ADAB AL-BASRAH

The poetry of al-Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi (60–126 AH) represents one of the most prominent poetic corpora of the Umayyad period, as it embodies political, social, and religious themes deeply rooted in the historical and cultural context of its time. Despite the considerable attention this body of poetry has received in previous scholarship, most studies have been limited to rhetorical analysis or the examination of overt political discourse, often overlooking the spatial and cultural dimensions that contributed to the formation of these texts and shaped their reception among audiences.
This study is based on the premise that poetic texts cannot be fully understood in isolation from the spatial environments in which they emerged or from the local cultures surrounding their audiences. It adopts a geo-cultural approach that integrates literary criticism with spatial analysis of the cities and regions in which al-Kumayt lived or where his poetry circulated, such as Kufa, Basra, the Hijaz, and the Levant. This approach involves analyzing the social, political, and cultural characteristics of each environment, as well as examining the influence of customs, beliefs, and tribal and political affiliations on the interpretation of symbols and texts, while linking these factors to patterns of poetic reception.
The study highlights the dialectical relationship between place and poetic meaning, demonstrating how geographical and cultural spaces contributed to shaping imagery and rhetorical symbols, as well as guiding audience interpretation. It argues that al-Kumayt’s poetry should not be viewed merely as political or rhetorical discourse, but rather as a living cultural document that reflects the interaction between text and its spatial and cultural environments. In doing so, the study underscores the decisive role of these environments in the formation of poetic meaning and style in the Umayyad period, thereby addressing a clear gap in previous scholarship and offering a multidimensional reading of early Islamic poetic texts.

This study investigates the phonetic–physical properties of the heavy emphatic nūn when attached to the present tense verb in the Qur’anic text. It aims to analyze the phonetic structure of the present tense verb in conjunction with the geminated emphatic nūn, examining its structure and tracing the transformations it undergoes in light of modern phonetic principles and within the framework of the Arabic syllabic system. The study relies on computer-assisted acoustic analysis techniques, which provide high scientific accuracy in observing phonetic phenomena.
In its applied dimension, the research employs the Praat software to analyze selected Qur’anic samples. Through this process, phonetic analysis was conducted, and the distinctive physical characteristics of the geminated emphatic nūn were identified. The study is organized into two main sections: the first addresses the theoretical framework, outlining the concept and phonetic nature of the geminated emphatic nūn, while the second is devoted to applied analysis, where changes accompanying the attachment of the nūn to the present tense verb are examined through spectrographic analysis.
The findings reveal that the principles of ease and flexibility play a fundamental role in explaining the structural transformations of verbs when combined with the emphatic nūn. These transformations may involve syllable reorganization or the emergence of heavy syllables, prompting speakers to resolve them by shortening long vowels, deleting similar sounds, or separating segments through the lengthening of short vowels. The results also indicate that the geminated emphatic nūn is characterized by noticeable temporal lengthening and relatively increased intensity, in addition to variations in its phonetic features depending on the syllabic context and adjacent vowels. This enhances its auditory prominence and highlights its semantic function in the Qur’anic text.
Accordingly, the study reveals the deep interconnection between phonetic structure, grammatical structure, and semantic function within the Arabic linguistic system.

