The Art of Maqamah: Its History, Evolution and Purposes

Abstract

Maqamah is an art of Arabic prose that appeared in the fourth century AH until the Modern Period. Badi' ul-Zaman Al-Hamazani is the innovator of this art in Arabic Literature. He was the first to name this art as ‘Maqamat’. Moreover, he compiled and arranged and matured it, and brought it out in an exquisite style that is attractive for other people. It is possible to say that the Maqamat is a prose text that combines the art of writing and poetry. The most important purposes of Maqamat are: Education, Humor, Preaching, Quibbles, Riddles, Tricks, Literary Criticism, Description and others. The Maqamah must have originated and thrived in the Abbasid Society, where other arts emerged in this era and new literary genres emerged. We find, over the ages, so many scholars and writers who increased their efforts in this arts have also spread it in the countries of the world, the East and the West, even in Foreign Literatures. The eminent Authors of the Maqamat after Al-Hamazani and Al-Hariri are: Ibn ul-Jawzi, Al-Safadi, Ibn ul-Wardi, Al-Khafaji and many others. From the West and Andalusia, Ibn Shaheed and Al-Sarqusti, and from the Modern Era Al-Yaziji and Muhammad Fikri Pasha and many others. This Paper sheds light on the art of Maqamah, its Introduction, its elements, important purposes, and especially its history and evolution for the facilitation of upcoming researchers. In addition, it describes eminent Authors of Maqamat and their famous Maqamat, which serve the purpose of a resource and authentic materials and people from all walks of life can find these as a resource due to the intellectual and authentic information they carry.