Jamharat al-Amthal
- Author died
- 395 AH
- Editions
- دار الفكر
Jamharat al-Amthal (The Collection of Proverbs) is a specialized compilation of Arabic proverbs by the philologist and literary scholar Abu Hilal al-Askari (d. c. 395 AH / 1005 CE) .
Purpose and Scope
In his introduction, Abu Hilal explains that the study of proverbs is a distinct branch of knowledge requiring mastery not only of rare vocabulary (gharib), but also of the original circumstances, historical narratives, and transmission backgrounds (ahadith) behind each saying . He argued that any man of letters (adib) who fails to attain a comprehensive grasp of proverbs possesses an incomplete literary training . Observing the acute need for an accessible yet rigorous guide, he compiled the work to clarify difficult sayings, trace their origins and stories, and provide a comprehensive collection without excessive verbosity or harmful omission .
Structure and Method
Abu Hilal arranged the material alphabetically according to the letters of the dictionary (huruf al-mu'jam) to facilitate easy lookup . Within each lettered chapter, he recorded proverbs in their verbatim transmitted forms (hikaya), followed by their linguistic analysis, explanatory narratives, and poetic citations . Under each letter, he included dedicated sub-indices for comparative and superlative proverbs of exaggeration constructed on the pattern of af'alu min kadha (e.g. "more generous than Hatim" or "more cowardly than a sparrow") .
In compiling these comparative sayings, Abu Hilal critically reviewed the earlier collection of Hamza al-Isfahani . He retained authentic classical Bedouin expressions while systematically purging post-classical (muwallad) and urban vernacular proverbs, noting that scholars had rejected Hamza's work for incorporating unrefined material . Additionally, when ancillary stories and verses in his commentary were themselves suitable for proverbial usage, Abu Hilal marked them with the letter mim (م) in the margin so readers could identify and apply them independently .
Editions
Jamharat al-Amthal was edited by Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim and his collaborator and published in Cairo in 1964 .
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