Research Article

The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature

Volume: 4 Number: 1 December 18, 2025
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The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature

Abstract

The emergence and development of the art of storytelling in classical Arabic literature progressed in parallel with both the influence of oral traditions and the spread of Islam. The Abbasid period, considered the golden age of Islam, marks one of the brightest periods of Arabic literature and storytelling. In this period, especially “One Thousand and One Nights” and the fable genre hold an important place. The allegorical narratives used in this genre added depth to the story and ensured that social values were reflected. This research aims to examine the art of storytelling that took shape between 500-1200 AD in Arabic literature. The subject will focus on the narrative types, themes and stylistic features in works written between the 4th and 12th centuries. The research will reveal the narrative techniques in the works of the classical period by examining the literary aesthetics, linguistic structures, cultural context and effects on society of Arabic storytelling. The importance of this study is to contribute to our understanding of the origins and development of the art of storytelling in the Arab world and to establish a historical bridge with today's literature. The research addresses story themes by conducting a literature review with a qualitative method and giving examples from important works of this period.

Keywords

References

  1. al-Fakhoury, H. (1933). al-Jāmiʿ fi Tārīkh al-Adab al-Arabī (Al-Adab al-Qadīm), Beirut: Dār al-Jīl.
  2. al-Ibshihi, Muhammed b. Ahmad b. Mansūr b. Ahmad b. Isa. (1953). al-Mustatraf fi Kulli Fannin Mustazraf I –II, Cairo: 2th edition.
  3. al-Isfahânî, Abu al-Faraj. (n.d.). Kitāb al-Aghānī I-XII, Cairo.
  4. al-Ma’arrī, Abu al-A’lā. (1977). al-Fusūl ve al- Ghāyāt, Ed. Mahmoud Hasan Zanātī, Egypt.
  5. al-Mas’ūdī. (1973). Murūj al-Dhahab wa Ma‘ādin al-Jawhar I–IV, Beirut.
  6. al-Mūlī, M. J. (1979). Qisas al-Arab, Cairo: Dār al-Fikr.
  7. Amīn, A. (1933). Duhā al-Islām I-III, Beirut.
  8. Chalabi, K. (1941). Kashf al-Zunūn ‘an Asāmi al-Kutūb wa al-Funūn, Edited by M. Ş. Yaltkaya and R. Bilge, Istanbul.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Literature Sociology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

December 18, 2025

Submission Date

August 16, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 1, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 4 Number: 1

APA
İpek, M. S. (2025). The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature. Cihannüma Sosyal Bilimler Akademi Dergisi, 4(1), 67-91. https://doi.org/10.55205/jocsosa.4120251766412
AMA
1.İpek MS. The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature. JOCSOSA. 2025;4(1):67-91. doi:10.55205/jocsosa.4120251766412
Chicago
İpek, M. Selim. 2025. “The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature”. Cihannüma Sosyal Bilimler Akademi Dergisi 4 (1): 67-91. https://doi.org/10.55205/jocsosa.4120251766412.
EndNote
İpek MS (December 1, 2025) The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature. Cihannüma Sosyal Bilimler Akademi Dergisi 4 1 67–91.
IEEE
[1]M. S. İpek, “The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature”, JOCSOSA, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 67–91, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.55205/jocsosa.4120251766412.
ISNAD
İpek, M. Selim. “The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature”. Cihannüma Sosyal Bilimler Akademi Dergisi 4/1 (December 1, 2025): 67-91. https://doi.org/10.55205/jocsosa.4120251766412.
JAMA
1.İpek MS. The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature. JOCSOSA. 2025;4:67–91.
MLA
İpek, M. Selim. “The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature”. Cihannüma Sosyal Bilimler Akademi Dergisi, vol. 4, no. 1, Dec. 2025, pp. 67-91, doi:10.55205/jocsosa.4120251766412.
Vancouver
1.M. Selim İpek. The Art of Story in Classical Arabic Literature. JOCSOSA. 2025 Dec. 1;4(1):67-91. doi:10.55205/jocsosa.4120251766412

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