Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri

Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri (Commentary on the Assemblies of al-Hariri) is an Arabic literary commentary written by the Andalusian philologist and grammarian Abu al-Abbas al-Sharishi (577–619 AH / 1181–1222 CE) on the fifty picaresque assemblies (maqamat) composed by al-Hariri (446–515 AH / 1054–1122 CE) Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri+1.

Background and Versions

Al-Sharishi produced three distinct commentaries on al-Hariri's Maqamat, distinguished by their scope: a major, extensive commentary (al-Kabir or al-Mutawwal); an intermediate commentary (al-Awsat or al-Mutawassit); and a minor, abridged commentary (al-Saghir or al-Mukhtasar) Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri+1. The title commonly designates his major commentary, which is the most comprehensive and renowned of the three Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri+1.

According to Haji Khalifa, the intermediate version focused strictly on clarifying obscure vocabulary without delving into extended literary anecdotes (muhadarat), whereas the third commentary was composed after residents of Sijilmasa asked al-Sharishi to provide an accessible exposition adapted to their Berber linguistic environment Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.

In the introduction to his major work, al-Sharishi stated that he consulted all available prior commentaries, gathering every notable point, linguistic nuance, and rare piece of information they contained, while also drawing on his meetings with prominent scholars across various regions and borrowing substantially from earlier commentators such as Abu Sa'id al-Fanjdihi Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri+1.

Method and Content

The work provides a thorough line-by-line exposition of all fifty assemblies of al-Hariri, functioning as a broad encyclopedic survey of Arabic literature and language Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri+1. Al-Sharishi's method encompasses several key areas:

• Geography: Identifying and describing the various cities, regions, and landmarks referenced in the tales Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri.
• Lexicology and Proverbs: Defining obscure and archaic terms (gharib al-alfaz) and explaining the origins and contexts of Arabic proverbs Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri.
• Biographies: Providing detailed biographical entries for celebrated literary figures, poets, commanders, and rulers mentioned or alluded to in the text Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri.
• Poetry: Incorporating a vast corpus of illustrative verse, with a prominent inclusion of Andalusian poetry alongside classical Arab citations Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri.
• Grammar and Rhetoric: Resolving grammatical riddles, rhetorical devices, and stylistic nuances embedded in al-Hariri's rhymed prose Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri.

Reception and Publication

Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri achieved wide acclaim across the Islamic world. Al-Safadi described it as "good" (jayyid) among the many commentaries on the Maqamat al-Wafi bil-Wafayat, while Ibn Taghribirdi characterized it as "the finest commentary composed on the Maqamat" al-Manhal al-Safi wa al-M…. Haji Khalifa noted that it collected so much material that it effectively rendered earlier commentaries superfluous Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.

The major commentary was printed multiple times in Egypt, including editions at Bulaq (1284 AH), the Khayriyya Press (1306 AH), and Cairo (1314 AH), typically in two volumes Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…+1, and has also been published in modern edited editions Sharh Maqamat al-Hariri.