AL-Mawrid Journal

The study of Arabic poetry and the critical verification of its variant narrations constitute one of the most challenging and significant fields of research contributing to the enrichment of the Arabic scholarly tradition. Such studies aim to place linguistic research in Arabic studies on a sound methodological foundation, as they protect subsequent researchers from errors in the vocalization, (diacritical marking), and precise authentication of poetic verses.
Given the pressing need for rigorous critical and documentary studies of this nature, the present research undertakes an examination of the features of variation in the form of verses as transmitted in the sources of the Arabic heritage. The focus of this study is the Fāʾiyyah poem included in the Mufaḍḍaliyyāt attributed to al-Muraqqish al-Akbar. Among the various types of textual variation, this research specifically addresses differences in vowelization (variation in diacritical movements) as a selected aspect of these divergences.

This study presents a linguistic approach that attempts to deleve into the ancient Arabic linguistic heritage, specifically in a major heritage book that formed a focus for the Arabic rhethorical lesson, with its theoretical foundations that when beyond thz analytical systems of the language and formed the fundamental foundations used by the modern linguistic apparatus since Ferdinand de saussure and passing through major linguistic schools such as that of Geneva, Prague, and the copenhagen school, all the way to the generative school in America with Chomsky, whitch are schools that were able to build their linguistic propositions, calling for the conceptual devices and theorical foundations whose foudations were laid ancient Arabic linguistic thought, is grat symbols such as Al- Khalil, Al- jahid, Ibn - jinni, a;d Al- jurjani, so the focus of the studywas on the imam of Arabic rhetoric in his book ¨ Evidence of Miracle, which we saw is more profound from an epistemological standpoint, in terms of theorizing and linguistic analysis that will lead a group of Western linguists to develop linguistic proposals that will be embraced by different academic banches, and even text linguistics, which goes beyond the limits of the meaning of the sentence to the study of the text in its enterity, was not Away from the theoretical foundations on which Evidence of Miracle laid cognitive foundations.

This study examines the genre of the Sufi testament as a rhetorical and argumentative discourse through an analysis of the testament of Hamza al-Qadiri al-Budshishi as a model. It proceeds from the central assumption that the Sufi testament is neither a simple admonitory text nor a straightforward communicative message; rather, it constitutes a complex argumentative discursive practice aimed at influencing the recipient both emotionally and volitionally, thereby securing practical compliance with its directives.
The study adopts a rhetorical–argumentative approach grounded in the concepts of New Rhetoric, particularly ethos, logos, and pathos, in addition to insights from the rhetoric of emotions as analytical tools for examining strategies of practical persuasion.
The analysis reveals that the central argumentative purpose of the testament lies in persuading the disciples of the Budshishiyya order of the legitimacy of transferring the authorization to impart the remembrance (dhikr) to Shaykhs Jamal al-Din and Munir, presenting this transition as a natural continuation of both a spiritual and a historical trajectory. This objective is achieved through the construction of a persuasive discursive image of the testator (a spiritual and ethical ethos), the use of historical narration to confer legitimacy upon the decision, and the employment of the argument from benefit to highlight the positive consequences of complying with the testament. Moreover, the discourse appeals to the emotions of fear and hope through the rhetorical strategies of promise and warning.
The study concludes that the Sufi testament constitutes an integrated value-laden and pragmatic discourse in which spiritual and historical references converge with various rhetorical and argumentative techniques to produce a dual effect: reinforcing conviction and strengthening compliance. Accordingly, the study affirms that analyzing this literary genre from an argumentative perspective requires careful attention to its distinctive persuasive structure and to the spiritual context that frames the formation of its discourse.

