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The Diwan of Sermons of Ibn Nubata

By Ibn Nubata al-Fariqi, 'preacher of preachers'

ديوان خطب ابن نباتة

The collection of Friday and occasional sermons composed by Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata al-Fariqi (335–374 AH), preacher of Aleppo under the Hamdanid Sayf al-Dawla. It is arranged as sermons on the hereafter; sermons for the seasons, such as the new year, Ashura, the Prophet ﷺ's death in Rabi' al-Awwal and the farewell to Ramadan; sermons on jihad; and festival and marriage sermons. It is written in rhymed prose; al-'Ukbari, al-Kindi, 'Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi and others wrote commentaries on it, and men of letters often quoted and criticised it 1 2.

Depth

At a glance

Era
Abbasid Fragmentation
Region
Levant & Iraq

Worship and the pillarsEthics and character

Summary

The Diwan al-Khutab is the collected sermons of Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Nubata al-Fariqi, called "the preacher of preachers", preacher of Aleppo in the service of Sayf al-Dawla ibn Hamdan. 3 His notice, taken from Ibn Khallikan, says men of letters agreed that "nothing like them was ever composed". It adds that Sayf al-Dawla campaigned often, "so the preacher composed many sermons on jihad to urge people to it". 3

Contents

  • In this edition the sermons are grouped as follows: sermons on the hereafter; sermons on death; sermons for the seasons, such as the new year and the merit of Ashura; "a sermon recalling the death of the Messenger of God", given in Rabi' al-Awwal; the farewell to Ramadan; sermons on jihad; the sermon of the Day of Sacrifice; and marriage sermons. 1 4
  • Each sermon opens with praise in paired rhymed phrases, then the testimony of faith and the blessing on the Prophet, then "O people" and the exhortation, and closes with a verse. 5 6
  • Among the jihad sermons is one "on jihad and calming the people after an alarm and fear that befell them when the enemy took Aleppo in Dhu al-Qa'da 351 AH". In it he reminds his hearers of God's promise of victory. 7
  • The commentator says the preacher composed some sermons at sixteen, namely those he delivered in 351 AH. 8

The "Dream Sermon"

In the notice taken from Ibn Khallikan, Taj al-Din al-Kindi relates with his chain to Ibn Nubata that he composed a sermon about the dead in their graves and gave it on a Friday. That night he dreamt he saw the Prophet among the graves outside Mayyafariqin, and the Prophet called him "preacher of preachers"; the sermon is therefore known as al-Manamiyya, "the Dream Sermon". The story rests on al-Kindi's chain and is given here as a report. 9

Commentaries and criticism

  • The commentator lists commentaries on the Diwan. They are by Abu al-Baqa' al-'Ukbari (d. 616 AH), Taj al-Din al-Kindi (d. 613 AH), and 'Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi (d. 629 AH), who answered al-Kindi's objections. Further ones are by 'Uthman ibn Yusuf al-Qalyubi (d. 644 AH), one called Rawdat al-Nasihin, one by Sari al-Din ibn Hani', and a brief one by Najm al-Din al-Barizi. Al-Qarafi also wrote a book answering questions raised about the sermons. 10
  • He notes that Diya' al-Din ibn al-Athir quoted the sermons in al-Mathal al-Sa'ir and criticised some of their words. Ibn al-Athir also objected that in most of their rhymed phrases the two members say the same thing. The commentator disputes this requirement, citing Abu Hilal al-'Askari on the schools of eloquence. 11

This edition

It was printed at the Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut in 1319 AH at the charge of al-Sayyid 'Abd al-Basit al-Unsi, with a philological commentary by Shaykh Tahir al-Jaza'iri, and is followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad. 12

Connections

Explore the connections

Authored by
Ibn Nubata al-Fariqi, 'preacher of preachers'
Mentions
Sayf al-Dawla· Aleppo

People and things also explored

Ibn Nubata al-Fariqi, 'preacher of preachers'· Sayf al-Dawla· Aleppo· Byzantine capture of Aleppo· Al-Mutanabbi joins Sayf al-Dawla at Aleppo, 337/948· Al-Mutanabbi's secret flight from Aleppo, c. 346/958· Abu Dawud's wider journey: Egypt, the Jazira, Harran and Aleppo· the Ayyubid shuffle — al-Adil to Aleppo, al-Aziz to Egypt

Sources

  1. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 5-13
  2. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 14-18
  3. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 14
  4. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , p. 133-136
  5. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , p. 3
  6. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , p. 136-137
  7. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , p. 191-192
  8. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 15
  9. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 14-15
  10. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 16-17
  11. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 17-18
  12. Diwan of the sermons of the 'preacher of preachers' Abu Yahya 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, followed by the sermons of his son Abu Tahir Muhammad — with a commentary by Shaykh Tahir Afandi al-Jaza'iri, Matba'at Jaridat Bayrut, Beirut 1319 AH , front 25
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The Diwan of Sermons of Ibn Nubata”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/work/diwan-khutab-ibn-nubata/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-06.

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Ibn Nubata al-Fariqi, 'preacher of preachers'

Abu Yahya Ibn Nabbata al-Fariqi (d. 374, before forty) — 'preacher of preachers', Sayf al-Dawla's khatib at Aleppo whose sermons on jihad were said to be unmatched; he heard part of al-Mutanabbi's diwan.