Al-Amali by Abu 'Ali al-Qali: The Adab Encyclopedia of the 4th Islamic Century

Who Was Abu 'Ali al-Qali?

Abu 'Ali Isma'il ibn al-Qasim al-Qali (280–356 AH) studied in Baghdad, then moved to Cordoba at the invitation of Caliph 'Abd al-Rahman al-Nasir, where he founded an entire Andalusian literary school.

What "Amali" Means

Amali (literally "dictations") refers to teaching sessions where a shaykh dictates from memory and students record what they hear. Al-Qali's Amali consists of about 72 such sessions delivered in Cordoba, later revised and published with a supplement (Al-Dhayl).

What's Inside

• Selected poetry from the Jahili, Umayyad, and Abbasid periods
• Anecdotes of eloquent speakers
• Linguistic curiosities and derivations
• Arabic proverbs with their occasion of origin
• Wisdom sayings

Sample Passages

Al-Qali quotes a Bedouin's letter answering a rebuke:

"When blame multiplies, it breeds resentment. When resentment sets in, it breeds estrangement. So be moderate in your rebukes, brother."

And a proverb: "He returned with Hunayn's two shoes"; used for someone whose scheming brings back nothing but disappointment.

Value to Modern Readers

• Direct access to pre-modern Arabic prose in its purest form.
• Model memorized verses for essay-writing citations.
• Excellent test cases for Arabic i'rab practice.

Read the full Arabic version: «أمالي أبي علي القالي»

Keywords: Al-Amali, Abu Ali al-Qali, Andalusian Arabic literature, adab, classical Arabic anecdotes.