مكانة الشعر والشعراء عند ابن رشيق القيرواني

The Status of Poetry and Poets According to Ibn Rashīq al-Qayrawānī DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20488600

الملخص

This study examines the critical views of Ibn Rashīq al-Qayrawānī on the status of poetry and poets as articulated primarily in his seminal work al-ʿUmda fī Maḥāsin al-Shiʿr wa Ādābih. It explores his clear preference for poetry over prose within the broader Arabic literary tradition that long debated the merits of the two forms. The paper analyzes the arguments Ibn Rashīq advances to establish poetry as the highest form of Arabic expression, emphasizing its aesthetic power, mnemonic strength, rhetorical influence, and cultural authority.

Drawing on textual evidence, prophetic traditions, reports from the Companions, and statements of early scholars, Ibn Rashīq frames poetry as a legitimate, noble, and socially effective medium that shapes moral values, preserves language, and elevates both individuals and communities. The study highlights how he responds to critics of poetry, refutes arguments favoring prose, and demonstrates that poetry, when aligned with truth and ethical purpose, becomes a vehicle of wisdom, refinement, and social reform.

The research further investigates Ibn Rashīq’s portrayal of the poet as the spokesperson of his people, a defender of honor, and an influential cultural figure whose words can raise or lower social status. Through numerous historical examples, he illustrates how poetry functioned as a tool of intercession, persuasion, and reputation in Arab society. The study concludes that, for Ibn Rashīq, poetry is not merely an artistic form but a civilizational instrument that integrates eloquence, emotion, imagination, and moral function, thereby occupying the highest rank among the arts of expression.