymed prose.