al-Khayl
- Author died
- 209 AH
- Editions
- al-Khayl
Kitab al-Khayl (The Book of Horses) is an early Arabic lexicographical and philological monograph on horses composed by the Basran scholar Abu Ubayda Ma'mar ibn al-Muthanna (d. 209 AH / 824 CE) . The work documents equine anatomy, physical qualities, terminology, and Arabian cultural traditions concerning horses, illustrating each topic with classical Arabic verse .
Background and Transmission
Abu Ubayda was renowned among early philologists for his command of equine lore and tribal history; Umar ibn Shabba recorded that Abu Ubayda claimed that whenever two horsemen clashed in the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyya) or in Islam, he recognized both mounts and their riders .
A notable episode concerning the work took place before the Abbasid vizier al-Fadl ibn al-Rabi', where Abu Ubayda and his contemporary al-Asma'i were asked about their respective compilations on horses . While al-Asma'i presented a treatise consisting of a single volume, Abu Ubayda's compilation spanned fifty . When a live horse was brought before them to identify its anatomical features point by point, Abu Ubayda declined, stating, "I am not a farrier (baytar); this is merely what I received and heard from the Bedouin Arabs and compiled," whereas al-Asma'i physically examined the horse and recited verses for each part down to its hoofs .
The text was transmitted down through the Basran philologist Abu Hatim al-Sijistani, and from him through Abu Yusuf al-Isbahani as recorded in the book's opening transmission chain . It was also transmitted through lines stemming from Ibn Durayd, as documented in Andalusian bibliographical records such as the Fihrist of Ibn Khayr al-Ishbili .
Contents and Method
The book opens with a survey of the Arab veneration of horses, describing how pre-Islamic Arabs prioritized their mounts over their own households and wealth, enduring privation to feed them fresh milk while drinking plain water themselves . It then addresses the status of horses in Islam, quoting the Quranic directive: وأعدوا لهم ما استطعتم من قوة ومن رباط الخيل ترهبون به عدو الله وعدوكم ("And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war..."), and detailing how the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ kept horses, took pleasure in their neighing, organized races, wiped his horse's face with his garment, and allocated two shares of spoils to a horse and one to a warrior .
The core of the book systematically covers:
- Anatomy: An exhaustive breakdown of equine body parts, beginning with the head, ears, forelock (nasiyah), crown (qawnas), eyes, nostrils, lips, jaw, and teeth, before moving through the neck, chest, back, and limbs .
- Physical Attributes and Desirable Traits: Lexical definitions for conformational characteristics, such as al-haykal (massive and robust), al-timirr (long-legged and agile), al-ta'iq (spirited and active), and al-gharb (continuous in stride) . Desirable features cherished by the Arabs include an intensely black and soft forelock as an indicator of thoroughbred purity ('itq), a slender throat, and a long neck .
Abu Ubayda's philological method relies on citing pre-Islamic and early Islamic poetry (shawahid) to substantiate each term and attribute, quoting poets such as Imru' al-Qays, Antara, Labid ibn Rabi'a, Abu Du'ad al-Iyadi, Bishr ibn Abi Khazim, and Ibn Muqbil .
Significance and Reception
Kitab al-Khayl is among the earliest surviving specialized monographs dedicated to horses in the Arabic literary tradition, produced during the formative period of Arabic lexicography alongside works by Ibn al-Kalbi (d. 204 AH), al-Asma'i (d. 215 AH), and Ibn al-A'rabi (d. 231 AH) . Its material on equine nomenclature, pedigrees, and anatomical terms was frequently cited by later philologists and literary commentators, including Ibn Qutayba, Ibn Rashiq al-Qayrawani, and Ibn al-Sayyid al-Batalyawsi .
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