Al-ighnari was an 11th century agronomist from Granada who wrote an influential agricultural treatise called "Book of the Glory of the Garden and Recreation of the Minds". The treatise covered various topics related to agriculture including cultivation techniques for different crops, grafting, distilling rose water, and domestic economy. It provided practical guidance and drew on Al-ighnari's experiments in royal gardens as well as his travels across North Africa and the Middle East. The treatise was a key work in Andalusian agronomy.

1. Al- ighnarīṬ
(11th
Century)
Abū ‘Abd Allāh Mu ammad ibn Mālik al-Murrī, Al- ighnarī, was born in Granadaḥ Ṭ
some time during the second half of the 11th century.
He was an accomplished agronomist,
He wrote a remarkable agricultural treatise entitled
Kitāb zuhrat al-bustān wa-nuzhat al-adhhān,
‘Book of the glory of the garden and recreation of the minds’.
He conducted various agricultural experiments in the royal gardens of the
Al- umādi īya palace.Ṣ ḥ
Later, having made the pilgrimage to Makkah and travelled through various parts of
North Africa and the East, he returned to Al-Andalus,where he became part of
Ibn Ba āl’s circle of agronomists and botanists.ṣṣ

2. Kitāb zuhrat al-bustān wa-nuzhat al-adhhān,
Though less than half the original work survives,
Al ighnarī’sṬ Zuhrat emerges as one of the clearest and most systematic of
the Andalusi agronomical treatises.
In general it follows the form and content of its predecessors but includes
an astronomical and meteorological calendar, valuable linguistic,
toponymic and botanical information, and, at the end of each profile on a
particular plant or tree, a section on its properties, both beneficial and
harmful, from a therapeutic and dietary perspective.

3. The Zuhrat, therefore, is very much both a theoretical treatise and a
practical manual.It covers following information related to agronomy:
Agricultural calendar of an astronomical and meteorological nature which
includes references to local traditions, the experiences of farmers, etc.
Soils: the nature of the ground; ascertaining its fertility by its colour; the
types of soils appropriate for each crop.
Manures and fertilizers: types suited to each plant and soil.
Hydrology: the different kinds of water; methods for assessing its proximity
or remoteness.
Brief recommendations, on the factors, both physical and moral, that
should be considered when choosing workers and farm managers.
A series of general practical rules for farmers: land types most suitable for
each crop, optimum times for sowing, the treatment of pests, and ways to
suppress weeds.

4. Grafting and all there is to know about it:
selection of shoots for grafting; types of graft;
a description of the tools used in grafting;
the sympathy of some trees to others in relation to grafting;
detailed instructions on performing the different kinds of graft:
the saw graft (našar), notch graft (šiqq), tube graft (qanūṭ), shield graft
(tarqī‘), also known as the Roman graft, and finally, the bored graft
(barrīna).
a discussion on grafting trees or shrubs onto other species, such as the rose
on almond, peach on willow, vines and other soft fruit onto apples, among
many others.
The distillation of rose-water, with a description of the entire process, from
the construction of stills and pipes (qawādīs) to choosing the best varieties
of roses and the most appropriate type of fuelwood,
the temperature of the water necessary for distillation, and
the storage of the rose-water in suitable containers.
Finally, there is a series of instructions on preparing other kinds of flower-
waters - from the lily, orange, violet, basil and clove.

5. Domestic economy: the preparation of vinegar, various types of almorí, cheese,
butter, curd, syrup, pickles, and the preservation of various fruits.
Propagation and Cultivation of various trees and shrubs by cuttings, layers, grafts
and seedlings, including the pomegranate, peach, plum, cherry, fig, jujube, olive,
rose, palm, banana and sugar cane;
Treatment for the prevention and cure of their diseases and pests, as well as the care
and methods needed to cultivate them successfully.
At the end of the section devoted to each plant, the author notes its medicinal and
nutritional value, giving the opinions of various authors as well as his own.
Propagation of various trees and shrubs by seed, stone or pit: date palm, myrtle,
jasmine, citron, orange, lemon, citrus of Estepona, apple, plum, quince, fig,
mountain ash, chestnut, almond, pistachio, peach, azedarach, laurel and carob,
among others.

6. Wheat in its various types – white, red and black wheat or buckwheat –
rice, barley and other coarse grains – rye, sorghum and millet, among
others – legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils, fibrous plants such
as hemp, flax and cotton, dye plants such as henna and safflower, and
others used as condiments including cumin, caraway, anise and fennel.
It continues with the cultivation of vegetables, both irrigated and rain-fed,
including turnips, radishes, onions, leeks and garlic.
There is a digression to discuss the cultivation of saffron and then it
continues with carrots, orach, purslane, spinach, cabbage, cucumbers and
lettuce.
The summaries, like the complete original text, also end with the growing of
vegetables, although some add one or two more. There should be, as in
other agronomical treatises, a final section devoted to animal husbandry
and veterinary medicine, comprising three more maqālāt.
(Source: Carabaza Bravo & García Sánchez 2001 and 2009)

7. Wheat in its various types – white, red and black wheat or buckwheat –
rice, barley and other coarse grains – rye, sorghum and millet, among
others – legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils, fibrous plants such
as hemp, flax and cotton, dye plants such as henna and safflower, and
others used as condiments including cumin, caraway, anise and fennel.
It continues with the cultivation of vegetables, both irrigated and rain-fed,
including turnips, radishes, onions, leeks and garlic.
There is a digression to discuss the cultivation of saffron and then it
continues with carrots, orach, purslane, spinach, cabbage, cucumbers and
lettuce.
The summaries, like the complete original text, also end with the growing of
vegetables, although some add one or two more. There should be, as in
other agronomical treatises, a final section devoted to animal husbandry
and veterinary medicine, comprising three more maqālāt.
(Source: Carabaza Bravo & García Sánchez 2001 and 2009)