SAUDI ARABIAN

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

LITERATURE
 Topic Outline
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to;
1. familiarize important facts about the literature of Saudi
Arabia;
2. discuss famous literary authors and their works;
3. analyze Sura I, Sura CIV and Sura CVII

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 Saudi Arabia: Cradle of Islam

The kingdom is called the “Cradle of

Islam" due to Islam being founded in
modern day Saudi Arabia
The location of the cities of Mecca and
Medina, where Prophet Muhammad (SAW),
the Founder of Islam lived and died.

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 Prophet Muhammad (SAW) – 570-623 CE
was born in Mecca in about 570 CE of the Quraysh tribe.
Arab religious, social, and political leader and the
founder of Islam.
A prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the
tawhid / monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham,
Moses, Jesus and other prophets.
From the early 7th century, he united the various tribes
of the peninsula and created a single Islamic religious
polity under his rule.
Following his death in 632 CE, his followers rapidly
expanded the territory under Muslim rule beyond Arabia
and conquered many parts of Asia, Africa and
Europe conquering huge swathes of territory.
Muslims generally viewed him as the last of his kind, and
the Qur'an as the last holy book that would ever be
revealed to humanity.

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 Islam: “submission to the will of God”
• was gradually revealed to humanity by a
number of prophets, but the final and
complete revelation of the faith was made
through the prophet Muhammad in the 7th
century CE.
• Islam is the 2nd largest religion in the world,
& one of the fastest growing religions.
• Most of the 15 to 20 million Saudi citizens are
Sunni Muslims (followers of sunnah/the
Muhammad way), while the eastern regions
are populated mostly by Shia (partisans of
Prophet Ali) opposed to political succession of
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).

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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO
 Islam is the fastest-growing
religion with over 1.9 billion
followers all over the globe
after Christianity.
The 5 pillars  The 5 pillars of Islam
constitute the basic and
of Islam obligatory norms of Islamic
practice.
 They are accepted by
Muslims globally irrespective
of ethnic, regional or
sectarian differences.

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I. Profession of
Faith (shahada).
• The belief that "There is no god
but Allah, and Muhammad is the
Messenger of God" is central to
Islam.
• This Arabic phrase, written in
Arabic, is often prominently
featured in architecture and a
range of objects, including the
Qur'an. “Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, Wa ash-hadu anna
Muhammadan Rasulu-Allah.”
• One becomes a Muslim by
reciting this phrase with
conviction.

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II. Prayer (salah)
 Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day:
at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and
after dark.
 Prayer includes a recitation of the opening
chapter (sura) of the Qur'an, and is
sometimes performed on a small rug or mat
used for this purpose.
 Muslims can pray individually at any location
or together in a mosque, where a leader in
prayer (imam) guides the congregation.
 Men gather in the mosque for the noonday
prayer on Friday; women are welcome but
not obliged to participate.
 After the prayer, a sermon focuses on a
passage from the Qur'an, followed by
prayers by the imam and a discussion of a
particular religious topic.

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III. Alms (zakat).
A religious obligation for
Muslims who meet the
(nisab) necessary criteria to
donate a certain portion of
their wealth reach year to
charitable causes.
Many rulers and wealthy
Muslims build mosques,
drinking fountains,
hospitals, schools, and other
institutions both as a
religious duty and to secure
the blessings associated
with charity.

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IV. Fasting
(sawm).
 During the daylight hours of
Ramadan, the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar, all healthy adult
Muslims are required to abstain from
food, drinks and other earthly deeds.
 Through this temporary deprivation,
they renew their awareness of and
gratitude for everything God has
provided in their lives—including the
Qur'an, which was first revealed
during this month.
 During Ramadan they share the
hunger and thirst of the needy as a
reminder of the religious duty to help
those less fortunate.

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V. Pilgrimage (hajj).

 Every Muslim whose health and finances permit

it must make at least one visit to the holy city of
Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia.
 The Ka'ba, a cubical structure covered in black
embroidered hangings, is at the center of the
Haram Mosque in Mecca.
 Muslims believe that it is the house Abraham
(Ibrahim in Arabic) built for God, and face in its
direction (qibla) when they pray.
 Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad,
believers from all over the world have gathered
around the Ka'ba in Mecca on the eighth and
twelfth days of the final month of the Islamic
calendar.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO
 is the writing, both as prose and poetry,
produced by writers in the Arabic
language.
 Adab, Arabic word used for literature,
comes from a meaning of etiquette, and
which implies politeness, culture and
Arabic/Islamic enrichment
 emerged in the 5th century with only
Literature fragments of the written language
appearing before then.
 The Qur'an, have the greatest lasting
effect on Arab culture and its literature.
 flourished during the Islamic Golden Age,
but has remained vibrant to the present
day, with poets and prose-writers across
the Arab world, as well as in the Arab
diaspora, achieving increasing success

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The Qur’an
the greatest and sacred book of
the Arabs, and all of Muslims
similar to the Bible of the
Christians.
had a significant influence on the
Arabic language, and marked the
beginning of Islamic literature.

