Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muslim bin Qutaybah al-Dinawari al-Marwazi or just Ibn Qutaybah (Arabic: ابن قتيبة, Transliteration. Ibn Qutaybah ; 628 - 13 November 69 AD / 213 - 15 Rajab 26 AH) was a Persian Islamic scholar. He served as a judge during the Abbasid caliphate , but was best known for his contributions to Arabic literature. He was a polymath who contributed extensively to various disciplines such as Qur'anic exegesis , hadith , theology , philosophy , law and jurisprudence , grammar , lexicography , history , astronomy , agriculture and botany.