Jawahir al-Adab fi Adabiyyat wa Insha Lughat al-Arab
- Author died
- 1362 AH
- Editions
- Mu’assasat al-Ma‘ārif
Jawahir al-Adab fi Adabiyyat wa Insha Lughat al-Arab ("Jewels of Literature on the Literary Arts and Epistolography of the Arabic Language") is a prominent Arabic literary anthology and manual of composition compiled by the Egyptian educator and man of letters Ahmad al-Hashimi (1295–1362 AH / 1878–1943 CE) .
Composition and Purpose
Ahmad al-Hashimi completed the compilation of the work in 1319 AH . He presented and dedicated the book to his mentor, Shaykh Muhammad Abduh, addressing him in an introductory epistolary dedication that praised his scholarship and described the book as a comprehensive treasury of Arabic wisdom, rhetoric, and literature . The book was designed to serve students and writers by providing foundational rules for Arabic prose composition (insha), letter-writing, and eloquence, alongside select classical models of rhetoric, epistolary prose, speeches, and moral maxims .
Contents and Literary Principles
The work systematically outlines the theoretical and practical dimensions of Arabic literary prose:
- Epistolography (al-mukatabat wa al-murasalat): Al-Hashimi treats correspondence as the medium of communicating with an absent addressee through the pen, enumerating five essential qualities for effective letter-writing: simplicity (al-sadhaja), clarity (al-jala'), conciseness (al-ijaz), suitability (al-mula'ama), and elegance (al-talawa) .
- Pillars of Composition (arkan al-kitaba): The author specifies three core requisites for rhetorical writing: an attractive and well-crafted opening (matla'), smooth coherence and organic transitions connecting consecutive ideas without abrupt disjunction, and refined phrasing that avoids both hackneyed clichés and obscure vocabulary while harmonizing delicate wording with noble meanings .
Abridgments and Publication History
The work achieved widespread circulation in the Arab world, appearing in numerous printings and editions . An early full edition was published in Cairo by Matba'at al-Sa'ada (704 pages), alongside an abridgment (mukhtasar) printed at Matba'at Wadi al-Nil in 1319 AH (416 pages) . It went through more than twenty print editions, including the twenty-second edition issued by Matba'at al-Istiqaama in Cairo in 1387 AH (1967 CE) .
Answer updated