كُنْيَتُهُHis agnomenأَبُوAbuعُثْمَانَUthmanعَمْرُوAmrبْنُson ofبَحْرِBahrبْنِson ofمَحْبُوبٍMahbubالْكِنَانِيُّAl-KinaniاللَّيْثِيُّAl-Laithi
His agnomen is Abu Uthman Amr bin Bahr bin Mahbub Al-Kinani Al-Laithi,
مِنْfromبَنِيthe tribe ofكِنَانَةَKinana,بْنِson ofخُزَيْمَةَKhuzaimahمِنْfromمُضَرَMudar.
from the tribe of Kinana, son of Khuzaimah from Mudar.
وُلِدَHe was bornفِيinالْبَصْرَةِBasraسَنَةَin the year١٦٠160هـAHتَقْرِيباًapproximately.
He was born in Basra around the year 160 AH.
وَلُقِّبَAnd he was nicknamedبِالْجَاحِظِAl-Jahizلِجُحُوظٍdue to prominenceفِيinعَيْنَيْهِhis eyes.
And he was nicknamed Al-Jahiz due to prominence in his eyes.
نَشَأَGrew upالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizفِيinبَيْتٍa houseمُتَوَاضِعٍmodestمِنْfromأَبَوَيْنِparentsفَقِيرَيْنِpoor.
Al-Jahiz grew up in a modest house from poor parents.
وَلَمْAnd did notيَتَحَدَّثِspeakالرُّواةُthe narratorsعَنْaboutأَبِيهِhis father,
And the narrators did not speak about his father,
وَإِنَّمَاbut ratherذَكَرُواthey mentionedجَدَّهُhis grandfatherالَّذِيwhoكَانَwasيَعْمَلُworkingجَمَّالاًas a camel driverعِنْدَatبَنِيthe tribe ofكِنَانَةَKinana.
but rather they mentioned his grandfather who used to work as a camel driver for Banu Kinana.
تُوُفِّيَPassed awayأَبُوهُhis fatherوَهُوَwhile he wasطِفْلٌa child,
His father passed away while he was a child,
فَتَعَهَّدَتْهُso she took care of himأُمُّهُhis mother,
so his mother took care of him,
فَكَانَso it wasلَاnotبُدَّavoidableأَنْthatيَحْيَاhe livesفِيinعَوْزٍneedوَضِيقٍand hardship.
so he inevitably had to live in need and hardship.
وَرَاحَAnd he wentيَبِيعُsellingالسَّمَكَfishوَالْخُبْزَand breadارْتِزَاقاًto earn a livingعَلَىonضِفافِthe banks ofنَهْرِriverسَيْحَانَSihanفِيinالْبَصْرَةِBasra.
And he began selling fish and bread to earn a living on the banks of the Sihan River in Basra.
كَانَHe wasمَيَّالاًinclinedمُنْذُsinceحَدَاثَتِهِhis youthإِلَىtowardsالدِّرَاسَةِstudyوَالْعُلُومِand sciences,
He was inclined since his youth towards study and sciences,
فَأَكَبَّso he devoted himselfعَلَىtoالْعِلْمِknowledgeيَطْلُبُهُseeking itبِرَغْبَةٍwith desireشَدِيدَةٍintense,
so he devoted himself to seeking knowledge with intense desire,
فَصَارَso he beganيَخْتَلِفُfrequentingإِلَىtoبَعْضِsomeالْكَاتِيبِkuttabs (primary schools),وَحَلَقَاتِand circlesالْمَسْجِدَيْنِof the two mosquesفِيinالْبَصْرَةِBasra,
so he began frequenting some elementary schools and the circles of the two mosques in Basra,
ثُمَّthenفِيinالْمِرْبَدِAl-Mirbad,
then in Al-Mirbad,
وَهُوَand it isسُوقٌa marketقُرْبَnearالْبَصْرَةِBasraكَانَthat wasفِيinالْإِسْلَامِIslamكَسُوقِlike the market ofعُكَاظَUkazفِيinالْجَاهِلِيَّةِthe pre-Islamic era.
and it was a market near Basra that in Islam was like the market of Ukaz in the pre-Islamic era.
وَكَانَAnd wasالْمِرْبَدُAl-Mirbadمَيْدَانَthe arena ofالتَّنَافُسِcompetitionبَيْنَbetweenالْخُطَبَاءِthe oratorsوَالشُّعَرَاءِand poets.
And Al-Mirbad was the arena of competition between orators and poets.
