PHILOLOGY, RHETORIC AND LITERARY CRITICISM IN THE STUDY OF "I'jIZ" DUPING THE ^TH C E H III B I A.H. BASHIR. M .RAMLI ProQuest Number: 10731278 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10731278 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 (ii) ABSTRACT >■111 m I ■ kMt Fourth century studies of Xf jaz and their role in the development of Arabic literary theory of criticim are the main concern of this attempt, the general theme being an assessment of the evolution of the views expressed in this connexion* The period chosen for investiga -tion is the culmination of a series of earlier stages pioneering these studies# Before dealing with fourth century studies of I*jaz, consideration is given to some of the earlier attempts in that direction,especially of the third century, as it was these which laid the foundation for later studies* In the latter century also this branch.of study emerged primarily as an independent topic in Qur’anic studies* Some of the other theological questions which led to later controversies are also considered* From a purely literary standpoint, in addition to the early com- -mentators1 efforts, two outstanding authors-al-Jahiz and Ibn Qutaybah- also expressed strong opinions on the subject, though-not , necessarily under that title, and who greatly inspired later studies, have been chosen as representative,of that century* Tov/ards the end of that century, and whenl1jaz became a stabilized topic in Qur’anic studies, attempts are made to investigate the actual term itself and.also the factors which directly affected fourth century studies. Few of the great controversies of the early fourth century have survived, but much can be reconstructed.through the views directly inherited by the succeeding generations. The four authors with whom we shall be mainly concerned are; . al-Rummani, al-Khattabi, al-Baqillani and al-Qadi fAbd al-Jabbar. The • • • first two in their terse treatises.dealing directly with the.literary aspects of the problem, the latter, both eminent theologians, cover­ ing a much wider field, both theological and literary. For most of these four, new materials are used, often revealing new dimensions to their conception of the problem. CONTENTS Abstract ii Contents iii-iv Acknowledgement v Preface vi-viii CHAPTER I = Introductions ' , _ _ i) The early studies of Tafsir and Ifjaz 2 ii) The ‘’Creation of the Qur,anI,and I* jaz 23 Al-Nazzam and al-Sarfah 33 • i • Al-Jahiz and al-Sarfah 4-0 • • • CHAPTER II I1jaz and some of the achievements in the literary theory during the third century A * H * / ninth A*D: 4-5 A) Jahiz and_the composition of the Qur’an 4*6 Some*of Jahiz1s rhetorical assessments 64- . * The Qur’an and rhymed prose ( SaJf ) 82 B) After Jahiz- Ibn Qutaybah on I*jaz 84- • • *K.Ta’wil Mushkil al-Qur’an1 88 The Trope ( al-Majaz ) 100 CHAPTER III The term I1jaz. Heretical authors whose works influenc- -ed the study of I1jaz in the fourth/tenth century 128 1) Ibn al-Rawandi 136 Three heretical works 138 2) Al-RazI 133 CHAPTER IV The different approaches to I1jaz in the fourth century A*H./ tenth A.D.,general introduction 164- CHAPTER V — Shorter works; s 1) Al-Rummani „ Biographical and literary background ^85 *K# al-Jami* 1 _ _ 195 *K. al-Nukat fi^I’jaz al-Qur’an 200 Eloquence ( Balaghah ) 201 (iv) Rummani’s Contribution between Aristotle and the later Arab theorists 226 CHAPTER VI Shorter works: 2) Al-Khattabi 2*f2 Biographical and literary background 2^3 *IC. Bayan I* jaz al-Qur’an1 252 Eloquence 256 Words meanings and composition 259 The two most outstanding theologians: Introduction 278 CHAPTER VII 1) Al-Baqillani 282 Biographical and literary background 283 Al-Baqillani and Qur’anic studies i-1 It*al-Intisar1 _ 300 ii-*K#Nukat al-Intisar 1 The chapter on I’jas 329 iii-fK.Hidayat al-Musfcarshidin 333 (The theological Background) Al-Baqillani and Eloquence 388 The Qur’an and poetry 4-2^ Rhymed prose ^56 CHAPTER VIII 2) Al-Asadabadhi ^60 Biographicaimand.literary background ^61 Al-Asadabadhi and^Qur’anic studies i- fK*Tanzih al-Qur1an1An al-Mata'in1 ii- fK#Tathbit*••*.etc. * Proofs of^the Prophetic Mission ^79 Al-Asadabadhi and the study of I’jaz iii- *K*al-MughnI - Volume XVI ^83 Eloquence and Composition k9k Conclusion 506 A'final \\rord on the subject 512 Bibliography 513 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To those who have kindly assisted me in this work X wish to express my sincere gratitude: To Professor R.B.Sergant for his early encouragement* To Dr. W*N*Arafat for his unfailing encouragement and advice as well as his invaluable suggestions and critical remarks* To Mr. Meredith Owens and Dr* Martin Lings of the - British Museum; the former for helping me to obtain MSB. from Paris and Istanbul, the latter for MSS* and printed books at the B.M. Library* To Miss J. Watson of the India Office Library. To the generous kindness of the British Museum Library, particularly the staff of the Oriental Students Room who were most helpful. Also the Arab League Institude for MSS. and to al-Sayyid Tawfiq al-Bakri* To the staff of SOAS*library who were of unfailing help, especially Mr. M.G.Schofield, Mrs. P.Brown and Miss. R.Stevens. Finally, I am ever greatful to my friend Mr. Peter*M. Stocks of the British Museum who has, over the years,been of great help* PREFACE !lAs for the question of I* jaz itself, indeed much has been said abaut it, which is considered by the and those who are in the -pursuit