Muhammad bin Hani al Andalusi al Azdi
Encyclopedia
Muhammad bin Hani al Andalusi al Azdi, born in c. 936, became the chief court poet to the Fatimid
Caliph Imam
, Al Mu'izz. Most of his collected poems are in praise of the Fatimids against the claims of the Abbasids and the Umayyads of Spain. He was also called al Mutanabbi of the West by many of his contemporaries as well as later historians. Ibn Hani was murdered on his way from Egypt in c. 973.
) was an Arab poet from Spain. His father Hāni' was a native of a village near al-Mahdiyya in Tunisia
, who had moved to Elvira in Spain or, according to others, to Córdoba
. Ibn Hāni' was born in one of these two towns. He studied in Córdoba and then proceeded to Elvira and Seville
. In the latter city, his frivolous way of living and too free speech brought upon him the wrath of the people who accused him of agreeing with the Greek philosophers and of heresy, so that he was counseled by the local ruler, a supporter, to leave Seville as he was afraid of being suspected of allying with him. At the age of 27, he went to Africa to Jawhar
, a freeman and general of the Fatimid al-Mansūr
. When he received only 200 dinărs from the latter for a qasida addressed to him, he went to al-Masila (Msila) in Algiers
where his compatriots Ja'far b. Ali b. Falah b. Abi Marwăn and Yahya b. Ali b. Hamdun al-Andalusi were ruling. Treated with great respect by them he composed some notable poems in their honor.
lampooned him aiming to demoralize him upon his arrival to which he replied "I shall not reply to any of them unless Ali al Tunusi writes to me, for if he does I shall reply to him and no other." Hearing this, Ali replied, "I would never lampoon him even if I was the worst of all men after he has given me a status above all the other poets of this land.". At this point of time, he became the chief court poet and panygerist of Al-Muizz. Defending the claims of the Fatimids against those of the sunni Umayyads and Abbasid usurpers, he continued to eulogize the merits of al-Muizz and other Fatimid Imams, making known their noble aims. He thus rendered a valuable service to Fatimid propaganda through his poetry, which was widely read from Córdoba to Baghdad
.
thought and was devoted to the Ahl al Bait (People of the House of the Prophet) in whose honour he composed poems of remarkable power and beauty. The following lines are a perfect display of the religious theme in his poetry.
"Command what you will, not what the fates ordain,
For you are the one, the overpowering one..
You are the one through whose love and affection,
salvation is foreseen and our burdens removed..
You are the one on whose intercession we depend,
when tomorrow brings forth the day of resurrection..
You are the one in whose presence the fire of hell,
would at once flicker out if it were to see you..
All glory belongs to the progeny of Ahmad,
what is not ascribed to them is empty of glory!"
State through his poetry. He claimed in a number of panygerical verses that not only all of the Muslim world, but the entire world belongs legitimately to the Fatimid Caliph. Also, his political mentioning dramatically merges with his religious views whereby he claims that the Umayyads and the Abbasids rule over illegitimate territories as they have defied the sayings of Prophet Muhammad by usurping and killing the Ahl al Bait for whom the Prophet willed obedience, loyalty and allegiance and the Fatimid Imam is that very descendant who claims absolute loyalty of the Muslim world. The Fatimids believed themselves surrounded by these two and the Byzantine Empire
as enemies. The propaganda written by Ibn Hani attacked where he thought them most vulnerable. The Umayyads were chastised for cowardice, ostentatious luxury, questionable genealogy and ineptitude. The Abbasids, the weakest and most distant of the Fatimid adversaries, were seen as debauched people unworthy to rule, effeminate, indifferent to the Byzantine advances in Syria they were unable to check, and an old decrepit dynasty which should make room for new blood. The propaganda against the Byzantines, which was written primarily for internal consumption and self congratulation, created an image of the infidel ever defeated by the might of Fatimid land and sea power. This propaganda coupled with intense diplomacy resulted in a series of convergent attacks against Egypt, the Byzantine fleet, the Qarmatians
in Palestine and Berber
tribes near Alexandria
. After c. 966, an official Fatimid delegation was sent to Egypt inviting the amir Kafur to recognize Fatimid suzerainty. The embassy was given amiable reception but nothing more. On 23 April, 968 C.E., Kafur died leaving Egypt open for conquest. The news reached al Muizz in al Mansuriyyah a month later. By the middle of Ramadan in the year 969 C.E., a messenger had returned to al Muizz with the glad tidings that Egypt had fallen to the Fatimids. Ibn Hani, ready on the spot, recited an ode which began thus: "The Abbasids are saying, "Has Egypt been conquered?", So say to them, "The matter has been decided!"
to bring back his family, but was murdered in Barqah in Cyrenaica
on his road on Wednesday, 30 April, c. 973 at the age of 36. Accounts of his murder differ. When al Muizz in Egypt heard of the poet's death, he lamented, "He was a man whom we hoped to rival the poets of the East, but this was not granted to us."
