Nakth al-Himyan fi Nukat al-Umyan
- Author died
- 764 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah
Nakth al-Himyan fi Nukat al-Umyan (loosely "Untying the Moneybag on the Wit and Lore of the Blind") is a specialized biographical and literary work authored by the Mamluk scholar and historian al-Safadi (696–764 AH / 1296–1363 CE) . The book is dedicated to compiling biographies, literary lore, legal status, and anecdotes concerning blind scholars, poets, and prominent historical figures .
Structure and Content
The work opens with ten introductory essays (muqaddimat) followed by a single conclusion (natija), before moving into the biographical dictionary :
- Linguistic and Philological Studies: The author investigates Arabic root words connected with sightlessness, notably analyzing the root ‘ayn–mīm and arguing that its combinations denote concealment or covering, alongside an analysis of the derivation of a‘mā (blind) .
- Thematic and Scriptural Analyses: al-Safadi explores debates over the relative excellence of hearing versus sight, provides exegesis for Quranic verses addressing blindness—such as عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى أَن جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى ("He frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him") and وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ ("Not equal are the blind and the seeing")—and cites prophetic traditions such as the hadith of the divine testing of the leper, the bald man, and the blind man .
- Legal Rulings: The introductory material addresses legal rulings (aḥkām sharʿiyya) specific to blind individuals, including their eligibility to lead congregational prayer (imāma) and the obligation of attending the Friday prayer (jumuʿa) .
- Anecdotes and Wit: The ninth introductory chapter gathers anecdotes, poetic quips, and witty exchanges involving blind personalities, such as Bashar ibn Burd and Abu al-Aynaʾ .
Biographical Scope
The main body of the work comprises alphabetical biographies of notable blind individuals throughout Islamic history . The covered figures span diverse disciplines, including the poet and philosopher Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri, the lexicographer Ibn Sidah, the hadith traditionist al-Tirmidhi, and the master of Quranic readings al-Shatibi .
Editions
The work has appeared in several modern print editions:
- An early edition edited and supervised by Ahmad Zaki Pasha, printed at al-Matba'a al-Jamaliyya in Cairo in 1329 AH / 1911 CE .
- An edition prepared by As'ad Tarabzuni al-Husayni, published in 1404 AH / 1984 CE .
- An edition edited by Mustafa Abd al-Qadir Ata, published by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya in Beirut in 1428 AH / 2007 CE .
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