Examining the Structure and Content of the Treatise Fī Ilme Siyāsat al-Khayl Attributed to Vahab-ibn Monabbeh
Tārīkh-i pizishkī i.e., Medical History,
Vol. 18 (1405),
4 April 2026
,
Page 1-18
https://doi.org/10.22037/mhj.v18i.48626
Abstract
Background and Aim: The manuscript Siyāsat al-Khayl, attributed to Wahab ibn Munabbih, is considered a less known yet significant text within the Islamic bayṭārah (veterinary) tradition. Written in a narrative style and incorporating elements of Isrāʾīliyyāt, the work offers valuable insights into the identification of equine diseases, as well as methods for training and treating it. However, stylistic and lexical discrepancies, along with the absence of similar works by Wahab ibn Munabbih, have cast doubt on the manuscript's attribution, presenting both textual and historical challenges. This study aims to investigate the authenticity of its authorship.
Methods: This research was conducted using a historical-analytical approach and a descriptive method, relying on documentary and library sources. The research data was gathered by examining manuscript number BnF Arabe 2817 held at the National Library of France. Its content was compared and analyzed against other veterinary works from the Islamic period and against works definitively attributed to Wahab ibn Munabbih
.Ethical Considerations: In conducting this study, all data and sources were meticulously examined and documented, adhering to the principles of academic integrity and research ethics.
Results: Despite the content value of Siyāsat al-Khayl in the history of Islamic veterinary medicine, codicological and analytical evidence indicates that this work was likely compiled in a later period and does not align with the established works of Wahab ibn Munabbih. Consequently, the attribution of this work to Wahab ibn Munabbih is seriously called into question.
Conclusion: Siyāsat al-Khayl should be examined within the context of the religious-narrative discourse and the production of empirical knowledge in the later Islamic centuries and should not be considered an authentic work by Wahab ibn Munabbih.
- Siyāsat al-Khayl
- Wahab ibn Munabbih
- Islamic Veterinary
- Codicology
- Isrāʾīliyyāt
- Bayṭārah
How to Cite
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