al-Khitaba inda al-Arab
- Author died
- 1378 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat Dār al-Minhāj lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzīʿ
al-Khitaba inda al-Arab (Oratory among the Arabs) is a treatise by the scholar and Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Muhammad al-Khidr Husayn (1293–1377 AH / 1876–1958 CE; also reported as born in 1292 AH) , examining the theoretical definition, social utility, and historical evolution of Arabic rhetoric and public address .
Background and Publication
The work originated as an address delivered at the club of the Young Men's Muslim Association (Jam'iyyat al-Shubban al-Muslimin) in Cairo on the evening of Wednesday, 5 Dhu al-Qi'da 1346 AH . It was published as an independent booklet in 1346 AH and serialized in issues 94 and 95 of the Cairo-based journal al-Fath during the same year . It was later edited by Yasir ibn Hamid al-Mutayri and published by Dar al-Minhaj in Riyadh (1433 AH) , and included within the author's collected works (Mawsu'at al-A'mal al-Kamila) .
Content and Structure
The treatise begins by addressing the philosophical and logical definition of oratory (khitaba), which logicians categorize as a syllogistic argument (qiyas) built on probable premises (zanniyyat) or accepted premises (maqbulat) . The author contrasts it with demonstration (burhan), which is based on certainties; poetry (shi'r), which is based on imaginative representations; and sophistry (safsata) . Citing Aristotle's definition of rhetoric as the faculty of discovering the available means of persuasion in each particular case, the author also provides the literary definition of oratory as the delivery of prose—whether rhymed (saj') or unrhymed (mursal)—to persuade listeners of an opinion or urge them toward an action .
The work explores the significance and social functions of public speaking:
- Leadership and Governance: The author notes that eloquence was regarded by the Arabs as an essential qualification for leadership and authority, citing the early figures Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ziyad ibn Abihi, and Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad .
- Religious Institutionalization: In Islam, oratory was instituted for Friday congregations, Eid prayers, and the pilgrimage at Arafat, requiring the speaker to possess discernment (nabaha), sound knowledge ('ilm), and eloquence (balagha) .
- Societal Impact: Oratory serves practical purposes such as rallying hesitant armies, motivating lethargic communities, guiding those raised in ignorance, and reconciling warring factions .
Historical Stages
The author examines the historical development of Arabic oratory across three principal epochs of flourishing :
- The Pre-Islamic Era (Jahiliyya): The scarcity of preserved pre-Islamic speeches compared to poetry is attributed to poetry being easier to memorize and circulate across tribes . The author rejects claims denying the existence of distinguished pre-Islamic oratory, citing speeches preserved in literary sources, such as Arab delegations to the Sasanian court and tribal chiefs meeting the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . Its development in this era was fueled by freedom, pride, and frequent inter-tribal conflicts .
- Early Islam (Sadr al-Islam) and the Early Abbasid Era: The advent of Islam expanded the domain of oratory through the calling to Islamic guidance, countering opponents, and the stylistic influence of the Quran and the Prophet's ﷺ speech . Orators rose above poets, especially as poetry deteriorated into excessive panegyric and satire . The high standing of oratory persisted into the early Abbasid period, exemplified by speakers such as Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, al-Ma'mun, Ja'far ibn Yahya, and Shabib ibn Shayba .
- The Modern Renaissance: The revival of oratory in the modern period is driven by the society's urge to reform its political and social conditions .
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