Tabai al-Nisa wa ma jaa fiha min Ajaib wa Akhbar wa Asrar
- Author died
- 328 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Qurʾān
Tabai al-Nisa wa ma jaa fiha min Ajaib wa Akhbar wa Asrar (The Dispositions of Women and the Wonders, Reports, and Secrets Related Concerning Them) is an Arabic literary anthology on women, their character, marital life, and associated lore, attributed to the Andalusian scholar, man of letters, and poet Ibn Abd Rabbih al-Andalusi (246–328 AH / 860–940 CE) .
Origin and Scope
The material of the work draws upon the vast heritage collected by Ibn Abd Rabbih in his literary encyclopedia al-Iqd al-Farid (The Unique Necklace) . In the design of al-Iqd al-Farid, which was divided into twenty-five books named after the gems of a necklace, the author dedicated the section titled Kitab al-Marjanah al-Thaniyah (The Second Coral) specifically to women and their descriptions (fi al-Nisa wa-Sifatihin) . Published independently under the title Tabai al-Nisa, the text compiles classical anecdotes, poetic citations, proverbs, and sayings of early scholars, Bedouins, and sages concerning the social, moral, and psychological traits of women .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into thematic chapters addressing different facets of women's lives and interactions with men:
- Choosing a Wife and Marital Cohabitation: The opening chapter focuses on selecting a righteous and compatible spouse (al-halilah al-salihah wa-l-zawjah al-muwafiqah), contrasting the blessings of harmonious marriage with the hardships of a malicious companion, supported by reports from early figures such as Urwah ibn al-Zubayr and traditional wisdom .
- Anecdotes and Rarities: The second chapter gathers subtleties, historical reports, and curiosities from the lives of women, including courtship encounters, humorous situations, and notable historical events such as the killing of the wife of al-Mukhtar by Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr .
- Noble Childbearing Women and Lineage: The third chapter discusses women known for bearing distinguished offspring (al-nisa al-munjibat), comparing the qualities and status of children born to freeborn noblewomen versus those born to concubines and slave-women (abna al-sarari wa-l-ima), as well as discussions on mixed lineages .
- Guile and Cunning of Women: The text includes sections devoted to proverbs, aphorisms, and narratives concerning women's cunning and wiles (makr al-nisa wa-kayduhunna), citing various literary and historical reports transmitted through figures such as al-Haytham ibn Adi .
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