A Comparative Study of the Tabaqat Narratives of Renowned Critics of the Abbasid Era

Abstract

Tabaqat narrative is a form of historical compilation and one of the methods of Islamic historiography and geography, considered among the oldest approaches employed by Muslim historians. Analyzing Tabaqat texts across various fields enables researchers to gain insights into the state of science and civilization in the Islamic world at different times and to identify its upward or downward trends. Given the prominence and flourishing of literary criticism during the Abbasid era, the art of Tabaqat narrative witnessed substantial expansion. Prominent Arab narrators and critics engaged in this domain, producing significant works. Accordingly, this study aims to conduct a comparative examination of the Tabaqat narratives of renowned critics of the Abbasid era, focusing on the comparative perspectives of three prominent critics: Ibn Salam, Ibn Qutaybah, and Ibn al-Mu‘tazz. In this comparative endeavor, the researcher examines and analyzes the works of these three renowned literary critics of the Abbasid period, including Tabaqat Fuhul al-Shu‘ara by Ibn Salam, Tabaqat al-Shu‘ara or Al-Shi‘r wa al-Shu‘ara by Ibn Qutaybah, and Tabaqat Shu‘ara al-Muhdathin by the distinguished Ibn al-Mu‘tazz. To achieve this objective, the researcher adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology, utilizing data collected through library studies, articles, and dissertations. The findings of this comparative study reveal shared keywords in Tabaqat narratives from the perspectives of Ibn Salam, Ibn Qutaybah, and Ibn al-Mu‘tazz, including attention to the poet’s innate talent (natural poetic ability), emphasis on aesthetic principles, overlooking certain prominent poets, focus on innovation in themes and new styles, and attention to lengthy poetic meters. Differentiating keywords in their Tabaqat narratives include criteria for selecting poets, methods of grouping poets, focus on poetic purposes, attention to the composition of poems in various meters, emphasis on artistic imagery in selecting poets, and focus on anecdotes and peculiarities in poetry.