Nasr al-Hurayni
- Died
- 1291 AH
- Born in
- -
Nasr al-Hurayni (d. 1291 AH / 1874 CE) was an Egyptian Azhari philologist, literary scholar, and chief text editor at the Bulaq Press, known for his manual on Arabic orthography, al-Matali al-Nasriyya lil-Matabi al-Misriyya .
Background and Career
His full name is Abu al-Wafa Nasr ibn Nasr Yunus al-Wafa'i al-Hurayni al-Ahmadi al-Azhari al-Ash'ari al-Hanafi al-Shafi'i (recorded in some sources as al-Hifni) . An Egyptian scholar educated at al-Azhar, he was dispatched during the reign of Muhammad Ali Pasha to France to serve as the imam of one of the Egyptian government's student missions . During his stay in France, he acquired proficiency in the French language .
Upon returning to Cairo, al-Hurayni was appointed head of editorial correction (ri'asat al-tashih) at the government printing house, the Amiri Press (Bulaq Press) . In this post, he oversaw the proofreading, collation, and textual correction of numerous major classical Arabic works of literature, history, and religious sciences .
Scholarly Contributions and Reception
Al-Hurayni made notable contributions to lexicography and print orthography. He authored al-Matali al-Nasriyya lil-Matabi al-Misriyya fi al-Usul al-Khattiyya ("The Nasr-Inspired Risings for Egyptian Print-Houses on Orthographic Principles"), which established standardized rules of Arabic spelling and script for editors and scribes . Modern scholars noted that al-Matali al-Nasriyya became one of the most comprehensive and authoritative treatises on Arabic writing rules, serving as a primary reference for subsequent authors on the subject .
In lexicography, while supervising the printing of al-Qamus al-muhit by al-Firuzabadi, he composed an extensive commentary on its introduction, elucidating its lexicographical conventions and terminology . In biography and Sufism, he produced an abridgment of Rawd al-rayahin fi manaqib al-salihin by al-Yafi'i .
Death
Al-Hurayni died in 1291 AH (1874 CE) .
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List of Works
This treatise covers Arabic orthography, spelling, and script rules. Designed as both a practical and theoretical manual, it consolidates scattered classical orthographic guidelines to aid print editors, scholars, and students, providing standardized rules to ensure precision in editing and printing texts.