Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qalam

Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qalam (Epistle on Script and the Pen) is a short philological treatise by the polymath Ibn Qutaybah (213–276 AH / 828–889 CE) devoted to the lexicography, morphology, and terminology of writing instruments, scribal materials, and documentary practices Tarikh al-Turath al-Arabi…+1.

Subject and Structure

The treatise examines the Arabic vocabulary associated with writing tools, inks, paper, and administrative records through a sequence of concise thematic headings:

• The Pen (al-Qalam) and its Trimming (al-Bary): The text explains the etymological origin of qalam from trimming or cutting (qalama), its plurals (aqlam and qilam), and the designation of divining arrows as aqlam in Quranic usage Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…. It includes Abu Ubaydah's observation that a reed is not called a qalam until it has been sharpened, followed by the linguistic terminology for shavings (burayah), slicing the nib (qatata), the cutting block (miqatt), the nib’s point (jilfah), the hollowed inner channel (mubattan), and various structural forms of the pen Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1.
• The Inkwell (al-Dawah) and the Wad (al-Liqah): The work details the morphological variations and plurals of dawah (diyah, duwiyy, duwan), as well as terms for the maker, carrier, and seller of inkwells Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…. It addresses the wool or cotton wad (liqah) placed inside the inkwell to retain liquid, explaining its grammatical forms and related verbs for preparing wool (sawafa) or cotton (karsafa) wads Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa….
• Inks (al-Midad and al-Hibr): It defines midad (fluid ink) and hibr, exploring their derivations, verbal conjugations, and distinctions Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1.
• Writing and Inscription (al-Kitab): It outlines the root kataba as signifying the joining and gathering of letters, alongside related derivatives such as katib (scribe), kuttab (scribes or school), katibah (brigade), and mukattib (teacher) Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…. It also covers classical synonyms for writing and recording, such as zabara and raqama Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa….
• Scribal Techniques and Mediums: Sections cover letter-stretching (al-matt), smearing or blotting (al-tatlis), paper and parchment (al-qirtas), protective outer membranes (al-sahah), and drying soil or sawdust applied over wet ink (al-turab) Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1.
• Sealing, Titles, Bureaus, and Dating: The treatise concludes with chapters on the address or title (al-unwan), sealing clay (al-tin), seal rings (al-khatam and its dialectal forms), the bureau (al-diwan), and documentary dating (al-tarikh) Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1.

Method and Sources

Ibn Qutaybah structures the work around lexical roots, active and passive participles, imperative forms, and morphological paradigms relevant to practicing scribes Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1. He substantiates linguistic usage with Quranic verses, such as إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَامَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ (When they cast their pens as to which of them should take charge of Mary) and كِتَابٌ مَرْقُومٌ (A written book) Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1.

He cites philologists and authorities including Abu Ubaydah, al-Asma'i, al-Mubarrad, al-Umawi, and Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Aziz Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1. The text also includes poetic attestations (shawahid) from pre-Islamic and early Islamic poets, including Imru' al-Qays, Abu Dhu'ayb al-Hudhali, Hassan ibn Thabit, al-Muraqqish, and al-Akhtal Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa…+1. When discussing diwan, the text cites al-Asma'i regarding its Persian origin, attributing its naming to Khosrow upon observing the swiftness of his scribes calculating accounts Risalat al-Khatt wa al-Qa….

Editions

The treatise was edited by Hatim Salih al-Damin and published in Beirut by Mu'assasat al-Risalah in 1985 al-Fihrist.