al-Nazm al-Balaghi bayn al-Nazariyya wa al-Tatbiq
- Author died
- 1429 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ṭibā‘ah al-Muḥammadiyyah
al-Nazm al-Balaghi bayn al-Nazariyya wa al-Tatbiq (Rhetorical Composition between Theory and Application) is a critical study on Arabic rhetoric and stylistic analysis by Hasan Ismail Abd al-Raziq (d. 1429 AH / 2008 CE), examining the theory of nazm (structural composition) from its foundational roots to its practical application on classical literary texts.
Background and Purpose
The author, who served as an assistant professor of rhetoric at the Faculty of Arabic Language in Zagazig (Al-Azhar University), published the first edition of the work in 1403 AH / 1983 CE through Dar al-Tiba'a al-Muhammadiyya in Cairo. The treatise addresses the historical evolution of Arabic rhetoric following the formulation of the theory of nazm by Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani in his study of the inimitability of the Quran (I'jaz al-Qur'an).
Abd al-Raziq argues that while later rhetoricians systematized rhetoric into three discrete branches—ilm al-ma'ani (meanings), ilm al-bayan (figures of speech), and ilm al-badi' (embellishments)—their excessive reliance on philosophical and logical abstractions detached rhetoric from living literary texts, reducing rhetorical analysis to rigid rules accompanied by isolated illustrative fragments, such as single verses or hemistichs. This formalization encouraged modern critiques that viewed rhetoric as obsolete and disconnected from literary criticism. Abd al-Raziq's objective was to restore al-Jurjani’s holistic conception of nazm as the central pillar of rhetoric and demonstrate its efficacy through the comprehensive analysis of classical literary works.
Structure and Contents
The book consists of an introductory section followed by two primary parts:
- Introduction (Tamhid): Outlines the historical efforts of scholars to define rhetoric (al-balagha), the phases of rhetorical inquiry, the nature and methodologies of literary criticism (al-naqd al-adabi), and the relationship and distinctions between rhetoric and criticism.
- Part One: Rhetorical Composition (al-Bab al-Awwal: al-Nazm al-Balaghi): Traces the historical emergence of nazm, beginning with the early Arabic encounter with the Quranic challenge and early attempts to interpret its inimitability through style and structure. It then examines the crystallization of the theory under al-Jurjani, who viewed rhetorical subtleties as branching from grammatical relationships, and analyzes how later rhetoricians, particularly al-Khatib al-Qazwini in al-Idah, applied this theory.
- Part Two: Application of Rhetorical Composition to Literary Texts (al-Bab al-Thani: Tatbiq al-Nazm al-Balaghi 'ala al-Nass al-Adabi): Begins with a discussion of eloquence (fasaha) and rhetoric (balagha) and their criteria of assessment. It then applies the principles of nazm—such as word order (al-taqdim wa al-ta'khir), definiteness and indefiniteness (al-ta'rif wa al-tankir), ellipsis (al-hadhf), and conjunction and disjunction (al-fasl wa al-wasl)—to complete literary selections.
Methodology and Scope
Rather than relying on isolated examples inherited by later rhetorical manuals, the author grounds his textual application in major classical anthologies, including Diwan al-Hamasa by Abu Tammam, Jamharat Ash'ar al-Arab, al-Mufaddaliyyat by al-Mufaddal al-Dabbi, and al-Asma'iyyat by al-Asma'i. The analytical approach emphasizes situating each text within its specific context and historical occasion (munasabat al-nass), demonstrating how contextual dynamics dictate syntactic and rhetorical choices and contribute to the aesthetic and structural integrity of Arabic poetry.
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