Uqala al-Majanin li-Ibn Habib al-Naysaburi
- Author died
- 406 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmīyah
Uqala al-Majanin (The Wise Madmen) is a classical Arabic adab and biographical work by the Quranic exegete and preacher Abu al-Qasim al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Habib al-Naysaburi (d. 406 AH / 1015–1016 CE), compiling the sayings, poetry, and accounts of individuals deemed eccentric, ecstatic, or feigning madness.
Background and Purpose
In his introduction, Ibn Habib notes that he composed the book in response to persistent requests from friends who asked him to compile an account of wise madmen and their characteristics. In his youth, he had encountered earlier short treatises on the topic—each comprising roughly a single fascicle (juz' or less)—such as those by al-Jahiz, Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Ahmad ibn Luqman, and Abu Ali Sahl ibn Ali al-Baghdadi. Ibn Habib gathered their contents, verified them, added corroborating material, attributed accounts directly to their subjects, and structured his work on an independent plan intended to spare the reader the need to consult multiple sources.
Structure and Content
The work opens with an analysis of the linguistic root of madness (junun), which fundamentally denotes concealment (istitar), alongside its various names and synonyms in Arabic. Ibn Habib references how Quraysh falsely accused the Prophet ﷺ of madness when he called them to the truth, observing that communities throughout history have routinely leveled accusations of insanity against those who challenged inherited traditions.
The author classifies individuals associated with madness into distinct categories:
- Those driven mad by spiritual states: Individuals whose reason was overcome by the fear of God (man junna min khawf Allah).
- Those afflicted by misdeeds: Individuals overtaken by misfortune and insanity as a consequence of adopting religious innovations (bid'ah) or committing major sins.
- Metaphorical madness: Those described as mad only in a figurative sense, such as youth (al-shabb), the amorous (al-mutasabi), the intoxicated (al-sakran), and passionate lovers (al-'ashiq).
- Feigned madness: Sane individuals who feigned foolishness or insanity (man tajanna wa-tahaamaqa wa-huwa sahih al-'aql) for specific purposes, such as concealing their spiritual devotional state, earning a livelihood and living at ease, or escaping political tribulations and harm.
The main body of the work presents biographical anecdotes, witty rejoinders, and verse attributed to notable figures across various regions and eras. Among the prominent personalities covered are Uways al-Qarani—noted as the first person attributed with madness in Islam—as well as Majnun Layla, Bahlul ibn Amr, Sa'dun al-Majnun, 'Ulyan, Razam of Tarsus, various Bedouin eccentrics, and female ascetics such as Hayyunah al-Ahwaziyyah.
Method and Reception
Ibn Habib employs chains of transmission (isnad) alongside poetic citations and prose narrative, integrating adab literature with ascetic (zuhd) wisdom and Quranic and lexical commentary. The book became widely transmitted and cited by later scholars; Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi notes having heard it through his own chain of transmission. A modern edition of the work was published in Damascus and Cairo, edited and annotated by Wajih Faris al-Kaylani in 1924 CE.
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