In The spread of rational branches of knowledge and Islamic Culture, 3rd century A.H. Iun. is one of the most brilliant periods in the history of Islamic Civilization. Such brilliance is of course indebted to the endeavor of numerous scholars. One such scholar is Ibn Ghutaybah Dinawari, the writer of tens of different books in Islamic fields, adab (secular erudition literature) and historiography. Among Ibn Ghutaybah's works there are several significant historical volumes such as یyun Al-Akhbar (Book of Choice narratives), Al-Ma'arif (Book of Knowledge) etc. Because of the author's prominent scholarly character and the volumes' antiquity, these books are ranked among the most important historical sources on the political, cultural, and military conditions of the first three Islamic centuries and even before. In this short essay, Ibn Ghutaybah's life and his history-related works are briefly dealt with.
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