The Lion of Jungle
The Lion of Jungle (Asad al-Ghaba) is the name of an important and reference book on Rejal science (name of an Islamic science which concerns the Prophetic traditions), written in Arabic; including the biographies of 7500 or 7703 the Prophet’s companions. The original name of the book is “The Lion of Jungle on Knowing the Companions”.
The author
####Abul Hasan Ali Sheybani Moseli, known as “ Ibn Athir”, a Shafi’I author (shafi’I is the name of one of the four branches of Sunni); (1149-1210). Living at Mosul, he was the author of traditions which became a much used standard reference work, and of a dictionary of less common words and meanings in the Prophetic traditions, which has been incorporated in Ibn Manzur’s famous dictionary “The Language of the Arabs”. He obtained the title of vizier and lived mainly at Mosul. His works are all concerned with literary criticism.
Structure of the book
Out of the 7703 companions’ biography, there are 1022 biographies of women and 6681 biographies of men. Some of them by their name, some by their nicknames and some others have been mentioned by both. The first part of the book consists of:
- Preface on the way of compiling the book, the applied sources and definition of the word companion (Sahabi), then it its continued with the Prophet’s life, the important events in his life, such as: the miracles, his lifetime death, etc.
- The chapters have been arranged alphabetically. The birth and death date of the companions, their parents, the year which they embraced to Islam, their ancestries and attending the battles all have been mentioned.
Publication
In Egypt, 1961 and 1965 (in 10 volumes)
In Beirut, 1871 (in 5 volumes)
In Tehran, 1964 (in 5 volumes)
Sources :
1- Islamic great encyclopedia
2-Islamic-Iranina works dictionary
3- Reyhanat Al-Adab