Ulum al-Balagha «al-Badi wa al-Bayan wa al-Maani»
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Ulum al-Balagha «al-Badi wa al-Bayan wa al-Maani» (Sciences of Rhetoric: Figures of Speech, Imagery, and Semantics) is a contemporary study of Arabic rhetoric co-authored by Muhammad Ahmad Qasim and Muhyi al-Din Dib, first published in 2003 in Tripoli, Lebanon.
Scope and Objectives
The work covers the three foundational disciplines of classical Arabic rhetoric—‘ilm al-badi‘ (figures of speech and rhetorical embellishment), ‘ilm al-bayan (figurative expression and imagery), and ‘ilm al-ma‘ani (semantics and word order). The authors frame the historical emergence of these sciences as directly tied to the study and service of the miraculous nature of the Quran (I‘jaz al-Quran), citing early foundational treatises by scholars such as Abu Ubayda, al-Farra, Ibn Qutayba, al-Rummani, al-Khattabi, al-Baqillani, al-Qadi Abd al-Jabbar, and Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani.
The authors outlined several methodological objectives for the book:
- Integrating classical rhetorical heritage with modern linguistic studies in a way that enriches understanding without overcomplicating concepts.
- Examining rhetorical terminology by systematically tracing words from their lexical dictionary roots to their technical definitions, updating analytical explanations.
- Providing a wide selection of textual evidence (shawahid), moving beyond the repetitively cited traditional examples found in conventional textbooks to include diverse classical and newer selections.
- Fostering critical and aesthetic sensibilities by applying rhetorical rules to literary analysis and imagery rather than relying on dry, mechanical exercises.
- Giving equal weight to theoretical explanation and practical textual application.
Structure and Exercises
The book includes practical exercises based primarily on verses from the Quran and secondarily on lines of Arabic poetry, combining ancient and modern selections. To maintain conciseness, the authors restricted the back matter strictly to a bibliography of sources and references alongside a detailed table of contents.
Publication History
The authors completed the introduction in Tripoli on March 2, 2003. The first edition was issued in 2003 by al-Mu’assasa al-Haditha lil-Kitab in Tripoli, Lebanon.
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