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Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry
Pre-Islamic Arabic poetry (or simply pre-Islamic poetry) refers to the corpus of Arabic poetry composed in pre-Islamic Arabia roughly between 540 and 620 AD. Traditional Arabic literature called it ''al-shiʿr al-Jāhilī'', "poetry from the Jahiliyyah". Surviving works largely originate from Najd (then defined as the region east of the Hejaz mountains up to present-day Iraq), with a minority coming from the Hejaz. Pre-Islamic poetry constitutes a major source for classical Arabic language both in grammar and vocabulary, and as a reliable historical record of the political and cultural life of the time. A number of major poets are known from the time period, perhaps most prominent among them being Imru' al-Qais. Other prominent poets included Umayya ibn Abi as-Salt, Al-Nabigha, and Zayd ibn Amr. Social role Poetry held an important position in pre-Islamic society with the poet or ''sha'ir'' filling the role of historian, soothsayer and propagandist. Words in praise of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arabic Poetry
Arabic poetry ( ar, الشعر العربي ''ash-shi‘ru al-‘Arabīyyu'') is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that. Arabic poetry is categorized into two main types, rhymed or measured, and prose, with the former greatly preceding the latter. The rhymed poetry falls within fifteen different meters collected and explained by al-Farahidi in ''The Science of ‘ Arud''. Al-Akhfash, a student of al-Farahidi, later added one more meter to make them sixteen. The meters of the rhythmical poetry are known in Arabic as "seas" (''buḥūr''). The measuring unit of seas is known as "''taf‘īlah''," and every sea contains a certain number of taf'ilas which the poet has to observe in every verse (''bayt'') of the poem. The measuring procedure of a poem is very rigorous. Sometimes adding or removing a consonant or a vowel can shift the ''bayt'' from one meter to another. Also, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hafiz (Qur'an)
Hafiz (; ar, حافظ, ḥāfiẓ, pl. ''ḥuffāẓ'' , f. ''ḥāfiẓa'' ), literally meaning "memorizer", depending on the context, is a term used by Muslims for someone who has completely memorized the Quran. Hafiza is the female equivalent.Ludwig W. Adamec (2009), ''Historical Dictionary of Islam'', pp.113-114. Scarecrow Press. . Although a hafiz does not have formal authority like an aalim or a mufti, in places where the scholars are scarce, they are frequently consulted and often made an imam. Resultantly, a hafiz becomes the leader of his community and the go-to person for religious knowledge, counselling, and other religious disputes. A hafiz is given great respect by the people of the community with titles such as "Hafiz Sahb" (Sir Hafiz), "Ustadh" (أُسْتَاذ) (Teacher), "Mawlana" (مَوْلَانَا) (Master), and occasionally Sheikh (شَيْخ). Importance Hifz' is the memorization of the Quran. Muslims believe that whoever memorizes the Quran and a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al-Shanfara
Al-Shanfarā ( ar, الشنفرى; died c. 525 CE) was a semi-legendary pre-Islamic poet tentatively associated with Ṭāif, and the supposed author of the celebrated poem '' Lāmiyyāt ‘al-Arab''. He enjoys a status as a figure of an archetypal outlaw antihero (''su'luk''), critiquing the hypocrisies of his society from his position as an outsider. Life The name ''Al-Shanfara'' means "he who has large lips." His full name may be either Thabit ibn Malik or Thabit ibn Aws. What is known about al-Shanfarā is inferred from the poems which he is believed with confidence to have composed. He seems fairly certainly to have belonged to the Yemenite al-Azd tribe, probably specifically to the Al-Khazraj clan. He is sometimes counted among the ''aghribat al-Arab'' (Arab crows), a term referring to Arabs with African mothers. Others argue against his inclusion in this group, which according to scholar Bernard Lewis is due to a confusion between the ''sa'alik'' and the ''aghribat al-Arab' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ta'abbata Sharran
