IBN QUTAIBA or KOTAIBA [Abu Mohammed ibn Mus lim ibn Qutaiba] (828-889), Arabian writer, was born at Baghdad or Kufa, and was of Iranian descent. He became cadi in Dinawar and afterwards teacher in Baghdad, where he died. He was the first representative of the eclectic school of Baghdad philologists that succeeded the schools of Kufa and Basra. (See ARABIA : Litera ture, section "Grammar.") Although engaged also in theological polemic (cf. I. Goldziher, Mujiammedanische Studien, ii. 136, Halle, 189o), his chief works were directed to the training of the ideal secretary. Of these five form a series. The Adab ul-Katib ("Training of the Secretary") contains instruction in writing and is a compendium of Arabic style. It has been edited by Max Griinert (Leyden, 1900). The Kitab ush-Shareib is still in ms. The Kitab ul-Ma`arif has been edited by F. Wiistenfeld as the Handbuch der Geschichte (Gottingen, 185o, summary in E. G. Browne, A Literary History of Persia, 1902) ; the Kiteib ush-Shi`r wash-Shu`arai ("Book of Poetry and Poets") edited by M. J. de Goeje (Leyden, 1904). The fifth and most important is the `Uydn ul-Akhbeir, which deals with lordship, war, nobility, char acter, science and eloquence, asceticism, friendship, requests, foods and women, with many illustrations from history, poetry and proverb (ed. C. Brockelmann, Leyden, 190o sqq.) .
For other works see C. Brockelmann, Gesch. der arabischen Literatur, vol. i. (Weimar, 1898) .