Abu Zayd al-Nahwi, Sa'id ibn Aws ibn
Thabit ibn Bashir, known as Abu Zayd al-Ansari, was a leading figure in Arabic
literature and language. He was of pure Arab lineage from the Khazraj tribe of
Medina. His father, Aws, was a trustworthy and reliable hadith scholar, and his
mother was Fatima bint Na'ja ibn Malih al-Khuza'iyya. He came from a noble and
distinguished family; his great-grandfather, Thabit ibn Zayd, was one of those
who compiled the Quran during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him), whose biography we have already mentioned.
Sa'id ibn Aws (Abu Zayd al-Ansari)
grew up learning the Quran, memorizing hadith, and narrating poetry and
literature in the company of al-Nadr ibn Shumayl, Abu Muhammad al-Yazidi, and
al-Asma'i. These three had received their knowledge from the Bedouin of Mudar:
'Uqayl and Qushayr. Sa'id ibn Aws completed his studies in Quranic readings,
exegesis, hadith, jurisprudence, grammar, linguistics, and literature at the
Great Mosque of Basra, which was a vibrant center of learning, home to leading
scholars in the fields of Quranic studies, hadith, literature, and linguistics.
The Great Mosque of Basra was a beacon of knowledge in its time, an inexhaustible
source of learning, and a towering landmark of scholarship.
After Abu Zayd al-Ansari's stature
in literature and linguistics rose, he became a leading figure in explaining
and teaching various branches of these disciplines, and his fame spread far and
wide. Leading scholars of literature and linguistics, such as Ibn al-Yazidi,
Sibawayh, Ibn al-Sikkit, al-Riyashi, al-Bazzaz, Khalaf al-Ahmar, and al-Jahiz,
studied under him. Abu Uthman al-Mazini, the grammarian; Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn
Sallam; Muhammad ibn Sa'd al-Katib; Abu Hatim al-Sijistani; Abu Hatim al-Razi;
and a large number of eminent scholars of language and literature narrated from
him.
Al-Mubarrad says that Abu Zayd
al-Ansari was the most knowledgeable of his three companions in grammar: al-Asma'i,
Abu Ubayda, and Abu Zayd. He explains that Abu Zayd had a scholarly circle in
Basra and was one of its most important linguists, and Sibawayh greatly trusted
his narrations. Abu Uthman al-Mazini said, "I saw al-Asma'i come to Abu
Zayd's circle, kiss his head, and sit before him, saying, 'You are our leader
and master" This is how al-Asma'i revered and respected him. Al-Suyuti
said of him, "He was the most knowledgeable person in the language after
Abu Malik, the most prolific in narrating, and the one who acquired the most
knowledge from the Bedouin."
Abu Zayd al-Ansari was a dignified
and respected figure who attained a high rank in the fields of language and
literature during the early Abbasid era.
He enriched the Arabic library with
fifty works in various branches of language during his time, including
linguistic treatises and works related to the sciences of the Quran, Hadith,
language, and literature. His contributions were prolific, and his scholarly
output abundant. This testifies to his great effort and tireless work.
Unfortunately, many of his books have been lost, and only their titles are
known, with a small number preserved in biographical dictionaries, biographical
catalogs, and bibliographies. Among Abu Zayd al-Ansari's books are Al-Ibl wal-Shah (Camels and Sheep), Al-Tathlith (The Tripartite), Khalq
al-Insan (The
Creation of Man), Al-Sifat
(Attributes), Fa'altu wal-Af'altu (I did and I did), Al-Lamāt (The Letters of the Letters), Kitab
al-Lughat (The Book
of Languages), Al-Masadir (Sources), Al-Dhabeeb (The Rod) (dealing with rare and
unusual words), Al-Wuhoush (Wild Animals), Al-Farq (The Sects), Gharib
al-Asma' (Rare
Names), Al-Laban
(Milk), and Buyutat al-'Arab (The Houses of the Arabs). He also wrote a fine book on
plants, compiling many unusual things.
The Book of Rarities is considered
one of Abu Zayd al-Ansari's most famous works. It is a fundamental source among
linguistic works and a reference that greatly benefits linguistic researchers.
Al-Azhari described the Book of Rarities as "a comprehensive book of
numerous oddities, rare words, proverbs, and abundant benefits." In it,
Abu Zayd al-Ansari recorded a linguistic explanation of ancient Arabic poetry,
clarifying the precise meanings of words and tracing reliable narrations. He
addressed grammar, morphology, and some aspects of rhetoric, presenting
interpretations of some verses and hadiths and including selected poetic
fragments, highlighting the biographies and lineages of their poets and what he
heard from eloquent Arabs from various tribes and dialects. With these
qualities, the book is considered an important source for studying the dialects
and characteristics of the Arab tribes. In Qur'anic studies, Abu Zayd al-Ansari
authored the books Meanings of the Qur'an, The Language of the Qur'an, and The Recitation of Abu Amr. Outside of Qur'anic studies, he also wrote Rare Words
in Hadith, Eloquence, The Elision of Hamza, Plural and Dual Forms, The Concise and Hamza, and Proverbs.
Ibn al-Jazari states that Abu Zayd
al-Ansari was born in 122 AH during the caliphate of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik
and died in Basra in 215 AH, making him one of the long-lived figures (Ibn
al-Jazari).
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