2. INFO:
• Large peninsula separated from Africa
by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
on the west and from Asia by the
Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman on
the east
• Indian Ocean forms the southern
boundary and the deserts of Jordan
and Syria isolate the area from the
north. Arabs call the area “Jazirat al-
Arab” (island of the Arabs).
3. INFO:
• Arabian peninsula was occupied by the
wealthy Sabaean civilization, then by
Babylonians and the Egyptians.
• It was eventually united (7th century) under
the caliphs of Muhammad and became the
“cradle of Islam”.
24. • The structure of the Arabic language is
well-suited to harmonious word-patterns,
with elaborate rhymes and rhythms.
• The earliest known literature emerged in
northern Arabia around 500 AD and took
the form of poetry which was recited
aloud, memorized and handed down from
one generation to another.
• It began to be written down towards the
end of the seventh century.
26. QASIDAH
• normally consists of 70-80 pairs of half-lines
• describe the nomadic life, opening with a
lament at an abandoned camp for a lost love
• praise the poet's horse or camel and
describes a journey, with the hardships it
entails
• contain the main theme of the poem, often
extolling the poet's tribe and villifying its
enemies
28. IBN AL MUQAFFA
• a convert to Islam who
translated classical
Persian works into
Arabic
• became famous as the
author of Kalila and
Dimna, a series of
didactic fables in which
two jackals offer moral
and practical advice
29. AL-JAHIZ
• developed Arabic
prose into a literary
vehicle of precision
and elegance
• noted for his wit and
became one of
Baghdad's leading
intellectuals during the
early Abbasid period
30. Most famous works of Al-Jahiz:
• Kitab al-Hayawan ("The Book of Animals"),
an anthology of animal anecdotes.
• Kitab al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin ("The Book of
Elucidation and Exposition"), ostensibly about
rhetoric but also covering history and
science.
• Kitab al-Bukhala’ ("The Book of Misers"),
amusing but perceptive observations on
psychology.
31. ABU AL-FARAJ al-Isfahani
• wrote Kitab al-Aghani ("The Book of
Songs"), in 24 volumes. A model of
simplicity and clarity in its writing, the
book gives a comprehensive picture
of Arab culture and society, including
songs and poems which were popular
in Baghdad under the Caliph Harun
al-Rashid.
32. AL-HAMADHANI
• credited with
inventing the genre
known
as maqamat("assem
blies") - dramatic
anecdotes narrated
by a witty but
unscrupulous rogue
which poke fun at all
levels of society
33. AL-HARIRI
• took the maqamahto
new heights (or
extremes) in order
to demonstrate his
prowess with word-
play and his
seemingly
inexhaustible
vocabulary
36. MAIN FRAME OF THE
STORY
• concerns a Persian king and his new bride
• He is shocked to discover that his brother's wife
is unfaithful; discovering his own wife's infidelity
has been even more flagrant, he has her
executed: but in his bitterness and grief decides
that all women are the same.
• The king, Shahryar, begins to marry a
succession of virgins only to execute each one
the next morning, before she has a chance to
dishonour him.
37. • Eventually the vizier, whose duty it is to provide
them, cannot find any more virgins.
• Scheherazade, the vizier's daughter, offers herself
as the next bride and her father reluctantly agrees.
• On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade begins
to tell the king a tale, but does not end it. The king is
thus forced to postpone her execution in order to
hear the conclusion.
• The next night, as soon as she finishes the tale, she
begins (and only begins) a new one, and the king,
eager to hear the conclusion, postpones her
execution once again. So it goes on for 1,001
nights.
38. • Story ends with
the sultan
pardoning
Sheherezade,
thus accepting
that he had
already fallen in
love with her.