Diwan
Ibn Hani’s collection of poems in praise of the Fatimids. Beside providing biographical information on the author, the poems cover religious topics, such as the imamat and its validity. They also deal with issues of a political nature and address polemics against the Fatimids by their Ummayad, ‘Abbasid and Byzantine rivals. The poems were composed over a long period of time. The earliest goes back to 347-8/958-9, written in honour of the general Jawhar, who was to mastermind the conquest of Egypt on behalf of the Imam-caliph al-Mu‘izz. Most of the poems are dedicated to the Imam-caliph al-Mu‘izz himself as well as to Ja‘far b. ‘Ali al-Andalusi and his family. Ja‘far had been brought up at the court of al-Mahdiyya and was the Imam-caliph’s foster-brother.
Copied in the first quarter of the 14th/20th century); copyist unknown.
162 leaves; 13 couplets per page; 198 x 132 mm; elegant black naskhi on multicoloured patterned paper, partially within blue and red frames; headings, words and partly marginal annotations in red; corrections and additions in the margins.
Ms. 1149 (ArI, ZA)