While conducting research on the Abbasid caliphs—beginning with Hārūn al-Rashīd and his sons al-Amīn and al-Maʾmūn—I was encouraged to continue exploring the literary figures who flourished within the Abbasid court, particularly during the early Abbasid period. This led to the identification of a poetess worthy of greater scholarly attention, yet one who has been addressed only sparingly in previous studies, perhaps due to political or sectarian considerations. This figure is the princess ʿUlayya bint al-Mahdī, the sister of Caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd and the aunt of al-Amīn and al-Maʾmūn.
ʿUlayya left a distinct mark on the history of Arabic literature in the early Abbasid era. In this respect, she differs from many other poetesses known from Arab literary history. Both pre-Islamic and Islamic periods witnessed prominent female poets—such as al-Khansāʾ in the pre-Islamic era, and in the Abbasid period figures like the poet-singer Ḥabāba, as well as Shāriyah and ʿAzza al-Maylāʾ, who were also known for both poetry and singing. However, ʿUlayya bint al-Mahdī holds a unique position due to her belonging to the Abbasid household. She neither composed poetry nor performed for material gain, nor was she a slave or a concubine. Rather, she composed poetry to express her artistic talent and often performed her own compositions. Moreover, she possessed the ability to compose melodies for her poems and perform them in her own voice—in effect, she may be described, in modern terms, as a composer, lyricist, and performer.
An examination of her dīwān reveals that much of her poetry centers on chaste (ʿudhrī) love, in addition to other poetic themes such as wisdom and praise. Accordingly, this study explores her life and poetic purposes through three main sections: the first examines her lineage and family background; the second discusses her relationship with the Abbasid court, including figures such as Hārūn al-Rashīd, Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mahdī, and al-Amīn, as well as servants, concubines, and attendants; and the third highlights her poetic beginnings, literary status, and thematic concerns.
One of the main challenges encountered in this research is the scarcity of sources; and when available, the information they provide is often limited. Among the most important classical sources on Abbasid literature consulted in this study are her collected dīwān, Ṭabaqāt al-Shuʿarāʾ by Ibn al-Muʿtazz (861–908 CE), al-Shiʿr wa al-Shuʿarāʾ by Ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī (828–889 CE), and al-Aghānī by Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī (897–967 CE).

Intertextuality is considered one of the modern critical concepts that has redefined the relationships between texts, challenging the notion of the “absolute originality” of literary works. The term emerged in the 1960s through the work of the French critic Julia Kristeva, influenced by the ideas of Mikhail Bakhtin, who emphasized that every text is a tapestry woven from the interplay of other texts, whether consciously or unconsciously. Intertextuality encompasses quotation, allusion, imitation, and even opposition, thereby rendering the text an open space for multiple voices and meanings.
Intertextuality is not limited to explicit citation; rather, it extends to deeper levels, where prior discourses permeate the new text, forming a network of cultural, historical, and intellectual relationships. This study focuses on two forms of intertextuality in travel literature: external intertextuality and internal intertextuality, as exemplified in the works of Ibn Jubayr and Ibn Battuta

This study seeks to offer a cultural-critical reading of the poetry of Maytham al-Ḥarbi, grounded in a central inquiry: uncovering the implicit cultural patterns that shape his vision of a crisis-ridden reality. It aims to analyze how these patterns operate and the rhetorical mechanisms through which they function in constructing a critical discourse on societal collapse.
The study adopts a cultural criticism approach, applying its analytical procedures to selected poems from al-Ḥarbi’s collections: Barāʾat al-Maṭar (The Innocence of Rain)—including the poem “Fiery in Formation”; Aqūl Āh fa-Tukarrir al-Kilāb Nubāḥī (I Say “Ah,” and the Dogs Echo My Bark)—including “The Boredom of Chewing Gum” and “What I Promised to Say When I Grow Up”; and Lā Shayʾ Siwā al-Ṭarīq (Nothing but the Road)—including “The Road of the Unarmed” and “The Suspicious Road.”
The findings reveal the dominance of five major cultural patterns: social disintegration, the falsification of consciousness, class struggle, representations of the female body, and the distortion of time and memory. The analysis demonstrates how the poet employs rhetorical devices such as irony and personification to convey these patterns, transforming individual suffering into a broader diagnosis of collective wounds.
The study concludes that al-Ḥarbi’s poetry constitutes a cultural document that records transformations in collective consciousness within a reality marked by trauma. As such, it functions as a critical discourse that challenges dominant narratives and opens new horizons for reflecting on possibilities of transcendence.

