The Stingy

Al-Jahiz is Abu Osman Amr ibn Bahr Al-Jahiz from around Kinana. He was short in stature, stern-faced, unattractive in appearance. He was nicknamed Al-Jahiz for the bulging of his eyes, meaning protruding. However, his lively spirit, witty speech, good companionship, and natural humor made his ugliness of character tolerable, and people were eager to socialize with him to enjoy his conversations and jokes. Some of these are collected in his book "The Miserly," in which he depicted the miserly in the best possible way. He did not take his depiction of the miserly from historical accounts but from their environment, especially mentioning the miserly of Basra, his hometown, and the miserly of Khorasan, particularly its capital, Merv. He did not hesitate to name the misers. He portrayed the miserly realistically, both physically and psychologically, and his cheerful, indifferent personality, inclined to sarcasm and satire, mixed seriousness, absurdity, and critique of customs and morals with humor. He highlighted their movements, anxious or tranquil gazes, psychological whims, and exposed their secrets, hidden aspects of their homes, and conversations, whether about their private or public affairs. In this book, he also described their mental states and conditions, emphasizing their greed, frugality, and tricks to prevent guests from eating. A close look at Al-Jahiz’s stories reveals short comic plays and amusing little anecdotes, funny as the story of the Merv rooster narrated by Thamama ibn Ashras. In that story, the rooster in every place picks up a grain with its beak and then spits it out in front of the hen, except for the Merv rooster, which steals the grains from the hens' beaks. Another story is that of Ramadan, the Sheikh of Ahwaz, on the ship, and how Ramadan ate the chicken alone and did not let his companion share in the journey. It also describes how the Sheikh grabbed Ramadan’s beard with his left hand, took the chicken with his right hand, and began hitting Ramadan’s head with it until it broke in his hand. The book "The Miserly" is also distinguished as a humane book, even though it does not cover all aspects of humanity. Al-Jahiz addressed human wealth, studied their psychology, morals, instincts, and habits, and made his characters human, capable of living in any time and place, as shown in his depiction of beggars.