al-Hur al-Ayn
- Author died
- 573 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Khānjī
al-Hur al-Ayn (Arabic: الحور العين), also known as Risalat al-Hur al-Ayn wa-Tanbih al-Sami'in ("The Wide-Eyed Maidens and the Awakening of Listeners"), is a classical Arabic work composed along with its extensive self-commentary by the Yemeni philologist, judge, and historian Nashwan al-Himyari (d. 573 AH / 1177–1178 CE) . The book combines ornate literary prose (adab) with encyclopedic philological, theological, and historical commentary .
Background and Composition
In his introduction, Nashwan al-Himyari describes the impetus behind writing the treatise: he lamented that refined literature (adab) and scholarship had become neglected commodities in an age where contemporary rulers were absorbed in trade or worldly politics, leaving little patronage for learning . He composed the initial concise epistle and dedicated it to a noble ruler whom he deemed an exception to the decay of his time, titling it Risalat al-Hur al-Ayn wa-Tanbih al-Sami'in . Nashwan subsequently wrote an exhaustive commentary (Tafsir or Sharh) to unpack the linguistic nuances, literary devices, and thematic references embedded in his original prose text .
Structure and Content
The text opens as an epistolary address filled with rhymed prose (saj'), which the author systematically analyzes clause by clause :
- Philological Exegesis: Nashwan provides comprehensive lexicographical, etymological, and morphological explanations for the vocabulary of the text . For instance, in clarifying the title's phrase al-Hur al-Ayn, he explains the literal meaning of hur (the contrast of intense whiteness and blackness in the eye) and ayn (wide-eyed), noting that humans are described as such metaphorically by comparison to wild cows and gazelles, while in the context of his epistle, al-hur refers metaphorically to noble books and writings .
- Evidence and Citations: He supports his linguistic arguments with quotations from the Quran, prophetic hadiths, classical Arabic proverbs, and poetry by pre-Islamic and early Islamic poets such as al-Ahwas, Dhu al-Rumma, and al-Nimr ibn Tawlab, as well as early philologists including Abu Ubayda, al-Asma'i, and Abu al-Abbas Tha'lab .
- Doxographical and Historical Material: Beyond lexicography, the commentary expands into doctrinal and heresiographical accounts detailing the views of various Islamic sects and groups (firaq wa-nihal), as well as Arabian history .
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscript copies of al-Hur al-Ayn are preserved in several libraries across the Islamic world and Europe, including collections in Sanaa (such as the private library of Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Mansur, where a copy dated 1056 AH is held), Riyadh, Jeddah, Berlin, Hyderabad (Asafiyya Library), and Rampur .
The text was edited by Kamal Mustafa and published in Cairo by Maktabat al-Khanji in 1948 (1367 AH) . It has also seen prints published in Baghdad (1947 / 1367 AH), Tehran (1972), and Beirut by Dar Azal (1985) .
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