The landscape of Arabic literature has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to produce new literary forms that reflect the concerns and aspirations of each era and generation. Writers seek to convey their messages through modes that move beyond the familiar, exploring spaces where literary practice exercises all its tools, harnesses its semantic power, and develops the skill of language condensation. Within this ongoing movement of innovation in narrative art, many short narrative forms have emerged, striving to claim a place in this imagined world, which maintains a close connection to reality. Most notably, the flash story has gained recognition, encouragement, and a desire to assert its striking and influential presence in the literary scene. A number of Iraqi authors have excelled in crafting these texts, whose flashes of narrative achieve a high degree of condensation while conveying profound human meanings. Language in the flash story radiates multiple, diverse, and sometimes indirect semantic layers, reflecting a richness that captivates readers eager to explore the deep meanings and subtle textual suggestions embedded in this narrative form.

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The period between 1969 and 1974 witnessed tension in the relations between Venezuela and Colombia due to a border dispute dating back to the independence era from Spain. The dispute concerned both land and maritime boundaries between the two countries, particularly in the Gulf of Venezuela. The conflict originated from unclear borders following the collapse of the Granadine State, which led to competing claims of sovereignty over certain areas. Despite attempts at negotiation and resolving the dispute through international mediation, economic interests and the discovery of oil resources in the contested areas complicated potential solutions. No final settlement was reached in the 1970s; however, a foundation for continued dialogue was established.

This study examines the relationship between religion and the state in Egypt from the Pharaonic era to the end of the Fatimid state, adopting a comparative analytical framework. The research reveals the persistent interweaving of religious and political authority, a phenomenon common to both ancient and medieval societies. It traces this interconnection from the deification of the Pharaoh in the Pharaonic period, through the influential role of the Coptic Church during the Byzantine era, to the Islamic states in their various stages—most notably the Fatimid state, which represented the apex of integration between spiritual leadership and temporal power. The study employs historical and comparative methodologies to dissect concepts of political legitimacy, the evolution of religious institutions, and the shifting roles of religion between subordination, influence, and autonomy. The findings indicate that religion played a pivotal role in shaping the Egyptian state, and that the relationship between religion and governance was dynamic, evolving according to the political and doctrinal contexts of each historical period.

Sadat believed that Egypt could not regain the occupied territories in Sinai through military force, especially given that Israel possessed superior strength and capabilities, as well as American and Western support. Therefore, he considered that the only way to recover these lands was through reaching an agreement via negotiations with Israel. However, this policy provoked the Arab states, particularly the Gulf countries, and especially Qatar, which demanded that any settlement with Israel prioritize the Palestinian issue. Qatar also insisted that the establishment of a unified Palestinian state be one of the main conditions should Egypt enter negotiations with Israel to achieve peace in the region and the Middle East. Nonetheless, the Egyptian leadership took a somewhat unilateral and hasty decision, especially concerning rapprochement with Israel and the signing of a peace agreement. Sadat sought to visit Israel for the sake of peace, as I believe, but Doha viewed Egypt’s unilateral move without consulting Arab partners to guarantee Palestinian rights as a betrayal and a weakening of the collective Arab position. Still, Sadat proceeded with his foreign policy in coordination with Israel with the aim of recovering Egyptian territory and ending the Egyptian-Israeli conflict.

Many Mamluk sultans were renowned for their extensive acts of benevolence and charity toward the poor, the destitute, and those in need—acts that often intensified during specific occasions and circumstances that called for such generosity. This study aims to highlight the charitable deeds performed by Mamluk sultans and to examine the motivations behind them. It focuses on acts of benevolence and charity during economic crises, periods of illness and death, the holy month of Ramadan, public ceremonies and festivals, support for the inhabitants of the Hijaz, and other general circumstances. The study employs a critical historical-analytical methodology, relying on primary historical sources as well as contemporary scholarship addressing the Mamluk period. Findings reveal that Mamluk sultans frequently engaged in charitable acts, which tended to increase in times of particular need, and that such acts were not limited to the sultans alone—many princes and wealthy individuals also participated in these charitable efforts.

