Bughyat al-Multamis fi Tarikh Rijal Ahl al-Andalus
- Author died
- 599 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kātib al-‘Arabī
Bughyat al-Multamis fi Tarikh Rijal Ahl al-Andalus (The Desire of the Seeker Concerning the History of the Men of al-Andalus) is a biographical dictionary of Andalusian scholars, poets, and notables by the Andalusian historian and copyist Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Ahmad ibn 'Umayra al-Dabbi (d. 599 AH / 1203 CE) .
Scope and Relation to Earlier Works
The work is designed as an extension and continuation of Jadhwat al-muqtabis by Abu 'Abd Allah al-Humaydi (d. 488 AH) . While al-Humaydi's biographical coverage extended up to around 450 AH (1058 CE), al-Dabbi incorporated al-Humaydi's entries and expanded the scope by documenting the figures of the subsequent 150 years down to his own lifetime in the late sixth century AH . It constitutes the only surviving work of al-Dabbi alongside his hadith compendium Matla' al-anwar .
Structure and Contents
The book opens with a concise introductory overview covering the history and geography of al-Andalus, including its borders, conquest, and lineages of its rulers and prominent figures . This geographical and historical summary was later complemented by Abd al-Wahid al-Marrakushi in the introduction to his al-Mu'jib fi talkhis akhbar al-Maghrib .
The main body of the text consists of biographical notices arranged in alphabetical order, detailing Arab and Andalusian jurists, hadith scholars, men of letters, poets, and dignitaries . Within these entries, al-Dabbi records transmission lineages, scholarly evaluations, poetry, and biographical milestones, frequently quoting earlier authorities such as al-Humaydi .
Publication History
The work was first edited by Francisco Codera and Julián Ribera and published in Madrid in 1884 as part of the Bibliotheca Arabico-Hispana (al-Maktaba al-Andalusiyya) series . Subsequent editions have been published across the Arab world:
- A two-volume edition edited by Ibrahim al-Abyari, published in Cairo and Beirut in 1410 AH (1989 CE) .
- An edition edited by Ruhiyya 'Abd al-Rahman al-Suwayfi, published by Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya in Beirut in 1417 AH (1997 CE) .
- Several earlier printings in Cairo, including editions by Dar al-Katib al-'Arabi in 1967 and the Egyptian General Book Authority in 1964 .
Answer updated