Muhammad Salih al-Shanti
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Muhammad Salih al-Shanti (b. 1945 CE) is a Jordanian literary critic and academic specializing in modern Arabic literary criticism, known for his work on Arabic prose composition and editing, Fann al-Tahrir al-Arabi (The Art of Arabic Composition and Editing).
Biography and Academic Career
Muhammad Salih al-Shanti was born in Palestine in 1945 CE and holds Jordanian nationality. He pursued higher academic studies in literature, earning a doctorate and rising to the rank of university professor specializing in modern literary criticism. During his academic career, he resided and taught in the city of Ha'il in Saudi Arabia, where several of his publications and editorial projects were issued.
In 1413 AH (c. 1992 CE), al-Shanti oversaw the publication of al-Luju' al-Akram ila al-Ilah al-A'zam in Ha'il. In addition to his instructional manuals, his critical writings include the study collection Mutaba'at Adabiyya (Literary Follow-ups).
Literary Scholarship and Reception
Al-Shanti's research encompasses both modern literary trends and classical Arabic poetry. In classical studies, he produced an analysis of the pre-Islamic poet Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma and his poetic output, drawing upon historical frameworks of early Arabic poetic development. His scholarship on pre-Islamic poetry was noted for its critical analysis, though contemporary reviewers commented on his focus on thematic and historical synthesis over geographical and tribal boundary determinations. He has also contributed critical essays and studies on the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and prophetic eulogy (mada'ih nabawiyya) in modern Arabic creative and critical writing.
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List of Works
Fann al-Tahrir al-Arabi (The Art of Arabic Composition and Editing, subtitled in some editions as Fann al-Tahrir al-Arabi: Dawabituhu wa-Anmatuhu) is a manual on Arabic writing, orthography, and compositional genres. It presents the foundational rules of Arabic writing and technical mechanics while providing a comprehensive guide to various literary and functional prose forms.