Contributions of Ibn Mu'ti to Rhetorical Studies: A Study on the Didactic Poem of Al-Badi'

Abstract

Ibn Mu'ti laid the foundations for the Alfiya (millennial didactic poem), being the
first to use this designation and preceding Ibn Malik in doing so. Thus, he paved the
way for those who came after him. His work Al-Durra Al-Alfiya fi Ilm Al-Arabiya is
considered one of his most renowned publications. Ibn Mu'ti demonstrated his profound
erudition and scholarly mastery by venturing into various disciplines, notably rhetoric,
through his manuscript Al-Badi' fi Ilm Al-Badi'. This is a poem composed of varying
meters that explores the science of rhetoric, representing the earliest rhetorical didactic
poem encompassing the three rhetorical sciences: Al-Badi' (rhetorical figures), Al-
Ishihara (metaphor), and Al-Ishara (allusion/reference).
To what extent did Ibn Mu'ti's didactic poem contribute to achieving the objectives of
scientific versification? And what was the contribution of poetic evidence (al-shahid
al-shi'ri) to rhetorical studies?
This study relies on a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing models from his poem
Al-Badi' fi Ilm Al-Badi'. We have adopted the following axes:
• Ibn Mu'ti's methodology in classifying the chapters of his scientific material.
• The primary motivation in constructing the rhetorical lesson.
• The impact of poetic evidence in illustrating the interconnectedness and overlap
of rhetorical arts.
• Structural characteristics within the poetic evidence.
• The principle of deep-level analysis.
• The origins of the rhetorical art in its poetic realization.