An Arab linguist from the imams of language and literature in the fifth century AH. He was known as Al-Khatib Al-Tabrizi in relation to his hometown of Tabriz. He was a student of Abu Al-Ala Al-Ma’ari. Language, Literature, and Famous Explanations of the Mu'allaqat.

Birth and upbringing

Abu Zakariya Yahya bin Ali bin Muhammad al-Shaibani al-Tabrizi was born in the city of Tabriz in northern Iran, western Azerbaijan, in the year 421 AH, corresponding to 1030 AD. He grew up in Baghdad and then moved to the Levant and then to Egypt before returning to Baghdad.

Scientific study and training

He began the first stage of seeking knowledge in Iraq, where he studied with many sheikhs in language, religious sciences and literature in Baghdad, Basra and Gorgan, such as the judge Abi al-Tayyib Tahir bin Abdullah al-Tabari, Abi al-Qasim Ali bin al-Muhsin al-Tanukhi, the historian and the hadeeth al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Ibn al-Dahan and Abu al-Jaziz al-Hussein bin Ali bin Bazi the writer, and Abi al-Qasim al-Fadl bin Muhammad al-Qasbani the grammarian.

Then he returned to his hometown, Tabriz, and stayed for some time before setting out on his journey to the Levant and then to Egypt.

On his way to the Levant and Maarat al-Numan, he became a student of Abu al-Ala al-Ma’ari, and he stayed with him for a period of time. He studied under him the book “Tahdheeb al-Lugha” by Abu Mansour al-Azhari, al-Ma’ari’s poetic and prose writings, and other literary and linguistic books.

He also took knowledge of Abd al-Wahed bin Ali bin Burhan, the jurist and grammarian, the speaker Abd al-Qaher al-Jurjani, Obaidullah bin Ali al-Raqi, al-Fali Ali bin Ahmad bin Salk, al-Sabi Hilal bin al-Hassan, al-Jawhari Abi Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali, and Ibn Burhan al-Akbari, the grammarian Basri.

After his travels to the Levant and Egypt, he returned to Baghdad, where he settled until he died there.

Scientific and intellectual experience

During his scientific journey over the course of many years, he read many works and books in the sciences of religion, and the field of language, grammar and literature, which gave him a broad and deep scientific formation, which was reflected in his many poetic writings and explanations, influenced by the approach of his sheikh Al-Ma’arri, according to the opinion of a number of critics.

His vast knowledge also earned him fame that reached the horizons, so students of knowledge made a pilgrimage to him in Baghdad, especially students of grammar, language and literature.

Most of those who translated him described him as the Sheikh of Baghdad in literature, the owner of the language and the imam of his time in the sciences of the tongue.

A large number of scholars studied at his hands, including Ibn al-Sayyid al-Batliyusi al-Andalusi, Abu al-Baqa al-Akbari, Ibn Hisham al-Nahwi al-Masri, Abd al-Qadir al-Baghdadi, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Ibn Babshath al-Nahwi al-Misri, and Hebat Allah ibn al-Shajari.

He was distinguished by a special approach in his writings and classifications based on abbreviation and compilation with diligence. In his poetic explanations, he followed an approach described by some critics as complementary or complementary elective.

He collects the previous explanations and coordinates their various selected elements to produce a comprehensive explanation with scientific and educational specifications, which dispenses the student and the learner from referring to the previous explanations.

Jobs and responsibilities

After he finished his scientific journey, he returned to Baghdad, where he was appointed as a professor at the Nizamiyya School and as a supervisor and curator of the school's bookcase, in parallel with classification and authorship.

Publications and achievements

He wrote rich books in the sciences of religion, language and literature, including:

  • The summary in the syntax of the Qur’an.

  • Strange interpretation of the Qur'an.

  • Refine the strange talk.

  • Refine logic repair.

  • Refinement of the word book.

  • Al-Wafi in the science of offers and rhymes.

  • Explanation of the luster of Ibn Jinni.

  • Introduction to grammar.

He wrote several poetic commentaries, including:

  • Explanation of Diwan Al-Hassam by Abu Tammam.

  • The seven pendants.

  • Explanation of Souad's pant.

  • Explanation of the tail of the pendants.

  • Explanation of the Diwan of Al-Mutanabbi.

  • Explanation of the Diwan of Abi Al-Alaa Al-Maari.

Death

The sources that translated al-Khatib al-Tabrizi unanimously agreed that he died in Baghdad at the age of 81 years on the 28th of Jumada II in the year 502 AH, corresponding to the year 1109 AD.