A Comparative Analysis of Woman Imagery in Imruʾ al-Qays’ Muʿallaqa and the Qurʾānic Depiction of Ḥūr al-ʿĪn
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsGeneral Assessment:
- The paper presents a rich comparative analysis of pre-Islamic poetic imagery and Qur’anic representations of femininity, particularly through the lens of Imruʾ al-Qays’s Muʿallaqa. The linguistic and rhetorical depth is commendable. However, the draft would benefit significantly from structural refinement, updated engagement with secondary literature, and methodological clarification.
Main Recommendations:
- The current description of methodology is general. The paper would benefit from a more specific, structured framework (e.g., outlining how verses were selected, criteria for thematic or lexical comparison).
- As noted in side comments, methodological details could be introduced more clearly in the introduction section to improve flow and reader orientation.
- The literature review lacks engagement with recent scholarship on both the Muʿallaqa and Qur’anic imagery. Please see some of the suggestions provided in the comments bar in the attached PDF.
- I also suggest including poetic Arabic Verses with Transliteration and Translation. This will benefit non-Arabic readers and enhance the paper’s academic rigour.
- In several cases, the parallels drawn between Qur’anic verses and poetic imagery are not directly relevant. The link between poetic sensual metaphors and eschatological Qur’anic expressions sometimes lacks clear thematic coherence. Pls. see some of the suggestions provided in the comments bar in the attached PDF.
- Several places in the paper require proper academic citations, where references are either missing or incomplete. These are noted explicitly in the side comments.
- In some verses (e.g., references to women, hijab, or bodily concealment), clarification is needed regarding whether the Qur’anic verse refers directly to women or is used analogically.
Conclusion:
With improvements in structure, clearer methodology, incorporation of recent literature, and more cautious use of Qur'anic parallels, the paper can offer a strong and original contribution to Qur’anic-literary comparative studies. Therefore, I recommend the article for publication, pending minor/moderate revisions as suggested.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
I think the language of the paper is generally very good; it just needs a quick review of certain explanations. A second round of proofreading would also be appreciated.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
We sincerely thank you for your valuable evaluation and constructive feedback. Our study has been comprehensively revised in line with your insightful comments.
Firstly, the introduction section has been carefully reviewed in accordance with the points you raised; this part now presents the research methodology, scope, and criteria for the selection of verses and poems more clearly.
Based on your suggestion, relevant English literature has been incorporated into both the literature review and discussion sections. In particular, recent academic studies on Qur’anic imagery and the Muʿallaqa have been utilized as up-to-date sources.
In addition, the original Arabic texts of the poems have been included in the paper, making the study more accessible to readers who do not know Arabic and strengthening its academic integrity.
Some interpretive inconsistencies noted in your review have been addressed, and the connections between poetic imagery and Qur’anic representations have been re-evaluated within the methodological framework of the study. Missing or incomplete citations have also been reviewed and adjusted in accordance with academic standards.
As a result, these revisions—made in light of your suggestions—have significantly improved the structure, methodological clarity, and academic depth of the paper. We thank you once again for your valuable contributions and extend our sincere regards.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis is a detailed and eloquently written comparative analysis of woman imagery in the Qur'an and the Mu'allaqa by Imru' al-Qays. It reveals a number of well observed parallels that are truly interesting and make this into a valuable and original piece of research.
The main drawback is that the author has completely ignored the substantial secondary literature in English which deals with the Mu'allaqa by Imru' al-Qays and the relationship between pre-Islamic poetry and the Qur'an. His / her observations both on the imagery of Imru' al-Qays and on the difference between pre-Islamic poetry and the Qur'an would have been more convincing and comprehensive if they had been presented taking account of these previous studies.
The following are of particular note:
Abu Deeb, Kamal, 'Towards a structural analysis of pre-Islamic poetry (II), the Eros vision, Edebiyat, 2, 57-89, 1976.
Bauer, Thomas. ‘The Relevance of Early Arabic Poetry for Qurʾanic Studies Including Observations on kull and on Qurʾan 22:27, 26:225 and 52:31. In The Qurʾan in Cintext: Historical and Literary Investigations into the Qurʾanic Milieu. Edited by Angelika Neuwirth, Nicola Sinai and Michael Marx, pp.699-732. Leiden: Brill, 2010.
El Masri, Ghassan. ‘Min al-Baʿad ilá al-Āḫira: Poetic Time and Qurʾanic Eschatology’. In Les origines du Coran, le Coran des origins. Edited by François Déroche, Christian Robin and Michel Zink, pp.129-49. Paris: Fondation Del Duca et Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 2015.
El Masri, Ghassan. ‘The Qurʾan and the Character of Ancient Arabic Poetry’. In The Qur’an and Adab: The Shaping of Classical Literary Traditions. Edited by Nuha Alshaar. Oxford: Oxford University Press in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, Qur’anic Studies Series, 2017.
Mir, Mustansir. ‘Bāqillānī’s Critique of Imruʾ al-Qays’. In Studies of Near Eastern Literature and Culture In Memory of Ernest T. Abdel-Massih. Edited by James E. Bellamy. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1990.
Stetkevych, Susan Pinckney. The Mute Immortals Speak: Pre-Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1993.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you for your evaluation and kind remarks. Your recognition of the originality and value of our observations has been very encouraging for us.
In response to your critique, the comprehensive English-language literature on Imru’l-Qays’s Muʿallaqa and the relationship between pre-Islamic poetry and the Qur’an has been carefully reviewed and incorporated into the study. Accordingly, both the literature review in the introduction and the analytical sections have been revised. In particular, the similarities and differences between Imru’l-Qays’s imagery and Qur’anic representations are now discussed with reference to the findings of these studies.
With these additions, the article’s comparative analytical depth and its connection to international academic scholarship have been significantly strengthened. Your valuable comments have made a substantial contribution to improving the overall quality of the paper.
We sincerely thank you once again for your contribution and time, and extend our best regards.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsI believe the paper has now been significantly improved. The researcher has made a sincere effort to address all the points raised by the reviewer as thoroughly as possible. In my opinion, the paper is now in a form suitable for publication.
Best regards,
Ahmed
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you very much for your valuable contributions.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe revised version is much improved as it takes account of a substantial number of relevant studies which had previously been omitted.
The presentation suffers somewhat from the fact that certain basic observations and findings are repeated rather too often at different points in the paper. The concluding section could have benefited from integrating the findings of the study into relevant aspects of the secondary literature now introduced at the beginning. To what extent does this paper confirm, supplement, or weaken the findings of these earlier studies?
Nonetheless the work is now publishable as it stands. It will be of interest to anyone studying this Mu'allaqa.
There is an error in the bibliography: Sperl is the surname, Stefan the first name, not the other way round. See also the reference in line 51 which should be amended.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
As you noted, the study has been carefully revised. Thank you for your valuable contributions.
