Ibn Tayfur
- Died
- 280 AH
- Born in
- Baghdad
Abu al-Fadl Ahmad ibn Abi Tahir Tayfur (204–280 AH / 819–893 CE), known as Ibn Tayfur, was an Abbasid historian, writer, and literary anthologist based in Baghdad, best known for his historical chronicle Kitab Baghdad and his literary anthology Balaghat al-Nisa.
Biography
His family was of Khorasanian origin, specifically tracing back to Marw al-Rudh. He was born in Baghdad in 204 AH (819 CE), coinciding with the entry of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun into the city from Khorasan.
He initially worked as a teacher of young students in elementary schools before setting up a trade in the booksellers' market (suq al-warraqin) on the eastern side of Baghdad, where he devoted himself to writing, poetry, and book compiling. He received and transmitted historical reports and traditions from scholars such as Umar ibn Shabba, Ahmad ibn al-Haytham al-Sami, and 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Sa'id al-Warraq. Among those who transmitted from him were his son 'Ubayd Allah and Muhammad ibn Khalaf ibn al-Marzuban.
Standing and Reception
Biographers recognized him as an eloquent prose writer, poet, and transmitter possessing broad knowledge and discernment. His historical work Kitab Baghdad (The Book of Baghdad) documented the reigns and political events of the Abbasid caliphs and rulers. In literary compilation, he produced al-Manthur wa-l-Manzum (The Prose and the Poetry), a multi-volume anthology from which Balaghat al-Nisa (The Eloquence of Women) gathered speeches, repartees, and verse composed by Arab women.
He also drew critical commentary from contemporaries: Ja'far ibn Hamdan remarked that despite his prominence and voluminous output, he committed grammatical errors and textual misreadings in his verse, while adding that he remained a person of good character and pleasant sociability.
Death
He died in Baghdad on Wednesday night, four nights before the close of Jumada al-Ula 280 AH (893 CE), at the age of seventy-six. He was buried in the Bab al-Sham cemetery.
Answer updated
List of Works
Balaghat al-Nisa (The Eloquence of Women) is an Arabic literary anthology that collects the speeches, repartees, poetry, and anecdotes of Arab women from the pre-Islamic era and early Islam. It focuses on female eloquence and literary material, mentioning men only when directly involved in dialogue or interaction with a woman.
Kitab Baghdad (The Book of Baghdad), also cited as Tarikh Baghdad (History of Baghdad), is an early Abbasid historical chronicle devoted to accounts of caliphs, rulers, and their eras. The surviving text focuses on the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun, covering historical events from his entry into Baghdad in 204 AH (819 CE) down to his death in 218 AH (833 CE).