Riyad Zada
- Died
- 1078 AH
- Born in
- -
Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad Riyad Zada (d. 1078 AH / 1667 CE) was an Ottoman Hanafi jurist, philologist, and judge in Üsküdar, known for his alphabetical bibliographic compendium Asma al-Kutub.
Biography and Career
His full name was Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad ibn Mustafa al-Rumi, he was known as Riyad Zada (also vocalized as Riyadi Zada), and he used the pen name Lutfi. He was raised in an educated household; his father, who compiled the biographical anthology Riyad al-Shu'ara', was a scholar and poet whose private library aided his son's studies. Riyad Zada studied and taught at the Rustam Pasha Madrasa and became established among the scholars of Istanbul. In his judicial career, he was appointed to the judgeship of Üsküdar. He died in 1078 AH (1667 CE).
Scholarship
Riyad Zada engaged with Arabic philology, Turkish verse, and bibliography. In philology, he composed Abkar al-Abkar, an alphabetically arranged treatise examining lexical and grammatical errors made by philologists, which he dedicated to Sultan Mehmed IV. In bibliography, he compiled Asma al-Kutub (Names of Books), an alphabetical catalog structured in a single concise volume on the model of Kashf al-Zunun. He finished drafting the work on 1 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1054 AH (1645 CE), drawing upon his father's collection, the library of the Rustam Pasha Madrasa, and earlier biographical and encyclopedic references such as Tashkuprizadah's Miftah al-Sa'adah. He also assembled a poetry collection in Ottoman Turkish.
Answer updated
List of Works
Asma al-Kutub al-Mutammim li-Kashf al-Zunun is an Arabic bibliographic dictionary that catalogs Arabic, Persian, and Turkish works alongside biographical notices on their authors. Completed in 1054 AH (1645 CE) in a single volume, the text is arranged alphabetically by book title and includes biographical details, lists of major works, and dates of death.