FAMOUS ARABIC PROSE WRITERS

1. Ibn Al-Muqaffa (Iban-Al-Mukafa)

Abū Muhammad ʿAbad Allāh Rūzbih iban Dādūya or commonly known as Iban
al-Muqaffa, was a convert to Islam who translated Classical Persian works into Arabic.
He was a Persian translator, author and thinker who wrote in the Arabic language. He
was just a covert to Islam because although he was a resident of Basra which is a city
in southern Iraq located on the Shatt al-Arab in the Arabian Peninsula, he was originally
from the town of Goor in the Iranian province of Fars and was born to a family of local
notables.
Became famous as the author of “Kalila and Dimna”, a series of didactic fables in
which two jackals offer moral and practical advice. So Jackal is a native African wolf no?
so he prefer writing stories where the main the main characters are animals. Ibn al-
Muqaffa's translation of the Kalīla wa Dimna or the Kalila and Dimna from Middle
Persian is considered the first masterpiece of Arabic literary prose. He was a pioneer in
the introduction of literary prose narrative, to Arabic literature. He paved the way for
later innovators, who brought literary fiction to Arabic literature by adapting traditionally
accepted modes of oral narrative transmission into literary prose. Ibn al-Muqaffa was
also an accomplished scholar of Middle Persian and was the author of several moral
fables.

2. AL-JAHIZ (Al Yaweyz)

So fun fact, AL-JAHIZ when translated in English means ‘Eye bugged’. Okay, it
is not his real name, he was just called that way because he has an eye deformity and
he was widely known because of it. His real name is Amir iban Bahr al-Kinani.
He was an Arab prose writer and author of works of literature. He developed a
love and expertise in the Arabic language becoming an avid reader and prolific writer.
He was reported to have written over two hundred well some sources say three hundred
plus works. And that is a lot. A unique feature of his works, apart from his celebrated
prose – is that he tailored his writing in such a manner that the general community could
understand, interspersing his writing, with anecdotes, humor and witticisms.
Seeking to widen his intellectual horizons further, he travelled to Damascus,
Beirut, Samarra and Baghdad, the Abbasid capital, where he resided for many years.
He read Greek literature (in translation), especially Aristotle and learnt Farsi. He was a
man of reason and logic, which generated a spirit of life-long independence.
kitab al-Hayawan or The Book of Animals was a pioneering work which covers aspects
of biology and zoology such as animal classification, food chains and evolution. It falls in
7 volumes and is full of anecdotes, poetic descriptions and proverbs describing many
varieties of animals.
3. ABU AL-FARAJ AL-ISFAHANI
was an historian of Arab-Quraysh origin, who is noted for collecting and
preserving ancient Arabic lyrics and poems in his major work, the Kitāb al-Aghānī.
Abu al-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī was born in Isfahan, Persia (now Iran) but spent his youth and
made his early studies in Baghdad (which is now Iraq). He was a direct descendant of
the last of the Umayyad caliphs, Marwan II, and was thus connected with the Umayyad
rulers in al-Andalus, and seems to have kept up a correspondence with them and to
have sent them some of his works. He became famous for his knowledge of early
Arabian antiquities. His later life was spent in various parts of the Islamic world, in
Aleppo with its Hamdanid governor Sayf ad-Dawlah (to whom he dedicated the Book of
Songs).
Although he wrote poetry, also an anthology of verses on the monasteries of
Mesopotamia and Egypt, his fame rests upon his Book of Songs (Kitab al-Aghani).

4. AL-HARIRI
The author, Abu Muhammad al-Qasim ibn 'Ali al-Hariri, popularly known as al-
Hariri of Basra, was an Arab poet, scholar of the Arabic language and a high
government official of the Seljuks. He is known for his Maqamat. the ‘'Assemblies of
Hariri'’, a collection of some 50 stories written in the Maqama style, a mix of verse and
literary prose. For more than eight centuries, Al-Hariri's bes- known work, his Maqamat
has been regarded as one of the greatest treasures in Arabic literature after the Koran
and the Pre-Islamic poetic canons. Although the maqamat did not originate with al-
Hariri, he elevated the genre to an art form. His Maqamat was written in a style of
rhymed prose called sajʻ, and interlaced with fine verse, the stories are meant both to
entertain and to educate.

5. AL-HAMADHANI
Another fun fact, His Arabic name “Al HAMADANI” translates into "The Wonder
of the Age". He was a medieval Arab man of letters born in Hamadan, Iran. He is best
known for his work the Maqamat Badi' az-Zaman al-Hamadhani, which is a collection of
52 episodic stories of a rogue, Abu al-Fath al-Iskandari, as recounted by a narrator,
'Isab. Hisham. Very little is known about Al-Hamadani’s early life and primary sources
are very limited, more is known about Al-Hamadani’s adult life.
Al-Hamadani wrote poetry and many of his letters have survived. He is generally
regarded as the originator of the genre known as ‘’maqama” or ‘’maqamat’’ Hamadani’s
maqama made use of anecdotes collected in the 9th century by earlier writers, such as
al-Jahiz and al-Taniikhi, but had a narrator introduce the anecdote. Al-Hamadani’s
innovation was to apply saj' (an ornate form of rhymed prose), to the retelling of secular
anecdotes until that time, saj’ had been confined to religious and political works, since
this style of writing was used in the Quran. The form was subsequently imitated by other
Arabic poets and writers. A century later, the writer, Al-Hariri of Basra elevated the
maqamat into a major literary art form. Okay so as what I’ve earlier, Al HAMADANI and
AL HARIRI were the great masters of Maqamat since AL HAMADANI was the originater
or the founder and AL HARIRI was the one who bring it to a higher level of literary form.
A total of 52 of al-Hamadani’s maqama have been preserved in manuscripts. Each
maqama is a complete story.

