Jawahir al-Balagha fi al-Maani wa al-Bayan wa al-Badi
- Author died
- 1362 AH
- Editions
- Al-Maktaba Al-Asriyya
Jawahir al-Balagha fi al-Maani wa al-Bayan wa al-Badi (The Jewels of Rhetoric in Semantics, Figures of Speech, and Embellishments) is an Arabic textbook on classical rhetoric composed by the Egyptian scholar and educator Ahmad al-Hashimi (1295–1362 AH / 1878–1943 CE) . It provides a systematic presentation of the three traditional branches of Arabic rhetoric (balagha), combining classical theoretical rules with applied examples .
Composition and Purpose
Ahmad al-Hashimi composed the book as an instructional manual while teaching rhetoric in secondary schools in Egypt . In his introduction, he noted that the discipline of rhetoric is crucial for elucidating the subtleties of the Quranic text and its inimitability (i'jaz) . His stated objective was to produce a textbook that gathered the essential rules of rhetoric and paired them with practical applications to facilitate comprehension for students .
Structure and Content
The work opens with an introductory section defining eloquence (fasaha) and rhetoric (balagha), outlining the requirements of eloquent diction in individual words (fasahat al-kalima), complete sentences (fasahat al-kalam), and the speaker (fasahat al-mutakallim) . This includes discussions on avoiding phonological discordance (tanafur al-huruf), obscure or archaic usages (gharaba), and deviations from grammatical or morphological norms .
The body of the book is arranged around the three recognized divisions of Arabic rhetorical sciences:
- Ilm al-Maani (Semantics / Word order): Dedicated to crafting statements so they conform to the context and intended meaning of the speaker without error .
- Ilm al-Bayan (Figures of Speech): Treating clarity of expression and the avoidance of semantic ambiguity, focusing on figurative language such as similes (tashbih), metaphors (isti'ara), and metonymies (kinaya) .
- Ilm al-Badi' (Rhetorical Embellishments): Addressing the stylistic enhancement of speech, divided into semantic figures and verbal figures .
In early editions, the work also included discussions of poetic borrowing (al-sariqat al-shiriyyah), prosody, rhyme, and poetic forms .
Publication History
The work has been printed numerous times since the early 20th century. A second edition was published at Matba'at Walidat Abbas in 1323 AH (1905 CE), followed by a third edition in 1914 CE . Subsequent editions were issued by publishing houses in Cairo and Beirut, including Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-Arabi, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, and Dar al-Fikr under the supervision of Sidqi Muhammad Jamil in 1419 AH (1988 CE) . An edition verified and annotated by Yusuf al-Sumayli was published by Al-Maktaba al-Asriyya in Beirut .
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