Thabit ibn Jabr, better known by his epithet Ta'abbata Sharran (; lived late 6th century or early 7th century CE) was a pre-Islamic Arabic poet of the '' su'luk'' (vagabond) school. He lived in the Arabian Peninsula near the city of Ta'if, and was a member of the tribe. He was known for engaging in tribal conflict with the Banu Hudhayl and Bajila tribes. He wrote poems about tribal warfare, the hardships of desert life, and ghouls. His work was prominent in the early poetic anthologies, being preserved in both the ''Mufaddaliyat'' (8th century) and the ''Hamasah'' (9th century). Details of his life are known only from pseudo-historical accounts in the poetic anthologies and the ''Kitab al-Aghani''. Name His proper name was Thabit ibn Jabr al-Fahmi. Al-Fahmi is a ''nisba'' indicating his membership in the Fahm tribe. Ta'abatta Sharran is a ''laqab,'' or nickname, which means "he who has put evil in his armpit." There are a number of traditional accounts of how he acquired the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antarah Ibn Shaddad
Antarah ibn Shaddad al-Absi ( ar, عنترة بن شداد العبسي, ''ʿAntarah ibn Shaddād al-ʿAbsī''; AD 525–608), also known as ʿAntar, was a pre-Islamic Arab knight and poet, famous for both his poetry and his adventurous life. His chief poem forms part of the '' Mu'allaqāt'', the collection of seven "hanging odes" legendarily said to have been suspended in the Kaaba. The account of his life forms the basis of a long and extravagant romance. Life ʿAntarah was born in Najd in Arabia. His father was Shaddād al-ʿAbsī, a respected warrior of the Banu Abs under their chief Zuhayr. His mother was an Ethiopian woman named Zabeebah. Described as an "Arab crow" (''al-aghribah al-'Arab'') owing to his dark complexion,ʿAntarah grew up a slave as well. He fell in love with his cousin ʿAblah, but could not hope to marry her owing to his position. He also gained the enmity of his father's wife Shammeah. He gained attention and respect for himself by his remark ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zuhayr Bin Abi Sulma
Zuhayr bin Abī Sulmā ( ar, زهير بن أبي سلمى; ), also romanized as Zuhair or Zoheir, was a pre-Islamic Arabian poet who lived in the 6th & 7th centuries AD. He is considered one of the greatest writers of Arabic poetry in pre-Islamic times. Zuhayr belonged to the Banu Muzaina. His father was a poet and his elder son Ka'b bin Zuhayr also became a poet, reading his works to the Prophet Muhammad. Zuhayr's poems can be found in Hammad Ar-Rawiya's anthology, the ''Mu'allaqat'' ("the Suspended"), a collection of pre-Islamic poetry. He was one of the '' Seven Hanged Poets'' who were reputed to have been honoured by hanging copies of their work in the Kaaba at Mecca. He was Umar ibn Khattab's favourite poet. Zuhayr's poetry was written when two Arabic tribes ended a longstanding hostility. His poems deal with raids and other subjects of nomadic desert life. He also wrote satirical poems and poems about the glory of his tribe, but in his verses he was less satiric than ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tarafa
Tarafa ( ar, طرفة بن العبد بن سفيان بن سعد أبو عمرو البكري الوائلي / ALA-LC: ''Ṭarafah ibn al-‘Abd ibn Sufyān ibn Sa‘d Abū ‘Amr al-Bakrī al-Wā’ilī''), was a 6th century Arabian poet of the tribe of the Bakr. He is one of the seven poets of the most celebrated anthology of ancient Arabic poetry, known as the '' Mo'allakat'', however just one of his poems is included. His fellow poets preserved in this work are Al-Nabigha, Antarah ibn Shaddad, Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma, 'Alqama ibn 'Abada and Imru' al-Qais. Life Ṭarafah was the half-brother or nephew of the elegist Al-Khirniq bint Badr. He traveled with his uncle Mutalammis to the court of the king of Al-Hirah, ʿAmr ibn Hind, and there became companion to the king's brother. According to one legend, having ridiculed the king in some verses he was sent with a letter to the ruler of Bahrayn, and, in accordance with the instructions contained in the letter, was buried alive. Mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al-Nabigha
Al-Nābighah (), al-Nābighah al-Dhubiyānī, or Nābighah al-Dhubyānī; real name Ziyad ibn Muawiyah (); was one of the last Arabian poets of pre-Islamic times. "Al-Nabigha" means "genius or intelligent" in Arabic. His tribe, the Banu Dhubyan, belonged to the district near Mecca, but he spent most of his time at the courts of Hirah and Ghassan. In Hira he remained under Mundhir III, and then his successor in 562. After a sojourn at the court of Ghassan, he returned to Hirah under Numan III. Owing to his verses written about the Queen he was compelled to flee to Ghassan, but returned ca., 600. When Numan died five years later he withdrew to his own tribe. His date-of-death is uncertain, but seems to predate Islam. His poems consist largely of eulogies and satires, and are concerned with the strife of Hirah and Ghassan, and of the Banu Abs and the Banu Dhubyan. He is one of the six eminent pre-Islamic poets whose poems were collected before the middle of the 2nd century of Isl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samaw'al Ibn 'Adiya