ARABIC POETRY
Poetry has always been at the heart of Arabic culture, not least as the oldest means for
its earliest speakers to record their beliefs and wisdom, oral narratives and philosophy.
Poetry is very important in Arab culture because from the very earliest stages in the
Arabic literary tradition, poetry has reflected the deepest sense of Arab self-identity, of
communal history, and of aspirations for the future. That is why Arabs love writing
poems, they love the art that lies in poetry, that is why even their stories, narratives,
especially the writings in Koran is in the form of Saj, a prose with rhyme, and within this
tradition the role of the poet has been of major significance.
Okay so, Arabic Poetry and even prose were written in a way that it will be recited aloud
since their ancient way of preserving their literature is through oral transmission from
one generation to another, so that’s why.
ELEGIES - Is a sad poem, usually written to praise and express sorrow for someone
who is dead.
ANTHOLOGIES - a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing.
So each poem is classified and compiled into different kinds depending on what theme
they belong no? so poems that has similar forms, themes, and subjects, goes in one
category and is collected and compiled as one.
ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (Alf Laylah wa-Laylah)
One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of tales told in Asia. Originating from
around the Middle East, these are stories passed on through generations – edited,
altered and restructured to reflect peoples' dreams and lives, and the culture of each
time. After centuries of these stories being verbal only, storytellers started to compile
them, to eventually form what we now know as the One Thousand and One Nights (or,
as it's often referred to in English, Arabian Nights).
Even though not entirely thematically suited for young ones, most children brought up in
South-East Asia and the Middle East are familiar with these stories. Some of the most
popular tales are familiar across the world, including those of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Aladdin and his lamp. Though Aladdin, as we know
the story, is not part of the original 1,001 tales, the motifs presented within his story –
magical flying carpet, wish-granting genie – are heavily represented in other tales.
In an early example of a 'framing device', it is Scheherazade's story and narrative that
binds together the rest of the 1,001 stories.

MORAL LESSON OF THE STORY

I have learned three important points in this story specifically the tale of Scheherazade.
And here’s the first:
One of the most important moral concepts in The Arabian Nights is fidelity. No? From
the very beginning the reason why hundreds and thousands of tales were told is
because of infidelity. If the wife of king Shahryar and his brother were only faithful, then
there will be no unjust tradition of killing innocent virgin women. And I think it’s a
reminder especially to those whose in a relationship, any kind of relationship. That we
should be loyal or faithful to our partners especially to the ones who have pure
intentions. Because trust is a fragile thing, once it’s broken it will never be the same as it
was. Sometimes kasi we are blinded by our worldly desires that we tend to forget the
one that truly matters. And I think we should always apply the golden rule to this, “do not
unto others what you don’t what others do unto you”. If you don’t want to be cheated on,
then don’t cheat. Simple as that.
Second is to be mindful of our actions and be sensitive in making decisions. King
Shahryar’s actions made me realize that we shouldn’t act on our emotions. My mama is
always telling me na when you are at the peak of your emotions especially when you’re
angry, do not say anything, don’t do anything. Because at that moment, your mind will
not be able to process everything, and you’ll end up making worse decisions that you
will surely regret. No? nagpadala sa king Shahryar sa galit niya, ang daming nadamay.
Many innocent women were killed. Na hindi sana nangyari kung hindi sya nagpadalos-
dalos. Nilahat niya kasi, just because her wife cheated, he thinks that all women are
cheaters. And let this be a lesson, especially to girls of this generation. For example, I
see a lot of posts on social media na kapag nag cheat ang boyfriend niya sa kaniya
magpopost kaagad ng #lahat ng lalake manloloko. We are making a stereotype that all
males are like that just because of a single mistake. And it’s wrong. Let’s all remember
na ang pagkakamali ng isa ay hindi pagkakamali ng lahat. And vice versa. So yeah,
let’s be mindful of our actions and our decisions.
And third, is the bravery and wit. And Scheherazade manifested these traits. And it’s
empowering. It only proves that we can tame even the wildest beast, all we need is a
little bit of courage, wit, and a good mindset. Because if Scheherazade just sulked in the
corner and waited for her execution, she’ll be just like the other women who had a taste
of cruel fate. I always believe in this old but gold saying na “You’ll never know what you
can do, unless you try”. Be bold enough to make a move especially during the most
difficult situations of our lives. We should be our own hero. Dahil kung hindi ikaw, sino?
Kung hindi dito, saan? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan? It depends on us, on you. Who would
you rather be? The woman who just accepted her cruel faith or the woman who did
something to make a difference. My dear classmates, let us be our own Scheherazade,
a woman of compassion, bravery, intelligence, and charm.