ZAMAKHSHARI [

See also:

• ABU

Abu-1 Qasim Mahmud

See also:

• IBN

ibn `

See also:

• UMAR

Umar uz-Zamakhshari] (1074-1143)  , Arabian theologian and grammarian, was born at Zamakhshar, a village of Khwarizm, studied at Bokhara and Samarkand, and enjoyed the fellowship of the jurists of Bagdad . For many years he stayed at Mecca, from which circumstance he was known as Jdr-ullah (" God's client ") . Later he returned to Khwarizm, where he died at the capital Jurjaniyya . In theology he was a pronounced Mo'tazilite (see MAHOMMEDAN RELIGION: section Sects) . Although he used Persian for some of his works he was a strong supporter of the superiority of the Arabic language and an opponent of the Shu`ubite movement . Zamakhshari's- fame as a commentator rests upon his commentary on the Koran, called al-Kashshaf (" the Revealer ") . In spite of its Mo'tazilite theology it was famous among scholars and was the basis of the widely-read commentary of Baidhawi (q.v.) . It has been edited by W . Nassau Lees (Calcutta, 1856), and has been printed at Cairo (1890) . Various glosses on it have been written by different authors . His chief grammatical work is the Kitdb ul-mufa.sal, written about 1120 and edited by J . P .

Broch (2nd ed.,

Christiania, 1879) . Many commentaries have been written on this work, the fullest being that of Ibn Ya'ish (d . 1245), edited by G . Jahn (2 vols., Leipzig, 1876-86) . Of his lexicographical works the Kitab Mugaddimat ul-Adab was edited as Sanzachscharii Lexicon Arab . Pers . (ed . J . G . Wetzstein, 2 vols., Leipzig, 1844), and the Asds ul-balagha, a lexicon of choice words and phrases, was printed at Bulaq, 1882 . Of his adab works the Nawabigh 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 if . (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 . Weil (Stuttgart, 1863) ; and by B. de Meynard (Paris, 1876; cf. de Goeje as above) . (G .

W .