As-Samaw’al bin ‘Ādiyā’ ( ar, السموأل بن عادياء بن رفاعة بن الحارث بن كعب / he, שמואל בן עדיה) was an Arabian poet and warrior, esteemed by the Arabs for his loyalty, which was commemorated by an Arabic idiom: "''awfá min as-Samaw’al''" ( / more loyal than al-Samaw'al). He lived in the first half of the 6th century. His clan converted to Judaism when they were in Southern Arabia. Later, they moved to northern Arabia, settling in Taima, where al-Samw'al was born and lived most of his life. He's the maternal grandfather of Safiyya bint Huyayy, one of prophet Mohammed's wives. Background His full name is disputed among Arab scholars. His name is said to be al-Samaw'al Bin 'Adiya or al-Samaw'al Bin 'Arid Bin 'Adiya or al-Samaw'al Bin Awfa or al-Samaw'al Bin Hayyan or al-Samaw'al Bin Hayya. Ibn Durayd said that he was son of a priest called Haroun Ibn 'Amran and that he was from the tribe of Banu Ghassan. While al-Jawaliq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diwan (poetry)
In Islamic cultures of the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily and South Asia, a Diwan ( fa, دیوان, ''divân'', ar, ديوان, ''dīwān'') is a collection of poems by one author, usually excluding his or her long poems ( mathnawī). The vast majority of Diwan poetry was lyric in nature: either ghazals or ''gazel''s (which make up the greatest part of the repertoire of the tradition), or ''kasîde''s. There were, however, other common genres, most particularly the ''mesnevî'', a kind of verse romance and thus a variety of narrative poetry; the two most notable examples of this form are the ''Layla and Majnun'' (ليلى و مجنون) of Fuzûlî and the ''Hüsn ü Aşk'' (حسن و عشق; "Beauty and Love") of Şeyh Gâlib. Originating in Persian literature, the idea spread to the Arab and Turkish worlds, and South Asia, and the term was sometimes used in Europe, not always in the same way. Etymology The English usage of the phrase "diwan poetry" comes from the Arab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tafsir Al-Tabari
''Jāmiʿ al-bayān ʿan taʾwīl āy al-Qurʾān'' (, also written with ''fī'' in place of ''ʿan''), popularly ''Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī'' ( ar, تفسير الطبري), is a Sunni ''tafsir'' by the Persian scholar Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838–923). It immediately won high regard and retained its importance for scholars to the present day.C.E. Bosworth. Encyclopedia of Islam 2nd ed, Brill. "Al-Tabari, Abu Djafar Muhammad b. Djarir b. Yazid", Vol. 10, p. 14. It is the earliest major running commentary of the Quran to have survived in its original form. Like his history, al-Tabari's tafsir is notable for its comprehensiveness and citation of multiple, often conflicting sources. The book was translated into Persian by a group of scholars from Transoxania on commission of the Samanid king, Mansur I (961–976). Background Tabari finished his work in 883, often dictating sections to his students. It is his second great work after ''"History of the Prophets and Kings''" (''Tar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al-Tabari
( ar, أبو جعفر محمد بن جرير بن يزيد الطبري), more commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Muslim historian and scholar from Amol, Tabaristan. Among the most prominent figures of the Islamic Golden Age, al-Tabari is known for his historical works and his expertise in Qur'anic exegesis (), but he has also been described as "an impressively prolific polymath".Lindsay Jones (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of religion'', volume 13, Macmillan Reference USA, 2005, p. 8943 He wrote works on a diverse range of subjects, including world history, poetry, lexicography, grammar, ethics, mathematics, and medicine. His most influential and best known works are his Quranic commentary, known in Arabic as , and his historical chronicle called ''History of the Prophets and Kings'' (), often referred to as ("al-Tabari's History"). Al-Tabari followed the Shafi'i madhhab for nearly a decade before he developed his own interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence. His understanding ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
