Zamakhshari [Abu-1 Qasim Mahmud ibn 'Umar uz-Zamakhshari] (1070 (?)-1143) was a Persian learned man of medieval times. He wrote among others the Persian vocabulary called Muqaddimat al-adab. He lived in the central-Asian town of Khiva (then Persia).

He is best know for his commentary of the Qur'an He was born at Zamakhshar, a village of Khwarizm, studied at Bukhara and Samarkand, and enjoyed the fellowship of the jurists of Baghdad. For many years he stayed at Mecca, from which circumstance he was known as Jar-idlah (" God's client "). Later he returned to Khwarizm, where he died at the capital Jurjaniyya. In theology he was a pronounced Mo'tazilite. Although he used Persian for some of his works he was a strong supporter of the use of the Arabic language (scientific language of the Muslim Empire) and an opponent of the anti-Arab Shu'ubite movement. Zamakhshari's- fame as a commentator rests upon his commentary on the Qur'an, called al-Kashshaf (" the Revealer "). In spite of its Mu'tazili theology it was famous among scholars and was the basis of the widely-read commentary of Baidhawi (Of his lexicographical works the Pishraw-i adab (Kitab Muqaddimat ul-Adab) was edited as Samachscharii Lexicon Arab. Pers. (ed. J. G. Wetzstein, 2 vols., Leipzig, 1844), and the Asas ul-balagha, a lexicon of choice words and phrases, was printed at Bulaq, 1882. Of his adab works the Nawdbigh ul-kalim, an anthology, was edited by H. A. Schultens (Leiden, 1772), by B. de Meynard in the Journal asiatique, ser. 7, vol. vi., pp. 313 ff. (cf. M. de Goeje in Zeitschr. d. deutsch. morg. Gesellschaft, vol. xxx. pp. 569 ff.). The Atwaq -udh-Dhahab was edited by J. von Hammer-Purgstall (Vienna, 1835); by H. L. Fleischer (Leipzig, 1835); by G. Well (Stuttgart, 1863); and by B. de Meynard (Paris, 1876; cf. de Goeje as above). (G. W. T.)

References

• ZAMAKHSHARI. LoveToKnow 1911 Online Encyclopedia. © 2003, 2004 LoveToKnow.

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External links

• Medieval Sourcebook: Zamakhshari