Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti Asruhu wa Hayatuhu wa Atharuhu wa Juhuduhu fi al-Dars al-Lughawi
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Al-Maktab Al-Islami
Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti: Asruhu wa Hayatuhu wa Atharuhu wa Juhuduhu fi al-Dars al-Lughawi (Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti: His Era, Life, Works, and Contributions to Linguistic Study) is an academic monograph by Egyptian scholar Tahir Sulayman Hamouda examining the biography, socio-historical context, and linguistic and grammatical scholarship of the polymath Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti.
Origin and Publication
The work originated as Hamouda's doctoral dissertation titled al-Suyuti al-Lughawi (Al-Suyuti the Linguist), completed in Muharram 1391 AH (March 1971 CE) and defended in May 1971 CE in the Department of Arabic at Alexandria University. Prior to publication, the author revised the text and expanded its title to reflect its comprehensive coverage of al-Suyuti's era, intellectual biography, and broader scholarly output alongside his linguistic contributions. The preface was completed in Rabi' al-Awwal 1409 AH (October 1988 CE), and the book was published in Beirut by al-Maktab al-Islami in a single volume in 1410 AH (1989 CE), identifying the author as a professor of linguistic sciences at Alexandria University and King Saud University in Riyadh.
Contents and Structure
The book is arranged into two main parts (abwab):
-
Part One: Al-Suyuti's Era, Life, and Works (Asr al-Suyuti wa Hayatuhu wa Atharuhu):
- Chapter One surveys the political and social environment of Egypt and Cairo under Mamluk rule, tracing how political structures shaped the broader societal landscape.
- Chapter Two examines cultural and literary life, detailing educational institutions, scholarly circles, teaching practices, literary style, and the encyclopedic trends characterizing authorship during that era.
- Chapter Three reconstructs al-Suyuti's biography, intellectual development, methodology, and extensive writings. Hamouda outlines four distinct phases in al-Suyuti's life: his upbringing and early education until receiving authorization (ijazah) to teach Arabic at age seventeen; his active engagement in public instruction and issuing fatwas until age twenty-seven; his middle period characterized by prolific scholarship while serving as head of the Baybarsiyyah Khanqah; and his complete withdrawal into seclusion devoted entirely to worship and writing from 906 AH until his death in 911 AH.
-
Part Two: Al-Suyuti's Linguistic and Grammatical Efforts (Juhuduhu al-Lughawiyyah wa-l-Nahwiyyah):
- Chapter One (Philology / Fiqh al-Lughah) analyzes non-grammatical linguistic studies, covering phonetics, lexicography, semantics, and general linguistic concepts, surveying earlier Arabic linguistic literature and assessing al-Suyuti's synthesis in works such as al-Muzhir.
- Chapter Two (Grammar / al-Nahw) addresses grammatical and morphological theory, analyzing al-Suyuti's treatises and his relationship to classical grammatical traditions.
Methodology and Themes
Hamouda emphasizes contextual analysis, arguing that al-Suyuti must be evaluated through the standards and cultural conditions of the Mamluk period rather than through the lens of modern or earlier classical periods. He attributes the encyclopedic compilation style common to al-Suyuti and his contemporaries to an acute sense of urgency to preserve Islamic scholarly heritage in the wake of political crises.
The author also critiques previous biographical accounts, correcting chronological and factual errors using contemporary primary sources such as the chronicle of Ibn Iyas; he demonstrates, for instance, that al-Suyuti's dismissal from the headship of the Baybarsiyyah Khanqah occurred in Rajab 906 AH due to political changes under Sultan Tuman Bay, rather than as an immediate outcome of an earlier dispute in Jumada al-Akhirah 903 AH as asserted in earlier modern studies.
Answer updated