Kitab Al-I'tibar

Kitab al-I'tibar (Arabic: كتاب الاعتبار‎, The Book of Learning by Example) is the autobiography of Usāmah ibn-Munqidh, an Arab Syrian diplomat and soldier of the 12th century.

Usāmah's autobiography is part of the literary genre known as adab which aims at "pleasing, diverting and titilating" its readers, as well as instructing them. Philip K. Hitti, in the introduction to his translation, describes the work as superior to other Arabic biographies. According to him, It gives us a glimpse into Syrian methods of warfare, hawking and medication, and ushers us into the intimacies of Moslem court life as well as private home life.

However, Robert Irwin cautions that the memoirs of Usāmah are not as simple as they look and often include slander, rhetoric, misdirection and evasion. The book was not written to provide an historical account but to teach by example using anecdotes taken from the experiences of Usāmah. For example, a common theme is that a man cannot affect how long he lives no matter what dangers he puts himself in, as the duration of life is pre-determined. Another theme is that victory in warfare depends on Allah rather than organisation or planning. Carole Hillenbrand also believes it is dangerous to take the book at face value, as it belongs to a popular genre of medieval Arabic literature, known as adab, which was meant to instruct its readers while entertaining them - and telling a truthful account was not the book's main purpose. However, if interpreted with caution the autobiography of Usāmah is a rich source on 12th century culture.