افانین البلاغة

ABOUT THE BOOK

The importance of the book “Aqānīn al-Balāghah” by al-Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī stems from the high status of its author and his pioneering role in this field. The quality of its content further elevates its significance, as it includes a distilled summary of the arts of rhetoric in a concise and straightforward manner, with clarity in expression and innovation in classification and critique. This reflects the intended aims behind writing this book.

Its importance is confirmed by several scholarly indicators, including the following — even though the number of studies that examined the book remains limited:

• The book was reviewed and authenticated according to the method of verification; and due to the differences in copies of the book, researchers were able to uncover the truth of the manuscript found in Najaf and published by Jamal al-Din al-Sharif, which was printed in 1987. Some manuscript copies fulfilled what the author originally intended for Aqānīn al-Balāghah.

• A study was conducted on al-Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī’s rhetorical method, the status of his writings, and his scholarly contributions.

• A study was also completed on the book and its attribution, comparing it to the efforts of earlier scholars in the 4th century AH and their works before him.