Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Abd Allah al-Humaydi

Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Abd Allah al-Humaydi (also cataloged as Juz' fihi akhbar wa-ash'ar, lit. 'Fascicle Containing Historical Accounts and Poems') is a short compilation of literary anecdotes, poetry, and traditions assembled by the Andalusian traditionist and historian Abu Abd Allah al-Humaydi (d. 488 AH / 1095 CE) Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+1.

Scope and Contents

The text belongs to the genre of scholarly notebooks (ajza') combining hadith transmissions with adab, historical narratives, and poetry Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+1. Throughout the compilation, al-Humaydi transmits various reports with complete chains of narration (isnad) from teachers he encountered during his studies across al-Andalus, Egypt, and other regions Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab…+2.

The material recorded in the work includes:

• Hadith Narrations: Prophetic traditions cited with full isnads, such as the report of Shu'bah urging charity with the words اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ ("Guard against the Fire even with half a date") Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab…, the narration concerning forbearance and good character transmitted via al-Uqayli's al-Du'afa' Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab…, the lengthy account of Aisha following the Prophet ﷺ to al-Baqi' Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab…+1, and a chained (musalsal) hadith where each narrator placed his hand upon the shoulder of the next Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab….
• Poetry and Literary Transmissions: Verses recited directly to al-Humaydi by his teacher Ibn Hazm (Abu Muhammad Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Sa'id) in al-Andalus, including Ibn Hazm's own poems on parting and travel, as well as verses attributed to figures such as Ibn Abd Rabbih, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Abbar al-Khawlani, Yusuf ibn Harun al-Ramadi (al-Kindi), and Abd al-Malik ibn Jahwar Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab…+3. It also includes lines of verse al-Humaydi received from his father and other Andalusian and eastern figures Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab…+1.
• Biographical and Moral Anecdotes: Accounts regarding historical scholars and ascetics, such as Malik ibn Anas on overlooking faults, Ibn al-A'rabi meeting scholars from disparate lands, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Salam al-Khushani's twenty-five years of travel to the East Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab…+1. It also relates chains of ethical counsels, including one tracing back through the poet Abu Nuwas Akhbar wa Ashar li Abi Ab….

Transmission and Manuscripts

The tract is classified in bibliographical records under literature and history (al-adab wa-al-tarikh) and is preserved in Cairo at the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya) under manuscript accession numbers Hadith 1558 and Mulhaq 25571/B Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al….