This study analyzes the strategic significance of Ukraine in the perceptions of both Russia and the United States, in light of the rapidly evolving geopolitical transformations in the region since the early twenty-first century, particularly following the Crimea crisis in 2014 and the Russian–Ukrainian war that erupted in 2022. The research emphasizes the fundamental differences between the Russian perception, which views Ukraine as a vital historical, cultural, and security extension of the former Soviet space, and the American perception, which regards Ukraine as a strategic opportunity to strengthen Western influence and contain the rise of Russia as a competing power. The study further examines the security and economic dimensions of the conflict, alongside its ideological and geopolitical aspects, noting that Ukraine has become a stage for indirect confrontation between the two powers. This dynamic has negatively impacted international stability and heightened polarization between East and West.

The University of Basra stands as one of Iraq’s prominent academic institutions. Its establishment responded to urgent economic and social needs in the city of Basra following the July 14, 1958 Revolution. The city’s strategic geographic location and growing commercial activity highlighted the necessity of specialized educational institutions to prepare qualified scientific and professional personnel across various fields. Consequently, official and academic authorities, in cooperation with local organizations, undertook concerted efforts to establish the university. Its first nucleus began with the College of Commerce in 1963, later expanding to include several colleges within a few years. This study is divided into two main sections: the first examines the circumstances that led to the university’s founding, while the second addresses its initial infrastructure and the first colleges established between 1964 and 1967. Unpublished documents at the University of Basra, including the university guide and the Directorate of General Registration records, constituted the primary sources of the research, supplemented by books, theses, and other academic materials.

This study aims to utilize modern techniques and satellite imagery analysis to assess desertification and its impact on agricultural lands in Al-Habbaniyah District. The research relies on Landsat 8 satellite imagery from 2023 and the extraction of spectral indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which measures the ratio between near-infrared and red light and serves as a key indicator of vegetation health. Reduced plant productivity was also used as an indicator of desertification. Additional indices applied in the study include the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), and the Land Degradation Index (LDI). These indicators collectively allowed for the assessment of changes in land cover and the detection of vegetation loss, confirming the presence of degradation and desertification in Al-Habbaniyah District.

This study aims to assess the environmental impact of electric generators in Ramadi City by examining air, noise, and visual pollution resulting from their widespread use in residential and commercial areas. The research employed a field-based methodology, including measurements of pollutant gas concentrations using a multi-gas analyzer, noise intensity measurements with a sound level meter, and documentation of visual disturbances caused by the random placement of generators, tangled wiring, and fuel tanks. Results indicated that emission and noise levels exceeded internationally accepted limits; for example, the highest recorded sulfur dioxide concentration in the Al-Aziziya area reached 2.1 parts per million, with an average of 1.9 parts per million. The study also highlighted significant negative effects on urban aesthetics and public health. The findings recommend the enforcement of strict regulatory controls to limit the proliferation of generators, promotion of alternative and sustainable energy sources, and improved urban planning to preserve environmental quality and public health in Ramadi City.

Zaki Najib Mahmoud sought to reinterpret the Arab-Islamic heritage with the aim of highlighting its rationalist tendencies for potential relevance in the contemporary era. His study focused particularly on the heritage of the Basra school during the 2nd and 3rd Hijri centuries, emphasizing its rationalist aspects and exploring their applicability to modern thought. The research concluded several points: the Basra school was not purely rationalist, as rationalist tendencies were intertwined with non-rational elements; the extent to which its ideas can be applied in the present era is limited; nevertheless, Zaki Najib Mahmoud made a commendable effort in elucidating these rationalist features, albeit with some critical reservations.

Nursi’s existential interpretation of existence is structured around three dimensions. The first dimension addresses the essential nature of the Qur’anic and Hadith texts, identifying their foundational elements and analyzing them to illuminate the subsequent dimensions. The second dimension focuses on the existential aspect of the Qur’an and Hadith, specifying the manifestations and concept of existence within these texts and their diverse expressions, which vary according to the historical and textual context. The third dimension examines the references to Sufi traditions, analyzing the different ways these foundational references contribute to the deeper significances of existence at both mental and material levels.

