The conditional style in Zuhair’s Mu’allaqa (a grammatical study)

Abstract

Praise be to Allah who taught mankind, and favored him over all other creatures with intellect and eloquence. Peace and blessings be upon the enlightening lamp, sent as a mercy to the worlds, our master Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions. The poet Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma ibn Rabah al-Muzani is well-known and needs no introduction. He is one of the foremost poets among all poets. His famous Mu'allaqa, which begins with the verse: "Is it from Umm Awfa that a lasting ruin Has not spoken with the humble cicada of the wild mountain" contains more than sixty lines in the long meter. Given the importance of conditional tools (conditional particles) in the Arabic language and the presence of some of these tools in the Mu'allaqa, I wished to write a research study on this topic, which I titled: "The Conditional Style in the Mu'allaqa of Zuhair." I divided this study into two sections following the introduction, after which I present the most important conclusions I have reached, followed by a list of the sources I relied upon. Human work is always subject to deficiency and forgetfulness, so perfection is for Allah alone. Whatever is correct in this work is by the grace and guidance of Allah, and whatever is mistaken is from me and the devil—I seek refuge in Allah from him. I ask Allah Almighty to make this research beneficial, and to make my work purely for His noble face. Praise be to Allah first and last.