Section Two...

Section Two: Other Renowned Shi'ah Lexicologists Other renowned Shi'ah lexicologists who are known to surpass others, include: Ibn al–Sikkit: Abu al–Abbas Tha’lab says: “Our companions unanimously declare that, after Ibn al–A‘rabi, Ibn al–Sikkit was the most learned in lexicology.” He was killed by al–Mutawakkil because of being a Shi'ah, a fact that was known to all. Ibn al–Sikkit lived to the age of fifty–eight. His martyrdom occurred in the year 244.

Other reports put the year of his death at 246 or 243. His books include Islah al–Mantiq (Reformation of Speech), about which al–Mubarrad said “Of all the books of language that have been carried over the bridge of Baghdad, none equals Islah al–Mantiq .” His other works are Kitab al–Alfaz (Book of Expressions), Kitab al–Zibrij (Book of Embellishment), Kitab al–Amthal (Book of Proverbs), Kitab al–Maqsur wa al–Mamdud (Book of nouns ending in the shortened form of the letter alif which is written on the letter ‘ ya’ ( maqsur ) and nouns ending in the letter ‘ hamzah ’ preceded by alif ( mamdud ), Kitab al–Ajnas (Book of Genera–which is a large book), Kitab al–Firaq (Book of Sects), Kitab al–Suruj wa al–Lijam (Book of Saddles and Harnesses), Kitab al–Wuhush (Book of Wild Animals), Kitab al–Ibil (Book of Camels), Kitab al–Nawadir (Book of Rarities), Kitab Ma'ani al–Shi'r (Book of the Meanings of Poetry (two versions: small and big), Kitab Sariqat al–Shi'r (Book of Plagiarism in Poetry), Kitab Fa'al wa Af'al (Book of the Verb Forms Fa’a’la and Af’a’la ), Kitab al–Hasharat (Book of Insects), Kitab al–Aswat (Book of Sounds), Kitab al–Addad (Book of Opposites) and Kitab al–Shajr wa al–Ghabat (Book of Trees and Forests) It is noteworthy that he wrote all these books besides what he narrated from al–Ridha’, al–Jawad and al–Hadi (‘a).

Another was Abu al–Abbas al–Mubarrad al–Azdi, the famous Basran lexicologist. It is stated in Riyad al–Ulama in the chapter on surnames “Al–Mubarrad is Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Abd al–Akbar, the venerable master grammarian and philologist, the prominent Shi'ah whose word holds authority for both sects. He was the author of Al–Kamil and other works also. We have seen Al–Kamil in Constantinople in the library of endowments. This book treats many important topics.

Al–Mubarrad died in 285 or 286 in Baghdad. The author of Al–Raudat gives a similar account about al–Mubarrad.