فَاکْتَسَبَSo he acquiredالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizعِلْماًknowledgeوَثَقَافَةًand cultureوَمَعْرِفَةًand awareness.
So Al-Jahiz acquired knowledge, culture, and awareness.
وَتَلَقَّىAnd he receivedالْعُلُومَthe sciencesوَالْآدَابَand literatureعَلَىatأَيْدِيthe hands ofجَمَاعَةٍa groupمِنْofكِبَارِseniorأَسَاتِذَةِprofessors ofالْعَصْرِthe eraوَأُدَبَائِهِand its literatiوَمُفَكِّرِيهِand its thinkers,
And he received the sciences and literature at the hands of a group of senior professors of the era, its literati, and its thinkers,
فَغَدَاso he becameطَالِبَa student ofعِلْمٍknowledgeلِلْأَخْفَشِto Al-Akhfash,وَالْأَصْمَعِيِّand Al-Asma'i,وَأَبِيand AbuعُبَيْدَةَUbaidah,وَأَبِيand AbuزَيْدٍZaydالْأَنْصَارِيِّAl-Ansari,
so he became a student of knowledge under Al-Akhfash, Al-Asma'i, Abu Ubaidah, and Abu Zayd Al-Ansari,
يَدْرُسُstudyingعَلَيْهِمْunder themوَيَتَعَمَّقُand deepeningبِعُلُومِهِمْin their sciencesوَمِنْand thenثُمَّafterwardsيَنْتَقِلُmovingإِلَىtoحَلَقَةِthe circle ofإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimبْنِbinسَيَّارٍSyyarفَيَتَأَثَّرُso he is influencedبِهِby him,
studying under them and deepening his knowledge in their sciences, and then moving to the circle of Ibrahim bin Syyar, thus being influenced by him,
وَيَضْحَىand he becomesوَاحِداًoneمِنَofالْمُعْتَزِلَةِthe Mutazilaكَأُسْتَاذِهِlike his teacherالنَّظَّامِAn-NazzamالْبَلْخِيِّAl-Balkhiأَحَدِone ofأَئِمَّةِthe imams ofالْمُفَكِّرِينَthinkers,وَشَيْخاًand a masterلِلْمُعْتَزِلَةِfor the Mutazilaفِيinذَاكَthatالْعَصْرِera.
and he becomes one of the Mutazila like his teacher An-Nazzam Al-Balkhi, one of the leading thinkers and a master of the Mutazila in that era.
وَكَانَتِAnd wasالْمُعْتَزِلَةُthe Mutazilaتُؤْمِنُbelievingبِالْعَقْلِin reason,
And the Mutazila believed in reason,
كَمَاjust asكَانَwasعِلْمُthe science ofالْكَلَامِKalam (theology)وَالْجَدَلُand dialecticsمَوْضُوعَthe subject ofكُلِّeveryمَجْلِسٍgatheringوَكُلِّand everyمُنْتَدًىforum,
just as the science of Kalam and dialectics was the subject of every gathering and every forum,
فَنَزَعَso inclinedالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizنَزْعَةًwith an inclinationاعْتِزَالِيَّةًMutazilite...وَإِذَاand ifكَانَwereأَسَاتِذَةُprofessors ofعَصْرِهِhis eraقَدْto haveطَبَّعُواimprintedالْجَاحِظَAl-Jahizبِمِيزَاتٍwith traitsفِكْرِيَّةٍintellectualوَأَدَبِيَّةٍand literaryوَلُغَوِيَّةٍand linguisticوَعِلْمِيَّةٍand scientificفَرِيدَةٍunique,
so Al-Jahiz leaned toward a Mutazilite inclination... And if the professors of his era had imprinted Al-Jahiz with unique intellectual, literary, linguistic, and scientific traits,
فَإِنَّthen indeedالْمُعْتَزِلَةَthe Mutazilaتَرَكَتْleftآثَارَهَاits effectsالْعَقْلِيَّةَrationalعَمِيقَةًdeepفِيinكِتَابَاتِهِhis writings,وَطَرَائِقِand methodsتَفْكِيرِهِof his thinkingوَتَأَالِيفِهِand his compositions.
then the Mutazila left their deep rational effects in his writings, methods of thinking, and compositions.
وَبَاتَAnd becameلَهُfor himنَمَطٌa patternوَاضِحٌclearثَابِتٌfirm,يُسْتَدَلُّdeducedعَلَيْهِfrom itمِنْbyكُتُبِهِhis booksوَمِنْand fromمَوْضُوعَاتِهِhis subjects.
And he came to have a clear, firm pattern, which is deduced from his books and his subjects.