al-Basair wa al-Dhakhair
- Author died
- 400 AH
- Editions
- Dār Ṣādir
al-Basa'ir wa al-Dhakha'ir (Insights and Treasures) is an expansive literary anthology and compendium compiled by the fourth-century AH scholar, philosopher, and essayist Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi (d. c. 400 AH / 1010 CE) . It is also known under variant titles, including Basa'ir al-Qudama' and Basa'ir al-Qudama' wa Basha'ir al-Hukama' .
Composition and Sources
Al-Tawhidi stated in his introduction that he commenced the compilation in 350 AH and completed it in 365 AH (961–975 CE), making it one of his earliest major compositions . The book grew largely out of his professional work as a copyist (warraq), during which he transcribed diverse literary collections and poetic diwans .
Al-Tawhidi drew heavily from prominent third-century AH literary figures, particularly al-Jahiz, Ibn Qutayba, and al-Mubarrad, as well as from material he heard directly from his own teachers and contemporaries .
Structure and Content
In its scope and stylistic arrangement, the work emulates the approach of al-Jahiz in al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin (The Clarification and Exposition) . It was arranged across ten volumes, as noted by Yaqut al-Hamawi .
The compilation brings together a vast spectrum of material, including:
- Quranic verses and prophetic traditions .
- Maxims and statements attributed to ascetics and devotees .
- Verses from ancient and later poets .
- Philosophical sayings and aphorisms from Persian, Greek, and Indian sages .
Aside from his selection and arrangement of this material, al-Tawhidi's original prose appears in the book's introductory exposition, where he advocates for ascetic renunciation of worldly life .
Preservation and Modern Editions
Manuscripts of individual volumes were preserved in several collections, including the Fatih Mosque library in Istanbul, as well as libraries in Cambridge and Manchester .
Portions of the work appeared in early modern editions, including an edition in Cairo in 1953 edited by Ahmad Amin and Ahmad Saqr, and an edition of the first part published in Baghdad in 1954 by Abd al-Razzaq Muhyi al-Din . The text was edited in six volumes by Ibrahim al-Kaylani and published in Damascus in 1964 . It was subsequently edited by Wadad al-Qadi and published by Dar Sader in Beirut in 1408 AH / 1988 CE .
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