“The ornament of generous people”. A literary anthology on generosity in pre-modern Arabic culture

“Ḥilyat al-Kuramāʾ” is a literary anthology on the theme of generosity penned by the Egyptian cadi and man of letter Ibn Abī al-ʿĪd al-Sakhāwī al-Mālikī (d. 895/ 1489). This anthology can be added to the list of titles devoted to generosity, like the pseudo-al-Tanūḫī’s Al- Mustaǧād min Faʿālāt al- Aǧwād. Moreover, the edifying purpose of “Ḥilyat al-Kuramāʾ” makes it not only a literary exercise but also an act of “militant charity” urging the readers to generosity, charity, and assistance of poor people, thus being a sample of ”ethical adab” (instructing the readers and urging them to virtuous behavior by showing them apt examples in the form of narratives) intensely practiced in Arabic literature.