This study aims to examine the role of school librarians in developing and enhancing preparatory school libraries through the services they provide to students and teachers. The research employed a documentary method to address the theoretical framework and a survey method to investigate the practical aspects, with data collected using questionnaires and observations. The study reached several findings:
1. There is a shortage of full-time librarians in preparatory school libraries, reaching 58.06%, with partial appointments at 66.66% and full appointments at 33.33%. Only two librarians possessed specialized qualifications in information science and library studies.
2. The available library collections in preparatory schools were generally weak and insufficient for users’ needs.
Based on these findings, the study offers several recommendations:
1. The provision of official positions for graduates of information and library departments, with the title of “Assistant Librarian,” through appointments issued by the Ministry or the Provincial Council, to ensure full-time dedication to library work and improved service delivery.
2. Equipping and supporting school libraries with the necessary printed materials, furniture, and equipment through sufficient annual funding for purchases.

The research investigated obstacles to the speaking skills of low-proficiency ESL undergraduates, such as the classroom environment, the use of English as a second language, and students’ low participation at the University of Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The study aims to identify the emerging reasons for the low speaking proficiency of ESL learners. The target population for this study comprised students from the department of English at the University of Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. A qualitative approach with a case study research design was employed in this study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample. The data was collected from fifteen low-proficiency ESL undergraduates through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative study employed thematic analysis to identify the reasons for participants\' low proficiency in speaking skills. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that social, linguistic, and psychological factors influenced the speaking skills of low-proficiency ESL learners. This study is expected to be beneficial for students, academicians, and policy-makers.

This study investigates Kurdish-English hybridization in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq from structural and attitudinal perspectives. Following Myers-Scotton's Matrix Language Frame model, it aims at systematically identifying and analyzing the syntactic patterns through which English lexical items are embedded in Kurdish grammatical structures. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Quantitative and survey data from 253 participants (mostly young, educated, and urban) were supplemented with qualitative data from analyzed records of naturally occurring speech samples. The analysis shows that hybrid forms are relatively highly accepted and normalized even into formal and semi-formal contexts. Statistical analysis has shown that variables - age, education, and occupation - are relevant in shaping attitudes toward language mixing. Structurally, the data consistently fit the MLF model's predictions. At the same time, attitudinally, hybridization at the KRI site seems not only a communicative convenience but also a vibrant force for cultural identity in globalization. In sum, these findings have the potential to impact sociolinguistic theory, bilingualism research, and language policy and call for education reforms that integrate acceptance and legitimization of hybrid practices into the emerging communicative repertoire of the region.

This study examines the degree to which climate literacy is integrated into the reading materials of two prominent English language proficiency exams: IELTS and TOEFL. Utilizing Stibbe’s (2015) ecolinguistic framework, the researcher analyzes selected reading passages from the two tests, to assess the representation of environmental issues and their implications for advancing climate literacy among test-takers. The results indicate a minimal presence of climate-related content in both assessments. While the texts that do focus on environmental topics provide accurate scientific information, they typically lack a critical examination of the causes, effects, and solutions to climate change. Additionally, the depiction of climate issues is more descriptive than transformative, failing to capitalize on opportunities to enhance ecological consciousness and responsibility. IELTS features slightly more climate-related content compared to TOEFL, yet both exams inadequately incorporate narratives that foster climate literacy. The study concludes by highlighting the necessity for language assessment practices that are more attuned to ecological considerations and align with global sustainability objectives.