The book Kalila and Dimna is widely recognized as one of the earliest works believed to have been translated into Arabic from ancient Eastern languages, namely Old Indian and Old Persian (Pahlavi). However, some scholars argue that the book may have originally been composed in Arabic and that its author merely claimed it to be a translation in order to avert potential harm that might arise if he were identified as the original author. The work contains narratives about a tyrannical ruler who oppresses his subjects, and it is possible that the author sought to avoid the suspicions of political authority regarding the content of the book or interpretations that might identify the ruler with the Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, known for his severity and power. For this reason, the text was presented as originating from the lands of India and later transmitted to Persia. Furthermore, the absence of the original source raises additional questions, as no trace of the Pahlavi version—claimed by Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa to be the source of his translation—has survived. In addition, the text exhibits a distinctly Islamic tone, containing numerous references to Islamic concepts, a religious spirit, and a distinctly Arab cultural framework.
Although the book as a whole revolves around wisdom and the governance of subjects, its author or translator, Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa, explicitly states that it possesses both an apparent and a hidden meaning. The discourse is addressed to multiple audiences—youth, common people, rulers, and the educated—and it undoubtedly relies on various persuasive strategies that differ in depth and argumentative structure, according to the diversity of its intended recipients

The Arabic sermon in its classical form cannot be adequately approached as a self-contained linguistic text detached from the conditions of its production and delivery. Originally, the sermon was not composed for reading, but for action and immediate influence on a present audience. It is a form of speech intended to produce effects rather than merely to be recorded. Therefore, limiting its analysis to formal rhetorical features—such as rhyme, balance, and stylistic ornamentation—results in a partial reading that overlooks the essence of the sermon as a pragmatic event whose meaning is shaped by its context of utterance as much as by its wording.
This study approaches the sermon as a linguistic practice deeply rooted in its situational context: time, place, the speaker as a social agent, and the audience as an active participant in meaning construction. Meaning in the sermon emerges not solely from verbal structure, but from a complex network of relations involving the audience’s state, the occasion, the level of tension or stability, and the communicative purpose of the speech. A single expression may acquire different meanings when removed from its original context or when read later as a documented historical text.
The research aims to reassert the importance of pragmatic analysis in the study of classical Arabic sermons by examining the relationship between the context of delivery and its impact on meaning. It seeks to expose the limitations of interpretations that disregard pragmatic conditions, and to shift the study of Arabic oratory from purely rhetorical description toward a functional analysis that connects speech to action and social effect.

The interconnection and overlap between Islamic sciences and other neighboring disciplines represent a form of scientific integration that characterized Islamic civilization. This interdisciplinary nature was evident in both its foundations and its core components. Perhaps one of the most prominent sciences to witness such integration is Grammar (An-Nahw) a cognitive tool used to organize speech according to systematic rules and principles derived from the inductive study of Arabic speech.
One specific aspect of this integration between Grammar and the Principles of Jurisprudence (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) is the concept of Conflict and Preference (Contradiction and Preferencing). This concept is an integral part of the Principles of Grammar (Principles of Arabic Grammar), a field that maintains an exceptionally close relationship with the Principles of Jurisprudence; in fact, Conflict and Preference is considered one of the primary chapters within the science of Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence

The advancement of Islamic civilization has been closely associated with the development of schools through the knowledge they provided, whether transmitted sciences, rational sciences, or purely applied disciplines. These institutions played a significant role in the progress of Islamic society. Moreover, sultans, ministers, and wealthy patrons devoted considerable attention to establishing and maintaining schools by endowing them with financial resources, stipends, and provisions for their teachers, assistants, and students, including accommodation, food, and clothing.
The Al-Wazir Mosque (al-Tutushiyya Madrasa) was no exception in terms of its establishment and financial support. Since its foundation in the early sixth century AH, it served as one of the prominent centers of learning. Teaching continued there for a considerable period even after the fall of Baghdad, and the institution was later restored during the era of the Ottoman governor Hasan Pasha. Although it was eventually transformed into a mosque, it continued to perform its educational role in the teaching of religious sciences.
This study traces the historical development of the mosque through its documented history as well as through the observations and accounts of foreign travelers who described the monument and the changes it underwent over time.

This article presents a critical edition of the manuscript Maʿrifat al-Tawhid by Abu Bakr b. ʿAli al-Shaybani al-Mawṣili al-Dimashqi al-Maqdisi (d. 797/1394), a Sufi treatise that addresses the doctrine of divine unity as a spiritual and epistemological experience transcending material and psychological constraints and closely linked to the Sufi path and its experiential struggles and unveilings.
The study examines the author’s conception of tawhid, highlighting his refusal to define it through rational discourse, in line with al-Shibli’s assertion of the inadequacy of language and conceptual thought to grasp its essence. The article further analyzes the author’s typology of tawhid according to ontological and human hierarchies, ranging from the tawhid of inanimate beings and animals to that of the general believers, then the novice seeker, culminating in the perfect tawhid that combines affirmation of divine unity with reverential exaltation. It also discusses his critique of the statement “there is nothing in existence except God,” which he dismisses as an aberrant Sufi utterance, and explores his views on the attainment of tawhid and the paths leading to it, with particular attention to his reliance on and abridgment of the works of Shams al-Din al-Daylami (d. 593/1197).
The article provides a codicological description of the manuscript, including information on the base copy, its material features, script, and textual structure, as well as corrections and marginalia. It also outlines the editorial methodology, which involves collating the manuscript, establishing the text, tracing cited sources, documenting Sufi terminology, and offering critical commentary on problematic passages, resulting in a critically edited text prepared according to the principles of scholarly manuscript editing.

This year marks the ninetieth anniversary of the passing of al-Zahawi, this pioneering Iraqi, of Kurdish origin, Arab in culture, a modernizer as a poet, thinker, philosopher, translator, and political and social activist. Therefore, the researcher believes it is necessary to revive his memory, some aspects of his experience, and some of his controversial stances by publishing a selection of his previously unpublished handwritten letters. It consists of twelve letters, which he addressed between 1908 and 1932 to his friend Al-Karmali, in which he touched upon various issues that concerned him, regarding his writings and works, his readings of heritage and modern texts, the contents of his personal library of Arabic manuscripts, which he presented to Al-Karmali as if he were cataloging some of them that came into his possession, his connections with some contemporary figures, and his position on one of the symbols of the English occupation of the country in 1917, Percy Cox. The researcher prefaced it with a general introduction about the sender and the recipient, and the nature of the ties that bind them - in an era that witnessed major transformations in our country, its surroundings, and the world following the outbreak of the First World War, after which Iraq became part of the share of the victorious empire (Britain) when the defeated one (the Ottoman state) retreated, before it regained its independence. The content of the letters, and what they offer in terms of revelations, as well as descriptive insights that concern the origins of these letters, the place where they are kept, and what is written on them in the hand of al-Karmali to document history. Al-Zahawi's methods in signing them, and in recording the dates of the letters, in which he followed two calendars, one of which is not widely known, was used by the Ottoman state for economic reasons in its later period, combining the Hijri and Gregorian calendars, and mixing the names of the months in them. The researcher concluded with a short study on the fate of Al-Karmali's letters to Al-Zahawi, and another on explaining my method of verifying the texts of these letters and commenting on them. The researcher added various annotations to them, including observations on their texts, comprehensive introductions to their prominent figures, and explanations of their subtle allusions, so that they may be accessible to the general reader and placed within their historical context.

The practice of palimpsesting represents a prominent codicological phenomenon in the history of the Arabic and Islamic manuscript tradition. It involves erasing earlier texts and rewriting new ones on parchment or paper. This practice originally emerged due to the scarcity and high cost of writing materials; however, its implications extend beyond purely economic considerations, reflecting a complex relationship between texts and the society that produced them.
Early Arabic sources indicate that palimpsesting was widespread in major cities within both cultural and administrative activities. The practice was not confined to administrative documents; it occasionally included scientific, literary, and religious texts. In this sense, palimpsesting served as a means of sustaining the processes of copying and authorship despite limited resources. At the same time, it constituted a form of textual memory erasure, as older texts were removed to make room for new ones. This act sometimes reflects cultural or religious preferences, whereby certain texts were considered more legitimate than others.
Modern spectral imaging technologies have revealed underlying erased texts in several discovered palimpsests, including those found in Sanaa and Sinai Peninsula. Consequently, the phenomenon of palimpsesting provides an important entry point for understanding the history of the manuscript book, the production of knowledge, and the interaction between technical necessities and cultural choices within Islamic civilization.

In this treatise, Muhammad Amin al-Bukhari, known as Amir Badshah al-Bukhari, provides a detailed discussion of the clause functioning as a circumstantial clause (Alhal) from the perspective of grammatical tense. He examines examples such as the Arabic expression: “Jaʾa Zayd wa-qad rakiba ghulamuhu” (“Zayd came while his servant had already mounted”), raising the question of which of the two clauses precedes the other temporally. The author further investigates whether the circumstantial clause should be interpreted as referring to past, present, or future time. These issues are analyzed and clarified in this concise treatise.

The general orientation of this study concerns the issue of linguistic evidence and citation (shawahid and istishhad) in Arabic and their relationship to the periods of linguistic authenticity (ʿuṣūr al-faṣaḥa). Its specific focus is Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi’s position on citing the poetry of the muhdatheen (post-classical or later poets). The study addresses two principal aspects of this topic. The first is an inductive survey of the poetry of the muhdatheen in the authentic corpus attributed to al-Khalil, represented by Kitab al-‘Ayn. The second is a critical review of the major classical and modern scholarly opinions that have attempted to interpret and evaluate his position on the citation of the poetry of the muhdatheen.
The study aims to clarify what remains ambiguous in al-Khalil’s methodological position regarding the chronological limits of linguistic transmission and the use of poetic evidence in grammatical and lexical argumentation in general, and his position on citing the poetry of his contemporaries in particular. This aspect of al-Khalil’s scholarship still requires further investigation that systematically examines its major issues and establishes a clearer understanding of his.

The critical edition of Sharh Jumal al-Zajjaji by Ibn ʿUṣfur al-Ishbili was the doctoral dissertation of Professor Sahib Jaʿfar Abu Jannah, submitted to Cairo University in 1971, where it was awarded First Class Honors under the supervision of Professor Shawqi Daif, President of the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo. In this work, the editor demonstrated considerable scholarly competence, adhering to sound principles of rigorous critical editing, and successfully highlighted the significance of this book among the major foundational works of Arabic grammar.
The editor excelled in the introductory study to the edition, in which he established the scholarly connections between Ibn ʿUṣfur and both his predecessors and successors. Throughout the edited text, he provided references, conducted careful verification, engaged in scholarly discussion, and offered reasoned preferences, accepting only what he found convincing and rejecting what did not accord with reason and logic.
Professor Shawqi Daif, the supervising scholar, commended the scholarly value of this edition, noting that it fulfilled the necessary academic standards and treated each grammatical issue discussed in the book as an independent scholarly problem, examining it in light of the major foundational grammatical sources. In the annotations, the editor further supplemented the commentary with explanations that facilitate understanding and clarify difficult passages, despite the considerable effort and hardship involved in such work.
This study calls for the republication of this book in recognition of this distinguished scholar, in respect for his legacy, and in support of the scholarly traditions that honor sincere and devoted scholars who upheld high academic values, enriched the field of knowledge, and contributed to the elevation of the language of the Qur’an. Moreover, the edition published by the Ministry of Awqaf in 1982 is now outdated—more than forty years have passed—and it contains numerous typographical errors that have diminished the value of this important source and major reference work.

This study investigates aspects of the life of the pre-Islamic poet Al Mutalammis ad-Duba‘i, tracing the origins of his lineage to the stock of Rabiʿa b. Nizar. The importance of this study lies in shedding light on a literary figure whose name is closely associated with the incident of the “Scroll” (Sahifat al-Mutalammis), which became a widely circulated proverb in the Arab heritage. This incident constitutes the narrative cornerstone of the study, as its various accounts are examined and the arguments of modernist scholars who question its authenticity are critically assessed.
The study also clarifies the poet’s critical standing, considering him a leading figure within the seventh class of the muqillun (poets with relatively limited but distinguished poetic output), whose refined expression and excellence of composition earned them precedence among the eminent poets.
The research adopts the historical method, employing analytical and investigative tools in examining authoritative classical sources, alongside a critical review of modern studies.
The study reaches several scholarly conclusions. Among them is the affirmation that the incident of the Scroll rests upon historically grounded foundations, which made the poet’s prudence and vigilance a firmly established motif within the Arab cultural legacy. It also confirms the distinctiveness of Al Mutalammis ad Duba‘i in the strength of diction and skillful treatment of themes such as pride, wisdom, and satire. Furthermore, the study underscores the necessity of distinguishing authentic poems from falsely attributed or fabricated ones within the poet’s diwan in order to preserve his literary heritage from the confusions of transmitters.

This study examines the figure of al-Niffari as one of the problematic personalities in the Sufi heritage, due to the ambiguity surrounding his life and the attribution of al-Mawaqif wa al-Mukhaṭabat. Traditional sources relied on the name Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbar ibn al-Ḥasan al-Niffari, which led to confusion in identifying the true author of the book and its actual (originator). Testimonies by Ibn ʿArabi, al-Tilimsani, al-Shaʿrani, and others indicate that Shaykh al-Niffari did not compose a book himself, rather, he used to record his Sufi experiences and spiritual revelations on separate sheets. One of his relatives, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbar, later collected, compiled, and arranged these materials.
From al-Tilimsani’s statements, it can be inferred that the arrangement of al-Mawaqif was not the work of the Shaykh himself, but of its compiler, which explains the apparent disorder in the arrangement of the texts. Moreover, al-Niffari’s life of travel and seclusion contributed to the obscurity of his biography and the loss of much information about him. The orientalist Arberry further complicated the matter when he published the book attributing it to the compiler rather than to the originator of the sayings, although manuscript evidence, as noted by Brockelmann, indicates that Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbar merely wrote down the book from the words of his teacher Abū ʿAbd Allah Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Niffari. Accordingly, it becomes clear that the book consists of the sayings of Shaykh al-Niffari, not the authorship of its compiler.

This article offers a new reading of kitab al-ʿasa within Al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin by Al-Jahiz, focusing on the coherence of its discourse and the extraction of its implicit cultural dimensions and symbolic significations of the staff. The study situates the text within the broader cultural, political, and civilizational contexts of Al-Jahiz’s era. It advances new interpretive insights that reveal kitab al-ʿasa as a uniquely structured composition endowed with profound symbolic meanings.

Arabic poetry is a vast ocean, brimming with pearls, gems, and coral. Its richness is inexhaustible, teeming with treasures and wonders, and with the masterpieces and marvels spoken by Arab poets. The researcher selected poems from the pre-Islamic era, beginning with the poet Imru' al-Qais and concluding with the Abbasid poet Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi. The selection of poems follows a chronological order; starting with the oldest and proceeding to reach Al-Mutanabbi. As everyone knows, poetry is the repository of Arab knowledge, the record of their glories, their battles, and their way of life. The Arabs are truly a nation of poet.

In Baghdad During the Abbasid Era, Guy Le Strange presents a historical and geographical study that seeks to reconstruct the image of Baghdad in the medieval period, drawing upon early Arabic sources, most notably the manuscript of Ibn Sarafiyun and the writings of Al-Ya'qubi and Al-Tabari.
The author focuses on the foundation of Baghdad during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al-Mansur in 145 AH / 762 CE, explaining that its establishment resulted from the Abbasid state’s need for a new capital following the fall of the Umayyads. The new city was intended to provide a location that was strategically and economically more advantageous than Damascus.
The book also addresses the political circumstances preceding the city’s foundation, tracing the transfer of the center of government from Medina to Kufa and then to Damascus during the Umayyad period, culminating in the rise of the Abbasid state. It further explains the reasons behind selecting the site of Baghdad on the banks of the Tigris River, highlighting its agricultural and commercial advantages as well as its connection to a network of irrigation canals that made it a vibrant economic center.
The author also examines the origin of the name “Baghdad,” noting its official designation as Madinat al-Salam (City of Peace). In addition, he discusses both historical and legendary accounts associated with its foundation, including the story of “Miqlas.”
A significant section of the work is devoted to describing the “Round City” built by Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, including the Mosque of al-Mansur, the Golden Gate Palace, the surrounding walls, and the four main gates (the Gate of Kufa, the Gate of Basra, the Gate of Syria, and the Gate of Khurasan), as well as the administrative offices and public facilities. In doing so, the author relies on a careful analysis of geographical and historical texts alongside modern maps.
Le Strange concludes that despite the wars and destruction it endured—most notably during the Siege of Baghdad (1258)—Baghdad remained throughout the centuries the capital of Mesopotamia and a prominent cultural center in the Islamic world.