al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf

al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf (Contentment and Self-Restraint) is a classical ethical treatise on contentment and abstaining from begging, written by the Baghdadi traditionist and educator Ibn Abi al-Dunya (208–281 AH / 823–894 CE) Mirat al-Zaman fi Tawarik…+1.

Title and Scope

The work is commonly cited as al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf Itharat al-Fawaid al-Majm…+1. In classical bibliographical catalogs, such as the Fahrasa of Ibn Khayr al-Ishbili, it is also recorded under the fuller title Kitab al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf 'an al-Mas'ala wa al-Rida bi al-Qasm fi al-Rizq (Contentment, Refraining from Asking, and Satisfaction with Apportioned Sustenance) Fihrisat Ibn Khayr+1. The book focuses on the moral virtue of contentment (qana'a), self-sufficiency, satisfaction with one's divine lot, and the preservation of personal dignity by avoiding dependence and begging al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf+1.

Transmission and Structure

The book was preserved and transmitted through classical hadith audition chains in two parts (juz'an) Itharat al-Fawaid al-Majm…. A primary line of transmission ran from Ibn Abi al-Dunya through Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn al-Faraj ibn Abi Rawh al-'Ukbari, to Abu Sahl Mahmud ibn 'Umar (also recorded as Mahmud ibn Ja'far) al-'Ukbari, to Abu 'Abdullah al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Talha al-Ni'ali Fihrisat Ibn Khayr+1. Through this chain, the text was transmitted by later scholars, including the Baghdadi female traditionist Shuhda al-Katiba and the Andalusian jurist Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi Fihrisat Ibn Khayr+1.

Method and Contents

Following the typical compilation method of Ibn Abi al-Dunya, the work is organized as a collection of narrated reports with isnads al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf+1. Its material comprises:

• Prophetic traditions addressing contentment, the blessing of modest livelihood, and the merits of self-sufficiency al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf.
• Exegetical traditions explaining Quranic verses connected to contentment, such as interpreting the "wholesome life" (hayat tayyiba) mentioned in Quran 16:97 as al-qana'a Mawsuat al-Akhlaq al-Isla….
• Sayings, exhortations, and anecdotes from the Sahaba, early Caliphs (such as Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz), and early sages (such as Aktham ibn Sayfi) al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf+1.
• Poetic verses illustrating the nobility of contentment, the disgrace of soliciting people, and reliance upon God al-Qana'a wa al-Ta'affuf.

Modern Editions

The work has been published in several modern editions, including:

• An edition edited by Mustafa 'Abd al-Qadir 'Ata, published in Beirut by Mu'assasat al-Kutub al-Thaqafiyya in 1413 AH / 1993 CE al-Durr al-Farid wa Bayt …+1.
• An edition edited by Majdi al-Sayyid Ibrahim, published in Riyadh by Maktabat al-Sa'i Zawaid Tarikh Baghdad ala….