al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-Jahiliyya

al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-Jahiliyya (The Seasons and the Pre-Islamic Pilgrimage Chants) is an early lexicographical and folkloric treatise by the Basran philologist and grammarian Qutrub (Abu Ali Muhammad ibn al-Mustanir, d. 206 AH / 821 CE) Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+1. The work documents pre-Islamic and classical Arabic terminology regarding divisions of time, seasons, celestial phenomena, and the distinct pilgrimage chants (talbiyat) used by pre-Islamic Arab tribes Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+2.

Title and Subject Matter

In early bio-bibliographical sources, such as Ibn al-Nadim's al-Fihrist and Ibn Khallikan's Wafayat al-A'yan, the work is frequently cited under the concise title Kitab al-Azmina al-Fihrist+1. In manuscript traditions, it is preserved under fuller descriptive titles, including Kitab al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-Jahiliyya fi tasmiyati sama'iha wa shamsiha wa qamariha wa najmiha wa layliha wa nahariha wa sa'atiha ("The Book of Seasons and Pre-Islamic Talbiyat Concerning the Naming of the Sky, Sun, Moon, Stars, Night, Day, and Hours") Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al….

The book belongs to early Arabic specialized lexicography, gathering poetic attestations, dialectal variants, and linguistic traditions concerning meteorological, calendrical, and temporal designations al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-…+1.

Structure and Contents

The treatise addresses several key thematic areas:

• Seasons and Time Divisions (al-Azmina): Qutrub discusses how the Arabs divided the year, noting a six-season classification comprising three winter divisions (al-wasmi, al-shitwi, and al-rabi') and three summer divisions (al-sayf, al-hamim, and al-kharif) al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-…. He also records an alternate four-season division (al-wasmi, al-rabi', al-sayf, and al-kharif according to the dialect of the Hijaz, or al-hamim among the Banu Tamim) al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-….
• Names of the Months: The text details the etymologies and naming conventions of the twelve months, covering both their common names and ancient pre-Islamic variants al-Muzhir fi Ulum al-Lugh…+1. Qutrub records names such as al-Asamm and munsil al-asinna for Rajab, and ancient names for Jumada I and II such as Shayban and Milhan al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-…. Later lexicographers, including al-Suyuti, cite Qutrub's position regarding the pre-Islamic name of Jumada al-Akhirah as Rubba (spelled with a ba'), in contrast to authorities who read it as Ranna al-Muzhir fi Ulum al-Lugh…+1.
• Pre-Islamic Pilgrimage Chants (Talbiyat al-Jahiliyya): The concluding portion of the book documents the pilgrimage chants (talbiyat) used by pre-Islamic tribes during the Hajj al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-…. Beginning with the Islamic formulation of monotheistic devotion (talbiyat al-tawhid) used by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the section records the specific idolatrous and tribal formulas chanted before Islam by tribes such as Quraysh, Qays 'Aylan, Thaqif, Kinanah, and Tamim al-Azmina wa Talbiyat al-….

Modern Editions

The text has been published in modern editions, including:

• An edition prepared by Hatim Salih al-Damin, published by Mu'assasat al-Risala in Beirut (second edition, 1405 AH / 1985 CE) al-A'yad wa Atharuha ala …+1.
• An edition edited by Hanna Jamil Haddad, published by Maktabat al-Manar in Zarqa, Jordan (first edition, 1405 AH) Fasl al-Khitab fi Sharh M….