TITLE PAGE

SEBE-UL-MUALLAQAT

“ A Term Paper submitted to the department of History,

University of Peshawar in partial fulfilment for the
requirements of course No. HIST-318”

Submitted by: SHEHROZ BASAR

Class : Sixth semester
Roll No : 23
Submitted to : Dr. Altaf Qadir

Department of History
University of Peshawar
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.No Chapters Pg.No

1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. HAMMAD OPINON 2
3. AKHMAR ACCUSATION 3
4. POEMS OF MUALLAQAT 5
5. FIRST SIX LINES 8
6. AOUTHORS OPINION 9
7. CONCLUSION 10
8. REFERENCES 12
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY 13
 1
INTRODUCTION:
The Muʻallaqāt is a collection of seven long poems
written in Arabic. These poems are very special because
they were hung in the Kaaba in Mecca, which is a very
important religious site for Muslims. That's why they
are called 'The Suspended Odes' or 'The Hanging
Poems'. Some people think that the name is not really
about hanging the poems physically, but rather it
means that the poems are so good that they seem to
hang in the reader's mind. The Muʻallaqāt is one of the
oldest examples of written Arabic poetry that we have,
along with other collections like the Mufaddaliyat,
Jamharat Ash'ar al-Arab, Asma'iyyat, and the Hamasah.
These poems are really important because they show us
how people used to write and appreciate poetry a very
long time ago, and they are still admired today for being
very clever and beautiful.
 2
HAMMAD OPINION:
(1)The Mu'allaqat is a collection of ancient Arabic
poems that are considered a treasure of classical Arabic
literature. Hammad, a famous storyteller in the 9th
century, is credited with being the first person to gather
these poems. However, he made some mistakes in
attributing certain poems to the wrong poets, which
made some scholars doubt his reliability. Despite this,
no one doubted that the poems themselves were
authenticIt is unclear where Hammad found these
poems.(2) According to one story, they were discovered
by a rebel leader who dug up a treasure trove
containing the poems. However, it is more likely that
the poems were already popular before Hammad's
time, and some of them were even set to music by
famous musicians during the Umayyad dynasty.Overall,
the Mu'allaqat is an important part of Arabic literature
and a window into the poetry of ancient Arabia.The
Mu'allaqat is a collection of ancient Arabic poems that
 3
areconsidered a treasure of classical Arabic literature.
Hammad, a famous storyteller in the 9th century, is
credited with being the first person to gather these
poems. However, he made some mistakes in attributing
certain poems to the wrong poets, which made some
scholars doubt his reliability. Despite this, no one
doubted that the poems themselves were authentic.It is
unclear where Hammad found these poems. According
to one story, they were discovered by a rebel leader
who dug up a treasure trove containing the poems.
However, it is more likely that the poems were already
popular before Hammad's time, and some of them were
even set to music by famous musicians during the
Umayyad dynasty.
AHMAR ACCUSATION
(3)Khalaf al-Ahmar, a minor poet, was accused of
fabricating poems and attributing them to Jahili poets.
He admitted to being the author of a poem attributed to
Ta'abbata Sharran. The poem has similarities with
Ta'abbata's poetry and has been attributed to others as
 4
well. Ta'abbata and Shanfara were contemporaries of
Imru’al-Qais who died c. 540.Khalaf al-Ahmar was a
poet who lived a long time ago and was well-respected
by scholars and critics of his time. However, some
people accused him of making up poems and saying
they were written by other poets who lived even longer
ago. One poem that people thought was written by a
different poet, Ta'abbata Sharran, was actually written
by Khalaf al-Ahmar himself. Although there are a few
differences between this poem and other poems by
Ta'abbata, it is more similar to Ta'abbata's poetry than
to Khalaf's. This poem has also been attributed to
Ta'abbata's nephew and another poet named Shanfara
who lived around the same time as Imru’al-Qais, who
died around the year 540..
 5
POEMS OF MUALLAQAT:
( 4 )Imru’ al-Qays was a warrior-poet from the 6th
century who composed one of the mu’allaqat. Like
many of his contemporaries, he wrote about themes
relating to Arab chivalry such as seduction of women,
taming of great beasts, skill with swords and arrows,
and victory in battles. The form of his poem is similar to
all classical Arabic poetry, with each line being a
combination of two verses called a bayt. The second
bayt ends with a qafiyah or rhyme which is repeated
throughout the poem. In Imru’ al-Qays’s mu’allaqa, the
terminal rhyme is "li", and the final word of the first six
lines are haumali, sham’ali, fulfuli, hanzali, tajamali, and
mu’awali.These six lines represent a common theme
among classical Arabic poetry, the wuquf ‘ala al-atlal, or
"standing at the ruins". The lovesick Arabian poet,
having come across the site of his beloved’s former
habitation, will offer a few lines to honor her memory
and speak to the impermanence of the human
condition.
 6
When the melancholic poet describes himself as
"splitting desert gourds" in line four, it is believed that
he means that the fruit (also known as colocynth) is so
bitter that merely splitting it apart would cause the eyes
to water. This would therefore be a poetic way for Imru’
