In order to become a good reader, writer and eloquent speaker of a language, one needs to engage with the literature of that language; both poetry and prose. This is even more important in the case of a student of knowledge whose aim is to understand the Book of Allah and the speech of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Diving head first into classical Arabic poetry especially Jahili poetry can seem like a daunting tasks, but this extremely rewarding task can be made manageable if a structured methodology is followed. In this post I aim to outline that methodology.
Step 1: Start Off With Prose
- Absolute beginners in Arabic should start with the Nadwi Series (Qisas un-Nabiyyin - Qira'atur Rashida - Mukhtarat).
- Lower-intermediate and above can start with more classical works like Kalilah wa Dimnah by Ibn al-Muqaffa', Kitab al-Bukhala by Jahiz etc..
Step 2: Ease Into Classical Poetry
- Start off with the more palatable Abbasids; al-Mutanabbi, Bashar bin Burd etc.
- Make your way to the Umayyad trio; Farazdaq, Akhtal and Jarir.
- Study the Mu'allaqat deeply.
(For step two the works of 'Arif Hajjawi can be useful, ignore is orientalist type comments on Arabic poetry and read his simplifications of poems)
Step 3: You Are a Free Man/Woman
Alhamdulillah through this structured approach, you have been liberated and you are new free to read whatever you desire.
(It should be noted that you should have a healthy background in Nahw and Sarf before you start reading Kalilah wa Dimnah and beyond).
Check out our Arabic Literature Program which is based on the same approach!
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