Islamic poetry

Islamic poetry is poetry written by Muslims. Islamic poetry has been written in many languages.

History and origins

Beginning with the migration of Muhammad and his followers to Mecca (A.D. 622), also known as the Hijrah, the quasidah or ode was a sharp contrast to the sacred Quran. Writers at the time of pre-Islamic poetry were considered to be lacking the knowledge and authority necessary to be writing such poetry, thus leading this period of time to be called the “Age of Ignorance”. This time period caused tension amongst the early Islamic world, since the ode style of writing was seen as profane to the sacred text of the Quran.[1]

Islamic poetry in different languages

Example of a nasib poem by Labid ibn Rabiah:[4]

Effaced are the abodes,
brief encampments and long-settled ones;
At Mina the wilderness has claimed
Mount Ghawl and Mount Rijam.
The torrent channels of Mount Rayyan,
Their teachings are laid bare,
Preserved as surely as inscriptions are
preserved in rock,
Dung-darkened patches over which,
since they were peopled, years elapsed,
Their profane mouths and sacred ones
have passed away.
They were watered by the rain
the spring stars bring,
And on them fell the rain of thunderclouds,
downpour and drizzle... [1]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference immortals8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
The common theme of pre-Islamic Arabic poetry is the description of Bedouin life, the stories of rites of passage and sacrifice, depicted through imagery and the use of metaphors.[2] This was mostly oral in composition until the third century.[2]
The qasida is another genre of Persian poetry that depicts the themes of spiritual or worldly praise, satire, or the description of a patron. In regards to Islamic poetry, the most common form of a qasida is in the form of praise of Muhammad, along with people related to him. These religious qasidas emphasize the power and beauty of Allah from different point of views. Qasidas end in a series of anaphoras.[7]
The use of visual poetry throughout Persian history helps readers visually understand the emotions portrayed by the poets through arranging letters and phrases in various shapes related to the message or central theme of the poem.[8]
Punjabi poetry is written in a Perso-Urdu style with some Arabic and Persian vocabulary. The topics of Punjabi poetry range from romances to satires, because they are mostly written by villagers and those influenced by the village lifestyle.[11]

Genres of Islamic poetry

References

  1. Pinckney Stetkevych, Suzanne (1993). The Mute Immortals Speak. Cornell University. pp. xi. ISBN 9780801427640.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pinckney Stetkevych, Suzanne (1993). The Mute Immortals Speak. Cornell University. p. 3. ISBN 9780801427640.
  3. Pinckney Stetkevych, Suzanne (1993). The Mute Immortals Speak: Pre-Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual. Cornell University. pp. xii. ISBN 0801427649.
  4. Pinckney Stetkevych, Suzanne (1993). The Mute Immortals Speak. Cornell University. p. 8. ISBN 9780801427640.
  5. Lal Ghosh, Sachindra. Bengali Literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 68.
  6. Schimmel, Annemarie. A Two-Colored Brocade: The Imagery of Persian Poetry. UNC Press Books.
  7. Schimmel, Annemarie. A Two-Colored Brocade: The Imagery of Persian Poetry. UNC Press Books. p. 45.
  8. Schimmel, Annemarie. A Two-Colored Brocade: The Imagery of Persian Poetry. UNC Press Books. p. 50.
  9. Ballard, Roger. "Panth, Kismet, Dharm te Qaum: continuity and change in four dimensions of Punjabi religion". Punjabi Identity in a Global Context: 5. Check date values in: |access-date= (help);
  10. Ballard, Roger. "Panth, Kismet, Dharm te Qaum: continuity and change in four dimensions of Punjabi religion". Punjabi Identity in a Global Context: 13.
  11. Shackle, C. (1970). "Punjabi in Lahore". Modern Asian Studies. 4 (3): 240. doi:10.1017/s0026749x00011926.
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