Itab al-Kuttab

Itab al-Kuttab (Iʿtāb al-Kuttāb; The Placation of Scribes) is a biographical and historical work by the Andalusian scholar, historian, and secretary Ibn al-Abbar (595–658 AH / 1199–1260 CE) Itab al-Kuttab+1, devoted to the accounts of secretaries, court scribes, and chancellery officials who fell out of favor with rulers and caliphs but subsequently earned their pardon and restored their standing Itab al-Kuttab+1.

Context and Purpose of Composition

After fleeing Valencia following its siege and conquest by Christian forces, Ibn al-Abbar settled in Tunis, where the Hafsid ruler, Sultan Abu Zakariyya, welcomed him and appointed him to inscribe the royal cipher (al-ʿalāmah) atop official state correspondence al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1. Ibn al-Abbar wrote the cipher in Andalusian Maghrebi script Azhar al-Riyad fi Akhbar …+1. When Abu Zakariyya sought to reassign this duty to Abu al-Abbas al-Ghassani due to his proficiency in the Eastern script preferred by the sultan, Ibn al-Abbar took offense, disregarded the instructions, and was consequently dismissed from his post Azhar al-Riyad fi Akhbar …+1.

During his period of suspension, Ibn al-Abbar composed Itab al-Kuttab for Sultan Abu Zakariyya as a plea for clemency and reconciliation Tarajim al-Muallifin al-T…+1. By compiling historical precedents of monarchs and caliphs who forgave the errors and missteps of their scribes, he sought the sultan's pardon, which was granted, leading to his reinstatement Tarajim al-Muallifin al-T…+1.

Structure and Content

The book is structured into three main components:

• Introduction: Ibn al-Abbar opens with praise of scribes, characterizing them as the spokesmen of dynasties and the voices of realms whose pens rival spears and swords, and underscores the virtue of pardoning lapses and overlooking missteps Itab al-Kuttab.
• Biographical entries: A collection of biographies documenting both Andalusian and Eastern secretaries and ministers who experienced disgrace or monarchical anger and subsequently regained royal favor Dawlat al-Islam fi al-And…+1. The subjects include notable Eastern figures such as Amr ibn Mas'ada and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Zayyat, alongside Andalusian writers whom the author knew personally Tarikh al-Turath al-Arabi…+2.
• Conclusion: An explicit statement of the author's purpose addressed to Sultan Abu Zakariyya, asserting that all historical examples of rulers excusing their scribes fall short of Abu Zakariyya's expected magnanimity Tarajim al-Muallifin al-T….

Style and Scholarly Value

Itab al-Kuttab serves as an important historical source on the lives of secretaries, ministers, and chancellery practices across Islamic dynasties, offering details on administrative traditions and political figures alongside works such as Kitab al-Wuzara' wa-al-Kuttab by al-Jahshiyari Tarajim al-Muallifin al-T…. Aside from its ornate rhymed prose introduction, the book is written in an eloquent, clear style characteristic of Ibn al-Abbar's prose Tarajim al-Muallifin al-T…. The author scrupulously cites earlier sources while incorporating firsthand knowledge for his Andalusian contemporaries Tarajim al-Muallifin al-T….

Manuscripts and Editions

Manuscripts of Itab al-Kuttab include an old copy preserved in the Escorial Library (MS 1731 Casiri) and another in Rabat at the library of al-Madrasa al-'Ulya (dated 1264 AH) Dawlat al-Islam fi al-And…+1. The work was edited by Salih al-Ashtar and published by the Arab Academy of Damascus (Majma' al-Lughah al-Arabiyyah) in 1380 AH / 1961 CE Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+1.