al-Qays to say that he is crying. Essentially, he is
describing himself as a sick man whose affliction is a
broken heart: a heart as worn and tattered as the ruins
at which he stands.Imru’ al-Qays was a warrior-poet
from the 6th century who composed one of the
mu’allaqat. Like many of his contemporaries, he wrote
about themes relating to Arab chivalry such as
seduction of women, taming of great beasts, skill with
swords and arrows, and victory in battles. The form of
his poem is similar to all classical Arabic poetry, with
each line being a combination of two verses called a
bayt. The second bayt ends with a qafiyah or rhyme
which is repeated throughout the poem. In Imru’ al-
Qays’s mu’allaqa, the terminal rhyme is "li", and the
final word of the first six lines are haumali, sham’ali,
fulfuli, hanzali, tajamali, and mu’awali.
 7
These six lines represent a common theme among
classical Arabic poetry, the wuquf ‘ala al-atlal, or
"standing at the ruins". The lovesick Arabian poet,
having come across the site of his beloved’s former
habitation, will offer a few lines to honor her memory
and speak to the impermanence of the human
condition.When the melancholic poet describes himself
as "splitting desert gourds" in line four, it is believed
that he means that the fruit (also known as colocynth)
is so bitter that merely splitting it apart would cause the
eyes to water. This would therefore be a poetic way for
Imru’ al-Qays to say that he is crying. Essentially, he is
describing himself as a sick man whose affliction is a
broken heart: a heart as worn and tattered as the ruins
at which he stands.
 8
FIRST SIX LINES:
Let’s stop and cry over the memory of a lover and a
place, in the drop of the valley between Dakhul and
Haumal.
And Taudih and Mikrat. Its traces haven’t been wiped
out from what weaved them back and forth of the
south and northern winds
Look at antelope-dropping on its alleys, its tracts like
seeds of pepper
As if it’s only been a morning since the day they
departed, and I’m at a nearby thorn tree, splitting
desert gourds
And standing near it are my companions, on their
travel-animals, saying: don’t suffer from sorrow, remain
firm
But my healing is a matter of spilling tears, so is there a
trace here from a reliable artist? ( Al Muallaqat )
 9
AOUTHORS OPINION:
( 5 )The poems have something in common - they all
start with memories of love, happy times and old
friendships. However, the fifth poem is different. In this
one, the poet asks his love to give him a cup of wine
and describes her beauty. The second poem also tells us
about her looks, while the sixth poem goes into even
more detail.All the poems, except the third and fifth,
talk about riding animals. The first poem is about a
special horse, while the others are about fast and noble
camels. The second poem has a detailed description of
the camel's body, and the rest describes how they
move.The first, second, and sixth poems are about the
poet himself. The first one talks about his royal virtues,
the second about his bravery, and the sixth about his
loyalty to his love. The third poem is different - it talks
about a leader of a tribe and describes his good
qualities.The fourth, fifth, and seventh poems are about
patriotism and how great their people are. The last two
are about rival tribes and how each one tries to prove
they are better.
 10
All seven poems show love, bravery, and independence.
They value the good of the people and their traditions,
and they believe in individual rights and virtues.
CONCLUSION:
(6)Poetry has historically been a powerful tool for
expressing the feelings and beliefs of a community. In
the Middle East and North Africa, Arab poetry has
played a significant role in shaping political systems
from pre-Islamic times to the present day. It has been
used to promote religion, rulers, and governments
because of its ability to capture people's attention with
its beauty and stick in their minds. Arab poetry or
"Chi'ir" is different from other forms of Arabic literature
such as novels or articles because it is very advanced in
terms of language. Arab poets, also known as "Chu'ara,"
play with words and use powerful language that can
affect people quickly when they understand the
meaning. This type of poetry is not easily interpreted,
which makes it a useful tool for ruining the reputation
of a ruler without being caught quickly. One famous
poet from the pre-Islamic era is Imru Al-Qays, who
 11
wrote about love and is known for his poem
"Mu'allaqa" where he describes his love for a girl from
his tribe named Leila, similar to Romeo and Juliet.
However, some of his poems were considered obscene
after Islam, as he described girls' bodies. He has inspired
other Arab poets, such as Nizar Qabbani.
 12
REFERENCES:
1. Ali Yahya, Jahili Poetry Before Amarul-Qais
(London: University of London,1991),23.
2. Ali Yahya,24.
3. Ali Yahya,25.
4. Margolouith, “ The Origins of Arabic Poetry”,
JSTOR, July 3, 2022.
5. F.E Johnson, The Seven Poems( Byculla: Society
steam press,1893),21.
6. Ahmed Leksayys, “Poetry in Arab world and effect
on Modern Poetry”, Medium, December 30, 2016.
 13
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Yahya, Ali. Jahili Poetry Before Amarul-
Qais .London: University of London,1991.
louith,Margo. The Origins of Arabic Poetry, JSTOR,
July 3, 2022.
Johnson,F E. The Seven Poems. Byculla: Society
steam press,1893.
Leksayys,Ahmed.Poetry in Arab world and effect
on Modern Poetry, Medium, December 30, 2016.