, apart from surviving, has been the subject of research for many scholars like Zahid Ali, Farhad Daftary and M. Canard, the author of the French book "L'imperialisme des Fatimides et leur propagande". Zahid Ali has edited the Diwan and elaborated the verses in his thesis "Tabyeen al Ma'ani fi Sharh Diwan Ibn Hani" for which he has received the Doctorate of Philosophy from the Oxford University in London. The Zahid Ali edition of the Diwan has sixty poems and three in the appendix which have disputed claims with regard to their authorship.
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
Caliph Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, Al Mu'izz. Most of his collected poems are in praise of the Fatimids against the claims of the Abbasids and the Umayyads of Spain. He was also called al Mutanabbi of the West by many of his contemporaries as well as later historians. Ibn Hani was murdered on his way from Egypt in c. 973.
Early life
Ibn Hāni', Abu'l-Qasim Muhammad b. Hāni' b. Muhammad b. Sa'dūn al-Azdi usually called Ibn Hāni' al-Andalusī to distinguish him from Ibn Hāni' al-Hakami (Abu NuwasAbu Nuwas
Abu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani Al-Hakami ,a known as Abū-Nuwās , was one of the greatest of classical Arabic poets, who also composed in Persian on occasion. Born in the city of Ahvaz in Persia, of an Arab father and a Persian mother, he became a master of all the contemporary genres of Arabic poetry...
) was an Arab poet from Spain. His father Hāni' was a native of a village near al-Mahdiyya in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, who had moved to Elvira in Spain or, according to others, to Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
. Ibn Hāni' was born in one of these two towns. He studied in Córdoba and then proceeded to Elvira and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. In the latter city, his frivolous way of living and too free speech brought upon him the wrath of the people who accused him of agreeing with the Greek philosophers and of heresy, so that he was counseled by the local ruler, a supporter, to leave Seville as he was afraid of being suspected of allying with him. At the age of 27, he went to Africa to Jawhar
Jawhar
Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in Thane district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is about 166 km from Mumbai and 80 km from the city of Nasik.-History:...
, a freeman and general of the Fatimid al-Mansūr
Al-Mansur
Al-Mansur, Almanzor or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur was the second Abbasid Caliph from 136 AH to 158 AH .-Biography:...
. When he received only 200 dinărs from the latter for a qasida addressed to him, he went to al-Masila (Msila) in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
where his compatriots Ja'far b. Ali b. Falah b. Abi Marwăn and Yahya b. Ali b. Hamdun al-Andalusi were ruling. Treated with great respect by them he composed some notable poems in their honor.
Rise to prominence
Spending his childhood in a pro-Fatimid atmosphere, Ibn Hani was well versed with the Fatimid traditions and religious traits. He was at first a courtier to the Banu Hamdun of al-Masila, the Fatimid client state founded during the reign of Abdullah al Mahdi; then he joined the Fatimid court at al-Mansuriyyah before the Banu Hamdun allied themselves with the Zanata and pro-Umayyad factions. While at the Banu Hamdun, his fame spread throughout the empire owing to his incomparable odes until he was summoned by the Caliph Al-Muizz himself to serve him at his court, overwhelming him with tokens of esteem. He was a highly revered poet even before he entered the Capital. The poets of IfriqiyaIfriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
lampooned him aiming to demoralize him upon his arrival to which he replied "I shall not reply to any of them unless Ali al Tunusi writes to me, for if he does I shall reply to him and no other." Hearing this, Ali replied, "I would never lampoon him even if I was the worst of all men after he has given me a status above all the other poets of this land.". At this point of time, he became the chief court poet and panygerist of Al-Muizz. Defending the claims of the Fatimids against those of the sunni Umayyads and Abbasid usurpers, he continued to eulogize the merits of al-Muizz and other Fatimid Imams, making known their noble aims. He thus rendered a valuable service to Fatimid propaganda through his poetry, which was widely read from Córdoba to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
.
Themes
He has essentially covered three main themes throughout his poetic career namely politics, religion and military.Religion
Having a strong religious conviction, it's devotional spirit runs deep through all his poetry. He was well versed in IsmailiIsmaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
thought and was devoted to the Ahl al Bait (People of the House of the Prophet) in whose honour he composed poems of remarkable power and beauty. The following lines are a perfect display of the religious theme in his poetry.
