Rijal al-Muallaqat al-Ashr
- Author died
- 1364 AH
- Editions
- Rijal al-Muallaqat al-Ashr
Rijal al-Muallaqat al-Ashr (Men of the Ten Mu'allaqat) is a biographical and literary study of the poets of the ten pre-Islamic suspended odes, written by the Lebanese scholar, educator, and orator Mustafa al-Ghalayini (1303–1364 AH / 1886–1944 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Al-Ghalayini prepared the work during his tenure as an instructor of Arabic at the Imperial School (al-Maktab al-Sultani) and the Ottoman College (al-Kulliyyah al-Uthmaniyyah) in Beirut . The book was designed to provide readers and students of Arabic with an accessible yet thorough historical and linguistic guide to the ten celebrated pre-Islamic poets and their masterpieces .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized around comprehensive historical surveys and individual poet profiles:
- Introductory Treatises: The book opens with two extensive introductory studies. The first provides a concise history of the Arabs before Islam, while the second presents an outline of the history of Arabic literature from the pre-Islamic era (al-Asr al-Jahili) up to the modern period .
- Biographical and Poetic Profiles: The core of the volume covers the biographies of the ten poets of the Mu'allaqat, tracing their lineages, the major historical events and tribal conflicts they experienced, and selections of their poetry .
Methodology and Sources
In compiling the biographies and poems, al-Ghalayini consulted both classical and modern literary compilations and poetical diwans . To facilitate comprehension for readers and students, the poetic texts were provided with full vocalization and diacritics, accompanied by detailed lexical and conceptual explanations of difficult vocabulary and meanings .
Reception
The work was published and distributed by the well-known al-Manar Bookshop (Maktabat al-Manar) in Egypt . Contemporary literary periodicals, such as the Egyptian magazine Majallat al-Zuhur, commended the book for its meticulous organization, comprehensive historical introductions, and contribution to Arabic literary education during the modern Arab renaissance (al-Nahdah) .
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