Research Article

Abū Ḥayyān’s Tuhfat al-ʾarīb: A Lexicographical Link Between Andalusia and the Eastern Islamic World

Number: 55 April 30, 2026
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Abū Ḥayyān’s Tuhfat al-ʾarīb: A Lexicographical Link Between Andalusia and the Eastern Islamic World

Abstract

This paper re-examines the lexicographical method of Abū Ḥayyān al-Andalusī in Tuḥfat al-ʿarīb, a concise lexicon of the Qur’an. Unlike the established traditions of arranging entries either by the initial letter or according to the rhyme system that organises words by their final letter, Tuḥfat al-ʿarīb employs both the first and final letters in its ordering. Scholars have long debated the perceived irregularities in the arrangement of entries by final letters, often attributing them to authorial oversight or scribal error. This study challenges that view, arguing that Abū Ḥayyān intentionally adopted two alphabetical systems, namely, the Mashriqī order for the first letters and the Maghribī order (popular among Andalusian and North African scholars) for the final letters. Drawing on a review of existing scholarship and a content analysis of Tuḥfat al-ʿarīb, supported by graphical representations of its lexical patterns, the paper demonstrates that this dual system is, far from an error, a deliberate methodological choice. The findings suggest that Abū Ḥayyān’s synthesis of Maghribī and Mashriqī traditions may be a representation of his own transregional scholarly identity, which bridges Andalusia and Cairo. Thus, the Qur’anic lexicon, Tuḥfat al-ʿarīb, may be regarded as a subtle intellectual unification of the Islamic East and West.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This study was supported by Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under project number SBA-2024-13906.

Project Number

SBA-2024-13906

Ethical Statement

Some of the information in this article is taken from the text presented under the title "Bilinmeyen Yön ve Uzanımlarıyla Ebû Hayyân’ın Tuhfetü’l-Erîb Adlı Eseri" at the "International Symposium on Arabic Language, Literature and Rhetoric Studies in the 8th/14th Century" held in Istanbul on December 6-7, 2024, and published in Arabic under the title "al-Ab'ad al-Majhula fi al-Nizami alladhi Tabbaqahu Abu Hayyan fi Kitabihi Tuhfat al-Arib" in the book "min al-Balagha ila al-Sharh wa al-Ta'wil" (IRCICA, Istanbul 2025, pp. 279-304).

Thanks

We would like to acknowledge the support of Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit.

References

  1. Abū Ḥayyān al-Andalusī, Muḥammad b. Yūsuf b. ʿAlī b. Yūsuf b. Ḥayyān. Tartīb tuḥfat al-ʾarīb bimā fī l-Qurʾān min al-gharīb. critical ed. Dāwud Sallūm, Nūrī Ḥammūdī al-Qaysī. Beirut: ʿĀlim al-Kutub, 1986.
  2. Abū Ḥayyān al-Andalusī, Muḥammad b. Yūsuf b. ʿAlī b. Yūsuf b. Ḥayyān. Tuḥfat al-ʾarīb bimā fī l-Qurʾān min al-gharīb. critical ed. Muḥammad Saʿīd b. Muṣṭafā al-Wardī. Hama: Maṭbaʿat al-Ikhlāṣ, 1926.
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  7. Bozkurt, Beyzanur. Ebû Hayyân El-Endelüsî’nin Tefsir Ilminin Sınırlarına Dair Görüşleri. Kayseri: Erciyes University, Masters Thesis, 2024.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Tafsir

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 30, 2026

Submission Date

November 1, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 9, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 55

APA
Karagöz, M., & Oyelami, I. S. (2026). Abū Ḥayyān’s Tuhfat al-ʾarīb: A Lexicographical Link Between Andalusia and the Eastern Islamic World. Bilimname, 55, 79-97. https://izlik.org/JA49CD96WP