The Thematic and Rhetorical Transformation of ’Asabiyya in Early Islamic Poetry

Abstract

Classical Arabic poetry played a powerful social role in Arab society, particularly during the J & amacr;hiliyya (pre-Islamic) period, due to its high level of eloquence (fas & amacr;ha) and bal & amacr;gha. Within this poetic tradition-shaped around themes such as heroism (ham & amacr;sah), boasting (fakhr), satire (hij & amacr;'), and love (tashb & imacr;b)-'asabiyya occupied a central position as a means of constructing and preserving tribal identity through language. Poets exalted their own tribes and disparaged rival ones by employing persuasive and emotionally charged expression. With the revelation of the Qur'an in 610 CE, this literary and cultural heritage, grounded in aesthetic and expressive power, was reconfigured within a new religious framework. The Qur'an's challenge-oriented discourse entered into direct interaction with existing poetic sensibilities. Against this background, the present study examines the transformation of 'asabiyya in classical Arabic poetry during the early Islamic period. It offers a comparative analysis of lineage-centered 'asabiyya in J & amacr;hiliyya poetry and the emergence of an ummah-centered discourse of unity in Islamic poetry, drawing on poems by different poets from both periods. Using content analysis, rhetorical text analysis, and inductive methods, the study demonstrates that the Qur'an's influence on Arabic poetry was neither uniform nor one-dimensional but significantly shaped poetic themes and authorial attitudes. By focusing on 'asabiyya, the article aims to contribute to a renewed understanding of the Qur'an-poetry relationship in early Islam.