Classical Arabic Texts and the Pre-Modern Islamic Rhetorical Tradition: Rethinking the Qur’an and Early Arabic Poetry as Cultural Foundations

Dear Colleagues,

The dominant linguistic, literary, and cultural context into which the Qur’an emerged in the early seventh century CE was that of classical Arabic poetry. Early Arabic poetry is, therefore, an indispensable source for a comprehensive study of the Qur’an in its historical setting. Conversely, the centrality of the Qur’anic revelation and its canonical authority in the Arabic language have profoundly influenced post-Qur’anic Arabic poetry, especially in the evolution of Arabic rhetoric.

This Special Issue of Religions explores the rhetoric of these two foundational sources of Arabic culture: the Qur’an and pre- and early Islamic poetry, up to the end of the Umayyad era (132 AH / 750 CE). By examining the linguistic, thematic, and stylistic elements of these sources, this issue aims to reveal the rhetorical strategies that shaped classical Arabic thought, religious doctrine, and poetic expression. Scholars will investigate how Qur’anic language and poetic forms intersect and diverge and how pre- and early Islamic values reshaped literary norms. Through a multidisciplinary approach, this Special Issue seeks to provide new insights into how the Qur’an and early poetry informed each other, forging a linguistic and cultural legacy central to Arabic identity and scholarship.

Original research articles are welcome for this Special Issue. Here are the suggested topics and research questions for contributors to consider; researchers may also propose other topics aligned with this Special Issue’s scope:

1. How do the rhetorical elements and structures in the Qur’an compare with those in pre-Islamic poetry, and what insights do these similarities and differences provide into the communicative strategies of early Arabic culture?
2. In what ways did pre-Islamic poetic style influence the Qur’anic mode of expression, and how did Qur’anic rhetoric, in turn, reshape the stylistic conventions of post-Islamic Arabic poetry?
3. How are themes of community and division addressed rhetorically in the Qur’an versus pre-Islamic poetry, and what does this reveal about early Islamic society’s response to pre-Islamic values?
4. How does the use of natural imagery—such as places, animals, clouds and storms—differ between the Qur’an and pre-Islamic poetry, and what rhetorical purposes do these images serve in each context?
5. How was eloquence perceived as a source of authority in pre-Islamic poetry, and how did the Qur’an transform the role of rhetorical eloquence in its religious and moral teachings?
6. What is the rhetorical significance of gender portrayal in the Qur’an and pre-Islamic poetry, and how are female figures represented differently in these sources?
7. How do the narrative techniques in Qur’anic stories compare with those in pre-Islamic poetic narratives, and what insights do these structural choices offer about early Arab rhetorical culture?
8. How are ethical and social issues such as justice, loyalty, and vengeance framed in pre-Islamic poetry and the Qur’an?
9. What rhetorical adaptations were necessary as pre-Islamic poetry transitioned from an oral to a written tradition in later periods, and how did the Qur’an’s rhetorical strategies influence this shift?
10. How do specific word choices and semantic nuances differ between the Qur’an and pre-Islamic poetry, and how did these lexical choices influence the evolving Arabic lexicon?

Although comparative analyses of topics across both corpora are especially welcome, researchers are also encouraged to submit articles on other topics related to rhetoric, focusing exclusively on one of these two sources: either the Qur’an or classical Arabic (pre- and early Islamic) poetry.

Prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors should initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, Prof. Ali Ahmad Hussein (ahussein@univ.haifa.ac.il), and CC the Assistant Editor, Margaret Liu (margaret.liu@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Tentative timeline:
Deadline for abstract submission: February 27th, 2025.
Deadline for full manuscript submission: June 30th, 2025.

Prof. Dr. Ali Ahmad Hussein
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Qur’an
• pre-Islamic poetry
• Umayyad poetry
• classical Arabic poetry
• Qur’anic rhetoric
• rhetoric of pre-and early Islamic poetry
• Arabic cultural heritage
• comparative literary analysis
• classical Arabic lexicon
• interrelationship between Qur’anic and classical literary texts