Applied Rhetoric in the Commentaries on AI-mutanabbi's Diwan : Con Cept Foundation and problems of Balancing between the Andalusia and the East

Abstract

This research examines the concept of "Applied Rhetoric" as manifested in the commentaries on Al-Mutanabbi's Diwan, tracing its theoretical foundations and historical evolution from theoretical treatises to extended applications in poetic commentaries. It explores the stylistic, structural, and figurative features that made Al-Mutanabbi's Diwan a fertile field for rhetorical experimentation and a arena for competition among grammatical, rhetorical, and philosophical schools. The research also addresses the methodological problems of balancing Eastern commentaries (e.g., Al-Tibrizi, Al-Wahidi, Al-Ukbari) and Andalusian commentaries (e.g., Ibn Sidah, Ibn Jabir Al-Wadi Ashi, Ibn Hisham Al-Lakhmi), the most prominent of which are: temporal asynchrony, disparities in commentary sizes and preservation, source overlap and mutual dependence (commentarial intertextuality), and the loss or insufficient scholarly editing of some Andalusian commentaries. The research adopts a qualitative analytical balancing approach based on selecting specific rhetorical issues (Theory of Composition, Metaphor, Trope, Badī') and comparing their applications across different commentaries, rather than quantitative overall comparison. The research concludes that "Applied Rhetoric" is an authentic concept in Arab heritage that began with Ibn Al-Mu'tazz and matured with Abd Al-Qahir Al-Jurjani, but its complete manifestations were achieved in poetic commentaries, especially on Al-Mutanabbi. It also concludes that balancing Eastern and Andalusian traditions is academically legitimate, provided attention is paid to four major problems and the adoption of an approach focused on specific analytical models rather than general comparisons. The research recommends editing unpublished Andalusian manuscripts (e.g., Ibn Jabir Al-Wadi Ashi's commentary), expanding comparative studies to include commentaries on other poetic collections (e.g., Abu Tammam and Al-Buhturi), and employing modern theories of rhetorical discourse analysis and cultural criticism to understand the differences between the two traditions .