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 The Qur’an (continued)

Literally mean “recitations”, and is derived from the verb qaraʾa—“to

read,” “to recite” comprising the corpus of literal transcripts of God’s
divine speech
believed to be revealed by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad
in the towns of Mecca (92 surah on principles of Religion) and Medina (22
Sharia) beginning in 610 AD and ending with Muhammad’s death in 650
AD.
divided into 114 chapters called “surah” subdivided into 6,236 “ayah”
It contains injunctions, narratives, homilies, parables, direct addresses
from God, instructions and even comments on how the Qu'ran will be
received and understood.
It is written in (saj) rhymed poetry; prose and poetry. Also admired for its
layers of metaphor as well as its clarity
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 The Qur’an (continued)
transcribed after the Prophet’s death, in the language of (Quraysh) on
palm branches and stone tablets and were memorized by the people
Its first recording was done during the reign of caliph (ruler) Abu Bakr for
its preservation.
A companion of the Prophet, Zayd ibn Thābit, collected the revelations
and copied it on sheets of parchments and handed them over to the
second caliph, Uthman in 650 AD.
the Hadith (traditions), a corpus of the sayings and sunnah (daily
practices) of the Prophet is also an important literature.
both the Qur’an and the Hadith form the basis of sharia, the (Islamic way
of life) such as laws on civil, military, political systems, ethics and cultures
followed by Muslims all over the world.

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 The Qur’an and other Religious Books
conquering and then Islamizing four of the five
patriarchates in the Pentarchy of late antiquity—
Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Constantinople—the
text of the Quran draws heavily upon its predecessor, the
Bible.
the Qur’an, for Muslims, is the last of a sequence of
revealed holy books in the following order each with
associated prophets:
Tawrat/Torah: Moses
Zabur/Psalms: David
Injil/Gospels: Jesus and Mary
Narrative stories from Jewish and Christian scriptures of
didactic significance reappear in the Qur’an, as seen in the
surah on Joseph, Mary and Jonah.
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 Literary Development
I. Pre-Islamic Period: To 610
Jahili literature is the literature of the pre-Islamic period, which covers 150
years and referred to as"the time of ignorance". Poetry was recited, and the
dialect of the Quraysh tribe became predominant. The main forms were
parables (mathal), speeches (khitaba) and stories (qisa).
II. Rashidi - Literary centers developed in the cities such as Mecca and Medina.
Literary production (poetry) served the spread of Islam. There was also
poetry to praise brave warriors, to inspire soldiers in jihad (holy wars), and
rithā' to mourn those who fell in battle.
III. Umayyad Period
Begins when Mohammed arrives with his teachings. Revelation of the Koran
and includes the literature of the Prophet's time. Koran was the first literary
prose and is still considered to be the finest work of poetry and eloquence.
The Umayyads had contact with the Greeks, Persians, and Indian cultures
created a cultural renaissance of Arabic music and dance and poetry.

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 Literary Development
IV. Abbasid Period
Begins in 750 and is considered the Islamic golden Age. A number of
stories in the One Thousand and One Nights feature the Abbasid
caliph Harun al-Rashid and Al-Mamoun who are well known patron of
arts and literature.
V. Period of Decline
From the Muslim conquest in 711 to either the Catholic conquest of
Granada in 1492 or the Expulsion of the Moors ending in 1614. Few
great writers emerged during this period. Ghazals of Omar Khayyam
was a notable literary form of this period.

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 Literary Development
VI. Renaissance of Arabic Literature (19th Century)
A revival took place in Arabic literature, along with much of Arabic culture,
and is referred to in Arabic as "al-Nahda", which means "the renaissance“.
The Arabs continued the literature, arts and sciences of the ancient world
and gave them to Europe.
They also translated works of influential writers such as W. Shakespeare,
Oscar Wilde, William Faulkner etc.,.
Some of the notable figures are Khalil Gibran and Hafiz Ibrahim and Jamal
Ad-Din.
Ibrahim al-Yaziji translated the bible into Arabic.
 al-Boustani translated the Iliad into Arabic
Modern libraries were built, and many scientific, literary, and political
societies were founded. This period continue up into present day.
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Arabian Literature

 Arabian poetry is emotional and extremely

sweet. The favorite subject matters are love,
morals, and religion.
 Arabian Literature is rich and varied, mostly
made of poems, anecdotes, tales or romances,
historical accounts and philosophies.
 It is rich in figures of speech, exaggerated
statements, and passionate emotion.
 Days of the Arabs, are tales in both meter and
prose, contains the oldest extant Arabic
narratives, focusing on battles and raids.

