Yunus ibn Habib
An early literary critic and expert on poetry, Ibn Habib's criticisms of poetry were known, along with those of contemporaries such as Al-Asma'i, as a litmus test for measuring later writers' eloquence. Medieval historian Ibn Khallikan mentions three possible tribes that he belonged to, two possible dates of birth and two possible ages at the time of his death. He never married nor did he ever take a mistress, having devoted all of his life to either studying or teaching.
Yunus ibn Habib
- Name
- Yunus ibn Habib
- Birth Name
- Abu Abd al-Rahman Yunus ibn Habib al-Dabi
- Died
- After 183 AH/798 AD[^1^][1]
- Occupation
- Linguist
- Known for
- Arabic language, literary criticism, poetry
- Born
- 699
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Documentary summary
An early literary critic and expert on poetry, Ibn Habib's criticisms of poetry were known, along with those of contemporaries such as Al-Asma'i, as a litmus test for measuring later writers' eloquence. Medieval historian Ibn Khallikan mentions three possible tribes that he belonged to, two possible dates of birth and two possible ages at the time of his death. He never married nor did he ever take a mistress, having devoted all of his life to either studying or teaching.
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wikidata · Q8061399 · wikipedia · Yunus ibn Habib
In this article
Biography
Biography
His notable teachers include: Hammad ibn Salamah from whom he took knowledge in Arabic grammar, Al-Akhfash al-Akbar and Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala'. His students include Sibawayh, Al-Kisa'i, Yaḥyá ibn Ziyād al-Farrāʼ and Abu ʿUbaidah. Abu Ubaida once remarked that he attended the lessons of Ibn Habib every day for forty years, and every day he left with pages of notes copied from what Ibn Habib dictated from memory. Sibawayhi, considered the father of Arabic grammar despite being Persian, quoted Ibn Habib 217 times in his famous Kitab, Ibn Habib is one of two figures (the other being Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi) regarded as Sibawayhi's formative teachers.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Yunus ibn Habib • Native Name — أبو عبد الرحمن يونس بن حبيب الضبي • Birth Name — Abu Abd al-Rahman Yunus ibn Habib al-Dabi • Died — After 183 AH/798 AD[^1^][1] • Occupation — Linguist • Known for — Arabic language, literary criticism, poetry • Notable Works — * Kitāb maʻānī al-Qurʼān (كتاب معاني القرآن) • Kitāb al-lughāt (كتاب اللغات) • Kitāb al-nawādir al-kabīr (كتاب النوادر الكبير) • Kitāb al-nawādir al-ṣaghīr (كتاب النوادر الصغير) • Kitāb al-amthāl (كتاب الأمثال)
Works
Works
List of known works by Yunus ibn Habib: • Kitāb maʻānī al-Qurʼān (كتاب معاني القرآن) • Kitāb al-lughāt (كتاب اللغات) • Kitāb al-nawādir al-kabīr (كتاب النوادر الكبير) • Kitāb al-nawādir al-ṣaghīr (كتاب النوادر الصغير) • Kitāb al-amthāl (كتاب الأمثال)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
699
Yunus ibn Habib born.
799
Yunus ibn Habib died at Basra.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Yunus ibn Habib”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q8061399: Yunus ibn Habib
General reference · Wikidata
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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