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Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali

Scholar

Birth date unknown · d. c. 688 CE · Basra

Overview

An early scholar associated with Arabic grammar and marks that helped readers pronounce the Qur’an.

Category: Scholar
Period: Birth date unknown · d. c. 688 CE

Life and setting

Abu al-Aswad lived in Basra and learned from companions including Ali. He also worked as a judge and wrote poetry. His birth date is not established.

Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam

Work and legacy

Later accounts give different explanations of how his grammar and writing work began. His contribution should be described as part of a developing tradition, rather than the single invention of all Arabic grammar.

Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam

Sources

Original concise biography based on the cited references. Historical reports, later devotional traditions and uncertain dates are distinguished where relevant.

TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam