The Mu'allaqa of Imru' al-Qais: An Integrated Critical Vision (A Study in the Commentaries of the Ode)

Abstract

       This study examines a significant issue in the field of classical Arabic literary criticism, namely the critical perspectives found in the commentaries on Imru’ al-Qays’ Mu‘allaqa up to the end of the fifth century AH. The research aims to shed light on the evaluative judgments and critical insights articulated by these commentators, to classify their types and domains, and to explore their relationship with modern critical theories and methodologies.

The study is structured into three main sections. The first addresses the overall critical assessments of the Mu‘allaqa, including admiration for its masterful opening, as well as psychological, semantic, stylistic, aesthetic, and artistic critiques. The second section investigates the critical remarks directed at individual verses, focusing on rhetorical, figurative, and grammatical aspects, as well as evaluations of meaning, thematic transitions, and the integration of religious and cultural heritage. These reflect the commentators’ refined critical sensibilities and their rich linguistic and literary background. The third section analyzes the commentators’ methodological approaches, revealing how each commentator’s method reflected his intellectual orientation, cultural grounding, and personal perspective.

The findings indicate that these commentaries did not merely aim at clarifying meanings, but also incorporated critical judgments that contributed significantly to the study of language and literature. Criticism was interwoven into the fabric of commentary, often concealed within grammatical, rhetorical, and semantic discussions. Moreover, the research uncovers early anticipations and rudimentary forms of modern critical theories, which later served as a foundation for distinguished Arab critical schools.