Qutb al-Surur fi Awsaf al-Anbidha wa al-Khumur
- Author died
- 425 AH
- Editions
- Qutb al-Surur fi Awsaf al-Anbidha wa al-Khumur
Qutb al-Surur fi Awsaf al-Anbidha wa al-Khumur (The Pivot of Pleasure on the Descriptions of Fermented Drinks and Wines) is a specialized literary anthology of Bacchic adab and poetry composed in two volumes by the North African court secretary and historian al-Raqiq al-Qayrawani (d. c. 425 AH / 1034 CE) .
Composition and Contents
Al-Raqiq structured the work in two volumes (sifran) . In his introduction, he explained that he gathered in it proverbs of the sages, prose of eloquent stylists, verses of poets, and anecdotes of scholars and refined companions (zurafa'), noting that no legal question of prohibition and permissibility had historically generated as much disagreement as that of drinks (al-ashriba) . The book incorporates Arab lore and poetry alongside philosophical and medical sayings, anecdotes concerning caliphs and dignitaries who were fond of wine, and descriptions of drinking companions, cups, and banqueting sessions, concluding his prologue with prayers for guidance and forgiveness . It also cites scriptural passages referencing wine and beverages in Paradise .
Reception, Abridgments, and Editions
Qutb al-Surur served as an authoritative reference for later literary compilers. The Andalusian scholar Abu al-Abbas al-Sharishi explicitly stated in his commentary on the Maqamat of al-Hariri that his own disquisition on the descriptions and virtues of wine relied primarily on selections drawn from al-Raqiq's work .
The text was abridged by Nur al-Din Ali al-Mas'udi under the title al-Mukhtar min Qutb al-Surur fi Awsaf al-Anbidha wa al-Khumur, which was later edited by Abd al-Hafiz Mansur and published in Tunis in 1976 . Another abridgment was prepared by Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Mustafa al-Tunisi (d. 1168 AH / 1754 CE) . The latter portion of the original text was edited by Ahmad al-Jundi and published by the Arab Academy of Damascus in 1389 AH / 1969 CE under the assumption that it was the entire work . A later edition of the book was prepared by Sarah al-Barbushi and published in 2010 .
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