al-Aqd al-Farid

al-Aqd al-Farid (The Unique Necklace) is an extensive Arabic adab compendium composed by the Andalusian scholar and poet Ibn Abd Rabbih (246–328 AH / 860–940 CE) Mujam al-Shuara al-Arab+1. Originally titled Kitab al-Aqd (The Book of the Necklace) by its author, the epithet al-Farid was appended to the title by later copyists Mujam al-Shuara al-Arab.

Structure and Contents

The work is organized around the conceptual metaphor of a strung necklace composed of twenty-five distinct books (kutub), each subdivided into two parts to yield fifty sections in total al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1. Each book is named after a precious jewel or element of a necklace, arranged symmetrically around the central thirteenth book, al-Wasitah (The Central Pearl), with twelve titles in the first half repeated in reverse order across the second half al-Aqd al-Farid+1:

1. al-Lu’lu’ah (The Pearl): on rulers and governance al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
2. al-Faridah (The Unique Gem): on warfare and military affairs al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
3. al-Zabarjadah (The Chrysolite): on generosity and gifts al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
4. al-Jumanah (The Pearl Bead): on delegations al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
5. al-Marjanah (The Coral): on addressing kings al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
6. al-Yaqutah (The Ruby): on knowledge and adab al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
7. al-Jawharah (The Jewel): on proverbs al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
8. al-Zumurrudah (The Emerald): on exhortations and asceticism al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
9. al-Durrah (The Large Pearl): on condolences, elegies, and anecdotes al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
10. al-Yatimah (The Solitary Gem): on genealogies and the virtues of the Arabs al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
11. al-Asjadah (The Gold Piece): on the speech of Bedouins al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
12. al-Mujannabah (The Flanking Gem): on witty retorts and answers al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
13. al-Wasitah (The Central Gem): on formal speeches and orations al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
14. al-Mujannabah al-Thaniyah: on official signatures, scribal openings, and scribes al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
15. al-Asjadah al-Thaniyah: on the caliphs and their reigns al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
16. al-Yatimah al-Thaniyah: on accounts of Ziyad ibn Abihi, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the Talibis, and the Barmakids al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
17. al-Durrah al-Thaniyah: on the historical battle days of the Arabs (Ayyam al-Arab) al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
18. al-Zumurrudah al-Thaniyah: on the virtues, meters, and parts of poetry Manahij al-Talif Inda al-…+1.
19. al-Jawharah al-Thaniyah: on poetic prosody and rhyme defects al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
20. al-Yaqutah al-Thaniyah: on the science of music and differences concerning it al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
21. al-Marjanah al-Thaniyah: on women and their characteristics al-Durr al-Thamin fi Asma…+1.
22. al-Jumanah al-Thaniyah: on false prophets, the insane, misers, and parasites Manahij al-Talif Inda al-…+1.
23. al-Zabarjadah al-Thaniyah: on human and animal natures, lands, novelties, gifts, and humor Manahij al-Talif Inda al-…+1.
24. al-Faridah al-Thaniyah: on food, drink, attire, and appearances Manahij al-Talif Inda al-…+1.
25. al-Lu’lu’ah al-Thaniyah: on anecdotes, humor, and concluding miscellany Manahij al-Talif Inda al-…+1.

Sources and Methodology

In his introduction, Ibn Abd Rabbih described his role as one of curated selection, concise abridgment, and crafting introductory prefaces for each section, while drawing the textual contents from earlier scholars and sages Majallat al-Risala. The material relies heavily on earlier Eastern authorities and anthologists, including al-Jahiz, Ibn Qutaybah, al-Mubarrad, al-Asma'i, Abu Ubaydah, and al-Mada'ini, alongside Andalusian transmitters such as Baqi ibn Makhlad, Ibn Waddah, and al-Khushani al-Aqd al-Farid+1. Ibn Abd Rabbih also included his own verses throughout the work, frequently juxtaposing them as poetic responses (mu'aradat) to celebrated classical poems al-Aqd al-Farid+1.

Reception

When the Eastern vizier al-Sahib ibn Abbad acquired a copy of the book expecting to read about the history and lore of al-Andalus, he reportedly found it filled with Eastern reports and remarked: "This is our merchandise returned to us! I thought this book contained something of the history of their land, but it contains only the history of ours; we have no need for it," and returned it al-Wafi bil-Wafayat+1.

Despite this reaction, al-Aqd al-Farid achieved wide dissemination and became a foundational reference work for later historians and encyclopedists, including Ibn Khaldun in his Muqaddimah, al-Nuwayri in Nihayat al-Arab, al-Qalqashandi in Subh al-A'sha, and al-Ibshihi in al-Mustatraf Majallat al-Risala. It has been published in several modern editions, including an eight-volume edition edited by Muhammad Sa'id al-Uryan Majallat al-Risala.