4to. approximately 450 pp., neatly hand written Arabic text, 23 lines to the page, many words and headings written or underlined in red, contemporary stamped full calf with flap, few worm holes on inner margins and lower corners of few leaves, heavier on endpapres, not affecting text, occasional spotting, inscribed by Abdul Basit ibn al-Shaykh ‘Ali al-Fakhuri al-Shafi’i al-Bayruti, 1276 A. H. / 1859.

Synopsis

Ibn Hisham al-Ansari (1309-1360), was a leading Egyptian grammarian. Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani mentioned in his book al-Durar al-Kamina that al-Ansari learned from all the great scholars of his time such as Taj al-Tabrizi, Taj al-Fakhani, Shuhab ibn Marhal and Ibn Jama’ah.
He quickly became famous for his work in the science of Arabic grammar and wrote 28 titles or works about Nahw, Sarf and Lugha:
– Mughni al-Labib ‘an Kutub al-’A’arib. (This work).
– Awdah al-Masalik ila Alfiyyat ibnMalik.
– Sharh al-Burda.
– Qatr al Nada wa-ball al-Sada and Sharh Chuzur al-Zahab.
Imam Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalani quotes ibn Khaldun saying: “Everywhere we went in Morocco we would hear that there has come from Egypt an unparalleled scholar in the science of Arabic Grammar, not even matched by Sibawayh”.