al-Fann wa Madhahibuhu fi al-Nathr al-Arabi
- Author died
- 1426 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Ma'arif
al-Fann wa Madhahibuhu fi al-Nathr al-Arabi (Art and Its Schools in Arabic Prose) is a historical and critical study of Arabic literary prose by the Egyptian scholar Shawqi Dayf (d. 1426 AH / 2005 CE). The work traces the evolution of Arabic artistic prose from the pre-Islamic era through the classical and medieval periods in the Islamic East, al-Andalus, and Egypt, concluding with the modern Egyptian prose revival.
Composition and Purpose
Dayf completed the book in Cairo, dating the preface of its first edition to 1 April 1946. Conceived as a direct counterpart to his earlier study, al-Fann wa Madhahibuhu fi al-Shi'r al-Arabi (Art and Its Schools in Arabic Poetry), the book was designed to introduce modern readers to the development of Arabic prose through systematic aesthetic categorization. Dayf stated that his methodology rested strictly on the examination of primary literary, historical, and geographical texts rather than subjective impressions or ungrounded hypotheses. In his preface to the third edition, Dayf noted that he revised and expanded the chapter on early Islamic prose, adding material on the stylistic influence of the Quran and Hadith, the varieties of early oratory, and the emergence of balanced acoustic parallelism (izdiwaj) among preachers and early scribes.
Theoretical Framework
The book applies an aesthetic framework that classifies Arabic literary prose into three successive evolutionary schools (madhahib):
- The School of Craftsmanship (Madhhab al-San'ah): Characterized by traditional artistic discipline and natural refinement without excessive ornament or structural complication, reflecting early Arab life.
- The School of Deliberate Embellishment (Madhhab al-Tasni'): Emerged as Arab society urbanized, marked by conscious rhetorical ornament, rhetorical figures (badi'), and rhymed prose (saj'), particularly within administrative chanceries.
- The School of Affectation (Madhhab al-Tasanu'): A late development arising from civilizational aging and intellectual luxury, defined by extreme mannerism, deliberate complexity (ta'qid), and contrived difficulty of expression.
Structure and Contents
The book is structured into three main parts and an epilogue:
- Book One: The School of Craftsmanship (Madhhab al-San'ah): Covers pre-Islamic prose forms, including proverbs, oratory, and the rhymed utterances of soothsayers (saj' al-kuhhan). It then examines early Islamic and Umayyad prose, tracing the expansion of political, festive, and religious oratory and the development of epistolary prose up to Abd al-Hamid al-Katib. The section concludes with early Abbasid prose masters, specifically Ibn al-Muqaffa', Sahl ibn Harun, and al-Jahiz.
- Book Two: The Schools of Embellishment and Affectation (Madhhab al-Tasni' wa-Madhhab al-Tasanu'): Traces the rise of decorative prose in the Abbasid and regional chanceries through Ibn al-'Amid, al-Sahib ibn 'Abbad, and Abu Ishaq al-Sabi. It analyzes the escalation of ornamentation in Abu Bakr al-Khwarizmi, Qabus ibn Wushmagir, and the maqamat of Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani, before examining structural complexity in Abu al-'Ala' al-Ma'arri (focusing on Risalat al-Ghufran and al-Fusul wa-l-Ghayat), al-Hariri, and al-Haskafi.
- Book Three: Artistic Schools in al-Andalus and Egypt (al-Madhahib al-Fanniyyah fi al-Andalus wa-Misr): Studies western prose traditions, highlighting Andalusian figures such as Ibn Shuhayd, Ibn Zaydun, and Lisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib, alongside Egyptian prose under the Tulunid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk periods, highlighting figures such as Ibn 'Abd Kan, Ibn Abi al-Shakhba', al-Qadi al-Fadil, and Muhyi al-Din ibn 'Abd al-Zahir.
- Epilogue (Khatimah): Provides a comprehensive summary of the study's findings, discusses the stagnation of the Ottoman era, and outlines the renaissance of modern Egyptian prose.
Regional Dynamics and Stagnation
Dayf argues that after the fourth and fifth centuries AH, Arabic prose froze within the boundaries of al-Tasanu', producing no further schools in the Islamic East. In evaluating the literature of al-Andalus and Egypt, he concludes that neither region developed an independent artistic school; instead, authors in both regions imitated Eastern models, frequently combining features of multiple styles while expressing local identity only within narrow limits.
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