Beha Ud-Din Zuhair
BEHA UD-DIN ZUHAIR (Abu-l Faḍl Zuhair Ibn Mahommed Al-Muhallabi) (1186-1258), Arabian poet, was born at or near Mecca, and became celebrated as the best writer of prose and verse and the best calligraphist of his time. He entered the service of Malik uṣ-Salih Najm ud-Din in Mesopotamia, and was with him at Damascus until he was betrayed and imprisoned. Beha ud-Din then retired to Nablus (Shechem) where he remained until Najm ud-Din escaped and obtained possession of Egypt, whither he accompanied him in 1240. There he remained as the sultan's confidential secretary until his death, due to an epidemic, in 1258. His poetry consists mostly of panegyric and brilliant occasional verse distinguished for its elegance. It has been published with English metrical translation by E.H. Palmer (2 vols., Cambridge, 1877).
His life was written by his contemporary Ibn Khallikan (see M'G. de Slane's trans. of his Biographical Dictionary, vol. i. pp. 542-545).
(G. W. T.)
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
