Husayn Nassar
- Died
- 1439 AH
- Born in
- -
Husayn Nassar (d. 1439 AH / 2017 CE) was an Egyptian scholar of Arabic literature, philology, and textual criticism, renowned for his foundational research in Arabic lexicography and his critical editions of classical texts.
Education and Mentorship
Nassar studied Arabic literature and philology under prominent Egyptian academics, most notably Shaykh Amin al-Khuli. Reflecting on his mentor's intellectual rigor and demanding literary style, Nassar documented al-Khuli's methodology, noting that understanding his precise formulations required close familiarity with his ideas and terminology.
Scholarly Contributions
Nassar made major contributions to the history of Arabic lexicography and literary studies. His landmark study, al-Mu'jam al-'Arabi (The Arabic Dictionary), investigated the origin and historical evolution of Arabic dictionaries, examining structural frameworks and early specialized treatises such as monographs on rare hadith vocabulary (gharib al-hadith).
In the field of manuscript editing (tahqiq), he published rigorous critical editions of classical poetry and literary anthologies, including the Diwan of the Umayyad poet Suraqa ibn Mirdas al-Bariqi. He also critically edited classical Andalusian and later Arabic texts, such as Safi al-Din al-Hilli's al-'Atil al-Hali on vernacular poetic forms and Ibn Sa'id al-Andalusi's al-Nujum al-Zahirah fi Hula Hadrat Misr wa-al-Qahirah.
Death
Nassar died in 1439 AH (2017 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Mu'jam Ayat al-Qur'an (Dictionary of Quranic Verses) is an alphabetical concordance and index of the verses of the Quran. Designed to provide a direct reference tool, it organizes verses strictly by their opening words according to modern indexing methods, correcting omissions found in earlier thematic and grammatical compilations.
Kutub Gharib al-Quran al-Karim (Books on the Unusual Vocabulary of the Noble Quran) is a bibliographic and analytical study of Quranic lexicographical literature. It surveys the historical development, structural models, and interpretive methodologies of monographs dedicated specifically to gharib al-Quran (uncommon or difficult Quranic vocabulary) from the first century of Islam into the modern era.