In the vast tapestry of human culture, beauty has always been a subject of fascination, admiration, and contemplation. Across civilizations, the definition of beauty has shifted and evolved, shaped by the values, traditions, and artistic expressions of each era. Yet, few cultures have celebrated beauty with the same poetic fervor and spiritual depth as the Arab world. Among the many works that explore this theme, Precious Gems in the Qualities of the Fat Woman by the illustrious scholar Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti stands as a timeless masterpiece. This book is not merely a treatise on physical beauty; it is a profound exploration of the cultural, linguistic, and spiritual dimensions of beauty, particularly as it pertains to the fat woman—a figure often celebrated in Arab literature and tradition.

This book is divided into three distinct yet interconnected parts, each offering a unique perspective on the subject. Part I serves as an introduction, providing readers with a brief biography of the author, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, and setting the stage for the themes explored in the subsequent sections. Part II delves into the technical aspects of the topic, examining how the Arabic language defines the fat woman, the Islamic traditions and narrations that celebrate her, and the rich poetic heritage that immortalizes her beauty. Finally, Part III elevates the discussion to discover the complex interplay between beauty, history, spirituality, power, marriage, identity and even religious rituals, with a particular focus on the fat woman as a symbol of abundance, grace, and divine favor.

About the Book

The book is originally a short Arabic treatise and this translation is based on a number of sources as an updated earlier manuscript as far back as the year 996 AH (1588 AD), mainly from the 2016 Edition of the Tunisian Books, Mediterranean Publisher. Thanks also to the 2003 Edition of the Dar al-Mizan, the published part in Majmūʿat Rasāʾil fī al-Jamāl wa-l-Zīna (Kuwait: Dār al-Diyāʾ, 2016), pp. 87–102, the digitized 19th-century versions from Princeton University Library (MS Garrett 283Y, fol. 43b–46a), Berlin Staatsbibliothek (MS Sprenger 190, fol. 112v–115r) and Suleymaniye Library.

The Translator's Task

Disclaimer! The texts quoted in this book were used for historical analysis only. By translating al-Yawaqit and making it available to modern readers, we’re not just recovering a manuscript—we are dismantling a hierarchy. To render this Al-Suyuti's work into modern languages is just not an archival exercise. It is an act of epistemic justice—a refusal to let biased views have the last word on what bodies mean. When you read the Imam’s description of a woman whose “flesh sings like honeycomb," remember that this was not a fantasy. It was a worldview that, for over a millennium, saw the ample body as a verse in the scripture of creation. It's time to resurrect al-Yawaqit.

There was a time when poets compared hips to sand dunes

For colonizers? They wielded measuring tapes

—a journey through beauty’s lost lexicon.

Mansa Ng

Book translations