Nashwan al-Himyari
- Died
- 573 AH
- Born in
- -
Nashwan ibn Sa'id al-Himyari (d. 573 AH / 1178 CE) was a Yemeni judge, philologist, historian, poet, and ruler, renowned for his lexicographical masterpiece Shams al-Ulum and his defense of South Arabian heritage .
Lineage and Origin
His full lineage is given as Nashwan ibn Sa'id ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Himyar ibn 'Ubayd ibn al-Qasim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mufaddal ibn Ibrahim ibn Salamah ibn Abi Himyar al-Himyari, tracing back to the ancient Himyarite prince (qayl) Hassan Dhu Marathid . Another transmission shortens his patronymic to Nashwan ibn Sa'id ibn Nashwan . He bore the kunyas Abu Sa'id and Abu al-Hasan . He hailed from the town of Huth in the territory of Hashid, north of Sanaa .
Political Leadership and Thought
Al-Himyari combined scholarly erudition with political ambition . He seized several citadels and fortresses on Mount Sabir overlooking the fortress of Ta'izz, establishing an autonomous realm there . According to the contemporary historian Umara al-Yamani, the inhabitants of Bayhan also appointed him as their ruler . During his political campaigns, he traveled through al-Jawf to Ma'rib, where he delivered the Friday sermon claiming leadership for himself .
In his religious and political thought, al-Himyari rejected the Hadawi Zaydi doctrine that restricted the imamate exclusively to descendants of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, arguing instead for broader qualifications . He was an ardent champion of South Arabian antiquity and the Qahtani lineage over Northern Arabian claims, engaging in celebrated poetic polemics (naqa'id) against the Qasimi Sharifs, the descendants of Imam al-Qasim ibn 'Ali al-'Iyani .
Scholarly Standing
Al-Himyari was recognized as an authority across lexicography, grammar, jurisprudence, legal theory, history, and genealogy . Scholars and students traveled to study under him and benefit from his patronage .
His most celebrated contribution is the multivolume dictionary Shams al-Ulum (The Sun of Sciences), which pioneered an alphabetical arrangement according to the first radical and integrated distinctive South Arabian vocabulary alongside Quranic, hadith, and poetic attestations . He also composed al-Hur al-Ayn, accompanied by an extensive self-commentary covering theology, sects, and literature, as well as a celebrated historical poem on South Arabian kings, al-Qasida al-Himyariyya .
Death
Al-Himyari died in 573 AH (1178 CE), specifically after the afternoon prayer on Friday, 24 Dhu al-Hijjah 573 AH . Another report places his death in 580 AH .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Hur al-Ayn, also known as Risalat al-Hur al-Ayn wa-Tanbih al-Sami'in, is a classical Arabic work composed along with an extensive self-commentary. It combines ornate literary prose (adab) with encyclopedic philological, theological, and historical commentary.
Muluk Himyar wa Aqyal al-Yaman wa Sharhuha al-Musamma Khulasat al-Sira al-Jamia li-Ajaib al-Muluk al-Tababi'a is a didactic historical poem accompanied by a prose commentary, focusing on the history, lineages, and rulers of ancient South Arabia.
Shams al-Ulum wa Dawa Kalam al-Arab min al-Kulum is a comprehensive Arabic dictionary and encyclopedic reference work designed to preserve and safeguard the Arabic language.