"Command what you will, not what the fates ordain,
For you are the one, the overpowering one..
You are the one through whose love and affection,
salvation is foreseen and our burdens removed..
You are the one on whose intercession we depend,
when tomorrow brings forth the day of resurrection..
You are the one in whose presence the fire of hell,
would at once flicker out if it were to see you..
All glory belongs to the progeny of Ahmad,
what is not ascribed to them is empty of glory!"
Politics
Ibn Hani played an important role in establishing the political propaganda for the FatimidFatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
State through his poetry. He claimed in a number of panygerical verses that not only all of the Muslim world, but the entire world belongs legitimately to the Fatimid Caliph. Also, his political mentioning dramatically merges with his religious views whereby he claims that the Umayyads and the Abbasids rule over illegitimate territories as they have defied the sayings of Prophet Muhammad by usurping and killing the Ahl al Bait for whom the Prophet willed obedience, loyalty and allegiance and the Fatimid Imam is that very descendant who claims absolute loyalty of the Muslim world. The Fatimids believed themselves surrounded by these two and the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
as enemies. The propaganda written by Ibn Hani attacked where he thought them most vulnerable. The Umayyads were chastised for cowardice, ostentatious luxury, questionable genealogy and ineptitude. The Abbasids, the weakest and most distant of the Fatimid adversaries, were seen as debauched people unworthy to rule, effeminate, indifferent to the Byzantine advances in Syria they were unable to check, and an old decrepit dynasty which should make room for new blood. The propaganda against the Byzantines, which was written primarily for internal consumption and self congratulation, created an image of the infidel ever defeated by the might of Fatimid land and sea power. This propaganda coupled with intense diplomacy resulted in a series of convergent attacks against Egypt, the Byzantine fleet, the Qarmatians
Qarmatians
The Qarmatians were a Shi'a Ismaili group centered in eastern Arabia, where they attempted to established a utopian republic in 899 CE. They are most famed for their revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate...
in Palestine and Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
tribes near Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. After c. 966, an official Fatimid delegation was sent to Egypt inviting the amir Kafur to recognize Fatimid suzerainty. The embassy was given amiable reception but nothing more. On 23 April, 968 C.E., Kafur died leaving Egypt open for conquest. The news reached al Muizz in al Mansuriyyah a month later. By the middle of Ramadan in the year 969 C.E., a messenger had returned to al Muizz with the glad tidings that Egypt had fallen to the Fatimids. Ibn Hani, ready on the spot, recited an ode which began thus: "The Abbasids are saying, "Has Egypt been conquered?", So say to them, "The matter has been decided!"
Military
Not unlike his contemporary Al Mutanabbi, he found immense success in the description of the Fatimid armies and their battles. He gained singular recognition for describing Caliph al Muizz's fleet which was the most dominant force in the whole of the Mediterranean and his well bred horses to which he dedicated hundreds of verses.Death
When al-Muizz went to Egypt in c. 972 to take up his residence in Cairo, Ibn Hani left him and returned to the MaghrebMaghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
to bring back his family, but was murdered in Barqah in Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
on his road on Wednesday, 30 April, c. 973 at the age of 36. Accounts of his murder differ. When al Muizz in Egypt heard of the poet's death, he lamented, "He was a man whom we hoped to rival the poets of the East, but this was not granted to us."
Diwan
There is scarce information about other court poets who flourished under the patronage of the Fatimid Caliph Imams. A large portion of their works seems to have perished in the destruction of Cairo's famed libraries which followed the collapse of the Fatimid state in c. 1171. Ibn Hani's diwanDiwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
, apart from surviving, has been the subject of research for many scholars like Zahid Ali, Farhad Daftary and M. Canard, the author of the French book "L'imperialisme des Fatimides et leur propagande". Zahid Ali has edited the Diwan and elaborated the verses in his thesis "Tabyeen al Ma'ani fi Sharh Diwan Ibn Hani" for which he has received the Doctorate of Philosophy from the Oxford University in London. The Zahid Ali edition of the Diwan has sixty poems and three in the appendix which have disputed claims with regard to their authorship.
See also
- List of Arabic language poets
- 10th century in poetry10th century in poetryThis page is part of the List of years in poetry. The List of years in poetry and List of years in literature provide snapshots of developments in poetry and literature worldwide in a given year, decade or century, and allow easy access to a wide range of Wikipedia articles about movements,...
- Al-Muizz Lideenillah
- Fatimid Caliphate