Tuhfat al-Muhibbin wa al-Ashab fi Marifat ma li al-Madaniyyin min al-Ansab
- Author died
- 1195 AH
- Editions
- al-Maktabah al-‘Atīqah
Tuhfat al-Muhibbin wa al-Ashab fi Ma'rifat ma li al-Madaniyyin min al-Ansab (The Gift of Lovers and Companions on Knowing the Genealogies of the People of Medina) is a genealogical and biographical dictionary by the Hanafi scholar and historian of Medina, Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Karim al-Ansari (1124–after 1197 AH / 1712–after 1783 CE; another report gives his death in 1195 AH). The work is devoted to documenting the lineages, origins, and social history of the families and notable residents living in Medina during the twelfth Islamic century.
Content and Popular Designation
The book chronicles the various households of Medina, detailing indigenous families as well as scholarly lineages and individuals who immigrated to the city from regions such as the Maghrib and Najd. Entries typically record the origins of each family name, biographical sketches of prominent figures, arrival dates in Medina, occupations, and selections of poetry—such as verses by Abd Allah ibn Ibrahim ibn Sayf al-Shammari condemning tobacco. Within the text, al-Ansari also traces his own ancestral lineage back twenty-one generations to the Prophet's companion Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari al-Khazraji.
Among the common folk of Medina and certain scholars, the book became widely known by the colloquial name al-Qurmiyya (القرمية) rather than its full formal title. This local designation derives from aruma (meaning roots, origins, or ancestral stock), or serves as a term denoting a genealogical tree (mushajjar).
Publication
The work was edited by Muhammad al-Arusi al-Matwi and published in Tunis by al-Maktaba al-Atiqa in 1390 AH / 1970 CE.
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