This paper examines Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children through an intersectional lens, analysing how class, gender, and maternal identity intersect within a capitalist war economy. It argues that Brecht dramatizes the tension between motherhood and profit-driven survival, showing how war commodifies maternal care and corrodes family bonds.
The study situates the play within Epic Theatre and the Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect), highlighting how songs, placards, and fragmented staging provoke critical reflection rather than emotional catharsis. Close readings of pivotal scenes—such as Kattrin’s muteness and drumming sacrifice, and Mother Courage’s bargaining over Swiss Cheese’s ransom—illustrate how Brecht uses form to expose the symbolic weight of maternal sacrifice under capitalism.Engaging feminist-Marxist scholarship (e.g., Silvia Federici, Nancy Fraser, and Sara Ruddick), alongside feminist affect theory (Lauren Berlant), this paper clarifies how Brecht’s critique extends to the commodification of motherhood and remains relevant to contemporary debates on neoliberal care. The unresolved ending underscores historical materialism by showing survival under capitalism as inseparable from ethical compromise. Ultimately, the play compels audiences to confront how systems of profit exploit even the most intimate human relationships

Translation quality assessment has evolved significantly from early human-based assessment methods to sophisticated neural metrics that leverage deep learning architectures. This concise review examines the development, methodologies, and performance of evaluation approaches across four decades of machine translation research, and surveys three primary evaluation paradigms: human evaluation methods including Direct Assessment, Multidimensional Quality Metrics, and Error Span Annotation; widely used automatic lexical metrics such as BLEU, METEOR, and TER; and state-of-the-art neural evaluation metrics including COMET, BLEURT, and GEMBA-MQM. The paper also explores meta-evaluation techniques, highlighting the transition from Pearson, Spearman and Kendall’s correlations to more robust measures like Soft Pairwise Accuracy. Following a systematic examination of evaluation methodologies, experimental findings, and comparative analyses, we apply these frameworks to Al-Mahmood's EnglishArabic evaluation dataset to validate the key strengths and limitations of current approaches.

This study examines the quality of Arabic–English legal translation (henceforth LT) by comparing machine translation (henceforth, MT) systems with professional human translators in terms of accuracy and fluency. The study focuses on whether MT can be relied on for high‑stakes legal documents, where specialised terminology, context‑dependent concepts, and precise allocation of rights and obligations are critical. It is hypothesised that MT will produce significantly lower accuracy and fluency than human expertise, especially in rendering specialised legal terms and preserving exact legal meaning. To test this hypothesis, a corpus of authentic Arabic legal documents was translated into English by two MT engines and by human-expert translators. Employing the Multidimensional Quality Metrics (MQM) framework for evaluation, the analysis identifies critical error types such as terminological drift, ambiguous procedural statements, and the omission of conditions, errors with direct legal consequences for the interpretation of rights and obligations. The findings demonstrate that while machine output may achieve sentence-level fluency, it exhibits systematically higher rates of serious accuracy errors. The study concludes that human expertise remains indispensable for ensuring fidelity and managing risk in legal translation, although machine systems can function as a preliminary drafting aid. This study is organised into five chapters, progressing from the study's theoretical foundations and methodology to a detailed practical analysis and final recommendations, thereby providing a thorough assessment of translation practices for Arabic–English legal texts.

The study examines how Laila al-Othman presents dreaming as a mental and sensory path that enables freedom for the restricted female protagonist in her 2000 novel Al-Muhâkama…Maqta’ Min Sirat al-Wâqi’” (”The Trial… A Glimpse of Reality”). It applies Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) to study twenty metaphorical statements which were identified through detailed analysis of the novel. The physical metaphors for this process of dreaming as freedom – leaving a physical space, elevation above other people, breaking of boundaries or barriers, performance of physical actions that in waking life are impossible – form the basis of four metaphor clusters: movement, escape and transition (30%), flight and elevation (20%), breaking barriers and confinement (20%) and dream-space as an alternative liberatory realm (30%). The physical metaphors for the process of dreaming as freedom explored in this paper are interpreted through the lens of the metaphor theory, CMT. The study uses the framework of CMT to demonstrate how readers cognitively construct the concept of freedom in light of physical restrictions as they encounter this concept in Arabic literary works. The findings of this study are specific to this single corpus of texts that have been studied in this paper and therefore require comparative research to generalise the findings to other contexts and languages.