Shortening Books

Ibn Manzur had a habit that every time he saw a long book, he used to write a shortened [abridged – مختصر] version of it, to make it easily accessible to people.

Once his son saw a very tall man on the street, and he said: ‘If my dad sees you, he will shorten you.’

قيل أن العلَّامة ابن منظور كان لا يقف على كتاب مطول إلا اختصره، فمن الطرائف أن ولدا لهُ رأى رجلًا طويلًا فقال له: “لو رآك أبي لاختصرك”