Arabic Language and Literature , The Islamic Pedagogical Faculty in Zenica, University of Zenica , Zenica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
This paper analyzes and comments on the first chapter of the manuscript Sharḥ Farā'id al-Fawā'id li Taḥqīq Ma‘ānī al-Isti‘āra by Ḥusayn al-ʻIsbaʻī al-Sārāyī, a renowned Bosnian author active in Sarajevo. In this work, al-Isbaʻī sought to summarize key elements of Arabic stylistic discipline known as ‘ilm al-bayān, drawing upon the works of previous scholars and following the classical method of scholarly writing of that era, which involved citing, comparing, and preferring the opinions of other scholars.
Al-Isbaʻī’s work is significant as it provides insight into Bosnian scholars’ engagement with classical Arabic stylistics. It is divided into three main parts, metaphorically titled "necklaces" (Arabic: al-‘iqd), with each necklace further divided into subchapters or "pearls" (Arabic: al-farīda). The first necklace contains six pearls, the second four, and the third five.
The post-classical period of linguistic studies in the Arab world was marked by stagnation, later referred to by scholars as al-inḥiṭāt (decline or regression). This stagnation is also reflected in Arabic stylistics, where most authors primarily wrote commentaries on works from the 11th and 12th centuries. Ḥusayn al-ʻIsbaʻī's work is such a commentary, inspired by al-Risāla al-Samarqandiyya by 'Abū Layṯ al-Samarqandī, an important predecessor in the Arabic stylistic tradition.
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