ABSTRACT
Al-Haytham b. ‘Adiyy (d. 821) is the first known writer on the topic of people with disabilities in Islam.1 As described by his biographers, al-Haytham was an expert on people’s flaws (mathālib) and exploits (manāqib).2 Among his compilations is Kitāb al-Haytham b. ‘Adiyy, in which he recorded a number of luminaries categorized on the basis of their disabilities. The version of this compilation currently available is in the form of an appendix to the book on the same topic by the well-known man of letters, al-Jāḥiẓ (d. 868-69).3 Al-Jāḥiẓ criticized al-Haytham’s approach of mentioning the names or retelling the stories of people with disabilities for the sole purpose of entertainment.4 Writing on people with disabilities, al-Jāḥiẓ confirms, should rather have edifying goals, such as demonstrating their spirit of challenge and elaborating the lessons and admonitions to be learnt from their life experiences.5
