Naturally...

Naturally, very little explanation or justification was offered for such judgments, and very often one verse or one poem would be given as a ground for a high praise of a poet or for a comparison between two contestants in the marketplace. Some of the Prophet’s were known for their appreciation and sound judgment of pre-Islamic poetry.

The Second Caliph ‘Umar, for instance, was reported to hold that al-Nabighah was the greatest of the Jahiliyyah poets, and when he was asked the reason for this pronouncement, he answered, “Al-Nabighah never used redundant words, always avoided the uncouth in poetry, and never praised a person except for true merit. By the end of the first/seventh century Arabic culture had spread outside Arabia in various directions with the spread of Islam.

The mind of the new Muslim community was getting ready for a general intellectual awakening. The first to reap the benefit of those efforts were the religious fields on one side and the linguistic and literary on the other. Some scholars busied themselves with the explanation of the Qur’an and the understanding of its challenge of miraculous literary excellence. Others concentrated on tracing pure linguistic usages of the Arabic language and standardizing its grammar and syntax.

Some directed their efforts to collecting pre-Islamic poetry and preserving it against loss. The stage was now set for the beginning of a golden era in authorship which lasted several centuries. The critical problems raised by the Arab authors during this period can be summed up under the following main headings: Literary aspect of the Qur’anic i‘jaz (eloquence of discourse), and the extent to which literary could aid in discovering the secrets of that i‘jaz .

Unique and sometimes obscure usages of the Qur’anic style. Authenticity of literary texts transmitted by the rawas from pre-Islamic and early Islamic times. Classification of the Arab poets, both Islamic and pre-Islamic. Merits and demerits of the ancients and moderns in Arabic literature, and controversies between traditionalists and innovators. Claims of meaning and expression to literary excellence. Originality and imitation, and the phenomenon of plagiarism. Nature of speech and articulation.

Meaning and essence of literary excellence, in structure, signification, effectiveness, and formal beauty. Definition of the figures of speech. Standards for the comparison between rival poets.