RHETORICAL STYLES IN THE POETIC COLLECTION OF SAYYID QUTB
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Date
2021-03
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UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN
Abstract
Suyyid Qutb is known for his revolutionary of Islamic concept of Jaahiliyyah
which eventually led to his execution in Egypt in 1966. Diwan of Sayyid Qutb
is a collection of poems which embodies traditional genres such as: Madhu
(Eulogy), Wasfu (Description) and Rithaa’ (Elegy) that are common in many
literary works, and modern themes in Arabic poetry such as: Hanin (Nostalgia),
Shakwah (complaint), Tamarrud (Rebellion), Ta’ammul (Meditation) and
Wataniyya (Patriotism). The contents of these modern themes in the collection
of poems are full of rhetorical features’ which are not gained the attention of
literary critics. The study aimed at examining the different rhetorical styles in
the selected poems. The objectives of the study were to: (i) identify the
emergence of the diverse themes in the selected poems: (ii) examine the themes
of the poems; (iii) analyse the rhetorical devices used in the poems; and (iv)
assess the themes of the poems on the basis of Arabic literary parameters.
The methods employed were historical and descriptive. The historical method was used to
shed light on historical background of the poet and elucidate the factors that influenced the
emergence of the modern themes in his collection of poems. The descriptive method was
used to analyse the rhetorical features of purposively selected poems which were centered
on the aforementioned modern themes using Al-qazwini’s theory of rhetorical analysis.
The findings of study were that:
i. the arbitrary policy making, unaccountable bureaucracies, unenforced
legal system, abuse of executive power and widespread corruption
experienced in Egypt influenced the emergence of the modern themes in
the poem.
ii. in order to improve good governance where quality and effectiveness
can be accessed objectively and meaningfully;
iii. the themes of the selected poems centered on general reformation in
aspects of religious crisis, political chaos and social vices;
iv. the poems were furnished with rhetorical devices such; husnul ibtidaa
(exordium), husnul intihaa (peroration), Al-ijaaz wal ltnaab (brachylogy
and circumlocution), which were used as aesthetic ornament, and for
easy comprehension by readers;
v. the Arabic literary parameters used to assess the themes of the pomes
such as; Afkaar (though), khayaal (fiction), cAatifa (emotion) and
Usluub (style) were adequately explored by the poet; and
vi. all the modern themes used by the poet were as a result of Islamic
virtues and were contained in the collection of the poems.
The study concluded that the poems of Sayyid Qutb which were revolutionary
through modern themes were full of rhetorical features. The study
recommended that other works of Sayyid Qutb in prosaic form be studied and
translated into English language for the non-Arabic speakers to curb
contemporary socio-religious and culture vices
Description
Keywords
Suyyid Qutb, Jaahiliyyah, RHETORICAL STYLES, POETIC COLLECTION