Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani

Badi' al-Zamān al-Hamadānī (969–1007) was a medieval Arab poet and writer. His fame rests on the *Maqamat Badi' az-Zaman al-Hamadhani*, a cycle of 52 stories about a rogue named Abu al-Fath al-Iskandari, told by the narrator 'Isa b. Hisham. His nisba, al-Hamadhani, points to his birthplace, Hamadan. His laqab, Badi' al-Zaman, means “The Wonder of the Age.”

Details of his early life are scarce, with the main account coming from al-Tha'alibi; later biographies depend on this source. Born and educated in Hamadan, Iran, he was of Arab descent, tracing his lineage to the Taghlib tribe. At age 22, in 990, he left home to travel to scholarly centers, a common practice for educated young Arab men. His first stop was Rayy, possibly to meet his former teacher Ahmed Ibn Faris (or Abdul Husain ibn Faris, per Prendergast). There he gained the patronage of Dihkhuda Abu Aid Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Isma. He then moved to Jurjan, where he began writing maqamat and found an appreciative audience.

In 992, he traveled to Nishapur in Khorasan, then under Samanid rule and a literary hub. His time there was mixed: highwaymen robbed him several times, but his literary output increased. He competed with al-Khawrizmi, eventually falling out with him, and achieved great fame in Nishapur. After the Ghaznavids conquered the city, he left and resumed traveling, stopping at Sarakhs, Tus, and Marw. Early sources like al-Tha'alibi suggest he also visited Sijistan and Ghazna, but evidence is thin, and scholars caution these visits may be legendary.

In 993, he stopped at Zaranj, where the Saffarid ruler Abu Ahmad Khalaf ibn Ahmad received him. Al-Hamadani intended to eulogize the ruler and was well rewarded. His movements after Zaranj are unclear. He eventually settled in Bushanj, near Herat, marrying into the family of the noble Abu-'Ali Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Khushnami. His literary output declined during this period. In Herat, he came under the protection of Abu'l-Hasan Isfaraini, vizier to Mahmud of Ghazni. He died in Herat at age forty, known for his remarkable memory, fluent speech, and pure language.

His letters were first published in Constantinople in 1881, with a commentary in Beirut in 1890; his maqamas appeared in Constantinople and with commentary in Beirut in 1889. Selected letters appear in works like Silvestre de Sacy's *Chrestomathie arabe* (vol. iii, 2nd ed., Paris, 1827), which includes six maqamas with French translation and notes. A German translation of selected letters is in A. von Kremer's *Culturgeschichte des Orients* (ii. 470 ff.).

Al-Hamadani wrote poetry, and many of his letters survive. He is generally credited as the originator of the maqama genre. His maqamat used anecdotes from 9th-century writers like al-Jahiz and al-Taniikhi, but introduced a narrator. His innovation was applying *saj'* (rhymed prose) to secular anecdotes; previously, *saj'* was limited to religious and political works. Later writers, notably al-Hariri of Basra a century later, elevated the maqama into a major literary form.

Fifty-two of his maqamat survive in manuscripts. Each is a complete story, often collected with an overarching theme. Each story features two main characters: the narrator, usually Isa ibn Hisham, and the protagonist, usually Abu al-Fath of Alexandria, a rogue and trickster. Other characters, sometimes historical figures, appear in different stories. The anecdotes tapped into a growing interest in Arabic low-life, especially beggars, tricksters, and criminals. The maqama follows a loose seven-part structure: isnad, general introduction, link, episode (the narrative core), recognition scene, envoi, and finale. Stylistically, it uses *saj'*, a polished, elaborate prose. Parts may be in verse, others in unrhymed literary prose; most verse was borrowed from notable poets.