Ancient-Classical Arabic Poetry.


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Introduction

Why did Modern Standard Arabic form when Ancient Arabic is more complex?

1 - Any Orientalists who try to criticize the Qur'anic language using the rules of Modern Standard Arabic - they are mistaken because they are measuring a deeper language [Classical Arabic] with a more simplified version of that language.

2 - People who lived in the desert wanted to beautify and describe the world through their speech and words. The Arabs language was pure and refined because it was not affected by other cultures (since other nations did not affect/influence them much - the arabs were Sovereign/independent from other states). The Arabs did not have any arts/buildings/philosophies to take pride in. But what they did have full pride in was their Language.



Arab Poets Introduction:


Arabs took pride in poetry and spread their news and status through it. The 'Arabs poetry spoke in Riddles.

They saw desert when they woke up - nothing imaginative. So they were very imaginative (picturesque/visual) in their thoughts - the words they said had very deep and imaginative images, so that One word in Arabic can mean a whole Sentence in any other language, or one Sentence in Arabic can mean a whole Paragraph in any other language.

We will attempt to Collect some Classical Arabic lines of poetry and discuss their meanings insha' Allah in this section.




Example #1 of Classical Arabic Poetry:


There was a man who lived on a highly located house on a hill. He said poetry - stating that he is really Generous.

His wife asked him how so, if he is extremely poor – without wealth?


He replied;

فَ سَيلُ حَربٌ عَلي مَكَانٍ عَالِيَه

 

"Heavy rain does not get along with a house on top of a hill."

[literal translation: the Stream (saylu) is at war (harbun) upon a home ('alaa makaanin) on a high place ('aaliyah)]

 

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*Poetry & its Explanation from talk by Nouman Ali Khan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6uBX_--j4c-50 seconds onwards.



What does he mean?

Imagine a hill, and a house located on top of it. Does the rain go down to the bottom of the hill, or does it stay at the bottom? It goes to the bottom.

He is saying that the Rain (which is the source of all wealth [Rizq] - food/drink) goes down past his high house, to provide wealth for lowly people below him. While he is generous by living at the top, living highly closer to the sky (where all goodness of rain comes from.)

So he is ascribing a 'higher rank' to himself, as well as generosity to himself, while being above others.



Riddle & Idiom and Word Choice of Classical Poets.


This is just one example of Riddles which the 'Arabs took pride in.
If you did not understand their riddle, they would consider you an 'Ajamiy [عَجَمي] (non-Arab), and it would show your lack of knowledge and eloquence.

This is a good example of how Ancient Arabic was much more complex than Modern Standard Arabic spoken today.
This is the context/Setting of the society in which Allah sent His final Messenger (sal Allah alayhi wasalam) to.

If there is a word that you could say better in your poetry but you did not, the other poets would criticize your poetry. This meant your life-time honour could be destroyed by just saying one wrong word.

 

..Yet, if the poets could not come up with something similar to the Qur’an – it surely was something amazing!

If Allah wills, we may add more Classical Arabic Poetry and their explanations to this section in the future.

CONTENTS:

Figures of Speech:
 1 - Qurrata A'yun - Coolness of the Eyes.

Poetry:
1 - The famous Mu'allaqah of 'Amr ibn Kulthum

 




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