of religious matters enough and sufficient* I do not think they have any more to add to it; hence they should seek the study of rhetoric (Balaghah) so as to achieve a religious end,aiming at the perfection of people*s belief in the Qur*an and its celestial nature*u * Was Ifjaz a purely literary question or was it a theological controversy or perhaps an amalgam of them both ? The obvious fact that the idea of I1jaz concerns in the first plac« a religious work in which the consideration of the role of language is of fundamental significance thus inextricably ^entwines both the form and the content* The question of whether the religious realization fostered the literary aspect of the idea, and if so whether there were achieve­ ments outside this influence in the Arabic literary theory of criticism and rhetoric, is the theme of the folloxcLng inquiry* The specific period chosen for this investigation is the fourth century A*H., the tenth A.D*, and the works of four distinguished authors are the basic material with which we shall be mainly concerned A more protracted introduction to this period and the principles underlying those studies shall be considered later on* Meanwhile, before approaching those studies, their authors and the literary achievements they engendered, it is necessary that an attempt should be made to assess some of the studies preceeding them and some of the historical circumstances which led to the study of I1jaz in the fourtl century, particularly the endeavours of the third century scholars* Almost two and a half centuries of Qur’anic literary history had elapsed before the emergence of I*jaz as an independent branch of study, during which time certain developments in Arabic literature resulting in achievements :\n in this field, v?ere rapidly evolving. Some of these were based mainly on the study of the text of the Qur*ar itself, others concerned secular literature* Nontheless, in both fielc (^) A*al-Khuli, Fann al-Qawl, (19^7) PP*157-8* varied inquiries into the unique status of the language of the Sacred Book are apparent. In contrast to this, the fact of the Qur>an>s pre-eminence as a religious document was bound to create theological controversies, not only xtfith regard to its teaching but also its nature *?■ created or eternal. The literary aspect is otir main concern, especially the literary theory of criticism and rhetoric and the fact that one of the major functions of criticism is interpretation, which enlarges and purifies the understanding of a literary work, or indeed enables us to judge of its excellence, necessitates that we look first at some of the early branches of .Qur’ahic literature - and especially the oldest, interpretation or Tafsin. Although this latter is itself a sign of an evaluating judgement, we shall look into it as a means of approach of the earl^fes endeavours and some of the achievements made, and also the attitudes of their authors toward the interpretation of the Qur’an by means of current 15.terature. The influence of those early attempts and their author’s immediate and immense effects we shall trace further in our exposition of the studies which followed them, particularly those of al-Jahiz and Ibn * * Qutaybah, under whom they developed further still* The latter scholars* pioneering efforts represent to us by far the earliest stages of the study of I*jaz, albeit under different titles, in fact some of the headings occuring in those studies (i.e. the idea of Nazk or style) became one of the two literary aspects of the study of I*jaz in later centuries. From those studies also fourth century scholars benefitted a great deal, either as sources of information or as additional eval^i -ations• Turning to the other side of the problem, the- theological aspect, one of the perennial questions which occupied theological schoo3_s throughout the third century, and far beyond, was the question of the creation of the Qur’an; which not only brought to a head the realization of some literarj7* devices but also created a certain theory which accompanied the chapter of I*jaz for many centuries thence, ( ^ iii) the theory of al-Sarfah* ^ * Early in the third century, factors which gave rise to Qur*anic studies were a mixture of internal (within the Muslim community)and external elements* But in the second half of the third century certain heretical and sceptical movements were developing and in the heretical writings of those movements such tenets as miracles, scriptures and prophethoods were severly attacked* The resultant criticisms launched at them were clearly the direct causes which initiated the study of I* jaz and which ultimately became integral facets in it* These early steps in literary or theological fields,either alone or in combination, feature in the general background of the study oi I* jaz Finally, a word should perhaps be said about the fourth century authors* material* Although of most of them a work on I*jaz or other branch of Qur’anic study has long been known and published- indeed some of the authors wbb© known for nothing else but their H * works on I*jaz until comparitively recently, as in the case of the author, al-Baqillani- We have been fortunate enough to find new materials from most of them, which will,we hope, shed nevf light on their achievements with regard to the chapter on l*jaz* 1 CHAPTER I I N T R O D U C T I O N ; i- The early studies of Tafsir and I*jaz ii-The n Creation of the Qur’an u and I*jaz i