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Arabian Literature

Arabian literature is rich in mythology.

The genii beings both spiritual and earthly;
some are good, others bad; they can make
themselves invisible at will.
The peris are fairies, beautiful female
spirits who seek to do good upon the
earth.
The ghouls feed on human flesh and when
they cannot satisfy themselves upon the
living, they enter graveyards and feed
upon the dead.

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Arabian Literature
• The most famous Arabian stories are in the
collection found under the title Arabian
Nights. This book has been translated into
many languages.
• The Thousand and One Nights, or Arabian
Nights, has given the world immortal
characters like Ali Baba, Aladdin, and
Sinbad the Sailor.
• Frame Tales; the structure of the Arabian
Nights has been copied by many Western
writers. The tales are loosely strung
together by a thread that has become
familiar to all readers.
• It’s a compilation of folktales from Arabia,
Egypt, India, Persia and other countries.

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Literature 23
 Synopsis
• An Indian king was determined to destroy the women of his
kingdom, because of his wife’s unfaithfulness. His plan was
to get married and kill the woman on the morning after the
wedding. Scheherazade, a daughter of one of the king’s
officials, insisted to marry the king. She asked her sister to
come to the bedroom and ask permission for Scheherazade
to tell one last story. The king agrees, and she tells a tale so
entertaining that he allows her to live another day to finish
it. She tells chain stories for 1001 nights. By then, the king
fell for her.
• https://prezi.com/qmsnb7hvlygo/1001-arabian-nights/

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Arabic Literary Periods

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 Umayyad Period (A.D. 661 – 750)
• Umayyads were the first Muslim dynasty, established in 661
in Damascus.
• Established by Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān, a native of
Mecca and a contemporary of the Prophet Muḥammad.
• Arabic prose was limited primarily to treatises.
• Commentaries on the Koran and the compiling of stories
about Muhammad and his companions.
• Ghazals or love lyric, wine songs, and poems rose.
• These describes the conditions and manners found in
places conquered by Islam.

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 Abbasid Period (A.D. 750 – 1258)
• “The Greatest Period of
Development and Achievement”
• Adab, an Arabic prose sprinkled
with poetry and utilized rhyme was
born.
• The style of the Qur’an came to
existence.
• The Arabian Nights/ 1001 Nights was
documented.

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 Modern Period (19th century – present)
• Arabic Literature declined during the
Ottoman Turkish domination, however, the
Renaissance period took place.
• Arabs revived their classical genres and
they came into contact to Western
literature and civilization.
• The 20th century witnessed the real birth of
modern Arabic literature.
• Short stories and novels came life in this
period.

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Arabian Poetry
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 Unlocking of Difficulties

• Woe; used to express grief,

sadness or despair
• Amass: to collect for oneself
• Kindle: burning

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 In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe.
Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Sura I: Al-Fatiha Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help.
(The Opening) Guide us in the right path;
the path of those whom You blessed; not of those
who have deserved wrath, nor of the strayers.

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 Woe to every backbiter, defamer!
Who amasseth wealth and storeth it against the
future!
Sura CIV: He thinketh surely that his wealth shall be with him
forever.
Al-Humazah Nay! for verily he shall be flung into the Crushing Fire;
(The Backbiter) And who shall teach thee what the Crushing Fire is?
It is God's kindled fire,
Which shall mount above the hearts of the damned;
It shall verily rise over them like a vault,
On outstretched columns.

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 What thinkest thou of him who treateth our
Religion as a lie?
Sura CVII:
He it is who thrusteth away the orphan,
Al-Maun And stirreth not others to feed the poor.
(The Small Woe to those who pray,
Kindness) But in their prayer are careless;
Who make a show of devotion.
But refuse help to the needy.

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 Quiz
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 Assignment:

Read the transliteration of the Surah 26 entitled “The Poets” and answer
the following questions.
1. What is the specific claim being made about poetry in surah 26 of the
Qur’an?
2. How does Surah 26 describe the behavior of certain poets during that
era?
3. What broader lessons can be drawn from Surah 26 regarding the
responsible use of language and artistic expression?
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