al-Halba fi Asma al-Khayl
- Author died
- 678 AH
- Editions
- al-Halba fi Asma al-Khayl
al-Halba fi Asma al-Khayl (The racecourse of the names of horses), also titled al-Halba fi Asma al-Khayl al-Mashhura fi al-Jahiliyya wa-l-Islam, is a specialized Arabic hippological dictionary authored by Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Kamil al-Sahibi al-Taji (completed 697 AH / 1298 CE) . The work compiles and organizes the names, owners, lineages, and historical lore of celebrated Arab horses from pre-Islamic times through the Islamic era .
Composition and Purpose
The author observed that lore concerning famous Arabian horses lay dispersed across diverse literary anthologies, diwans, and specialized treatises . He composed the book for Abu al-Mafakhir Muhammad, the son of the vizier Abu Abd Allah Muhammad and grandson of Baha' al-Din Abu al-Hasan Ali, noting his patron's devotion to acquiring thoroughbred warhorses for jihad and honoring the traditions of Arab knighthood . The author completed the compilation in 697 AH (1298 CE), intending it as a handy reference for study and literary collation .
Structure and Sources
The book is arranged alphabetically according to the Arabic letters (from alif to ya'), organizing horse names as distinct lexical entries . Under each heading, al-Sahibi al-Taji identifies the horse's name, the tribal or individual owner, parentage when known, poetic attestations, and relevant anecdotes from Arab battle-days and races . The text includes eight horses belonging to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, placed within their respective alphabetical chapters .
The author gathered his material primarily from classical Arabic dictionaries (dawawin al-lugha), literary assemblies (kutub al-amali), and poetic diwans .
Publication History
The work remained in manuscript until it was edited by the scholar Hatim Salih al-Damin. It was published in Baghdad in the journal of the Iraqi Scientific Academy (Majallat al-Majma' al-Ilmi al-Iraqi) in 1403 AH (1983 CE) and subsequently issued as a standalone volume by Mu'assasat al-Risala in Beirut in 1405 AH (1985 CE) .
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