Al-Djāḥiẓ - Writer, Specialist of Literary Studies, Scientist and Theologian

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The article discusses the views of one of the outstanding writers, specialist of literary studies, and theologian of the Middle Ages, Al-Djāḥiẓ. he was born in Basra around 776. His full name was Abū ʿUṯmān ʿAmr ibn Baḥr al-Djāḥiẓ, nicknamed al-Djāḥiẓ (‘the bug-eyed’) due to a defect in his eyes. Little is known about his childhood, but from an early age his desire to learn and his inquisitive mind led him to attend classes in mosques, where he listened to lectures on philology, lexicography, and poetics, delivered by prominent scholars of the time. Later, he became a member of the Mu'tazilites and engaged in discussions on philosophy, theology, and various scientific problems.

After moving to Baghdad, al-Djāḥiẓ devoted himself to literary and scientific work, was an excellent prose writer, did not hesitate to discuss his own philosophical and theological views, as we have mentioned, he was a Mu'tazilite, therefore his religious views are full of the theories of this movement. About 200 scientific or theological treatises belong to his pen: on philosophy, theology, history, geography, chemistry, etc., of which about a third have reached us; about 50 works have been partially preserved, the rest have been lost, but we know that they existed, because scientists of the subsequent period indicated in their works that this or that excerpt was taken from the books of al-Jahiz.

Among the works of al-Djāḥiẓ that have survived to our time, the following stand out: Epistle on Education and Rounding (Risālat^-u t-tarbīʽ wat-tadwīr). Some arab critics assume that this work represents the beginning stage of maqāma genre.From the literary viewpoint, The Book of Misers (Kitāb al-Buḫalāʾ ) and The Book of Animals (Kitāb al-Ḥayawān) are interesting as they belong to an early period of the ’Adab genre. The Book of Eloquence and Demonstration (Kitāb al-Bayān wa al-Tabyīn), in which he discusses the literary style of medieval Arabic literature, linguistic principles, Arabic eloquence, etc.

We can say that these books together represent an encyclopedia of prominent figures in the field of science and literature known to the era of al-Djāḥiẓ, talking about theology (the teachings of the Mu'tazilites), politics, economics, morality, geography, natural science, biology, mathematics, ethnography, as well as literature, poetry and philology. He had a brilliant command of the Arabic language, which he learned from the Arabs living in Mirbad, was well acquainted with Iranian and Indian culture, so it is also correct to assume that the writer knew Persian well. He popularized knowledge and created textbooks for public and school teachers, at the same time, he tried not only to teach something on this or that subject, but also to teach the reader how to think, how to subject a person to the judgment of reason through doubt. He himself loved reading, and if he liked a book, he wouldn't let go until he finished reading it.

His vast life experience helped him to write satires based on his ideas, where he talks about people's behavior, hypocrisy and arrogance. Sometimes he resorts to such methods as deliberately incorrect reasoning, false syllogisms, and develops these absurd topics and arguments with such enthusiasm that they cause laughter in the reader. Therefore, the treatises are imbued with jokes, attacks on characters he hates, and he does not hesitate to ridicule some hadiths. These satires are full of aphoristic sayings (Ḥikma), didactics (’Adab) and elements of humor. Possessing universal knowledge, Al-Djāḥiẓ was able to unite almost everything that the science of that time possessed, so in the Arab world he was perceived as a kind of mentor.

Al-Djāḥiẓ works soon attracted the attention of his contemporary scholars and gained considerable popularity among later generations of scholars.

At the end of his life, suffering from hemiplegia, he returned to his hometown, where he died in 869.