Al-Bukhari Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies

The Hamzah-Rhymed Prophetic Ode of Ahmad Shawqi: A Thematic Study of Its Artistic and Didactic Content between Tradition and Modernity

2026-08-01T10:15:07+00:00

This research paper presents an integrated study of Ahmed Shawqi's "Al-Hamziyya Al-Nabawiyya" (The Prophetic Ode Rhyming in the Letter 'Ḥ'), positioning it not merely as a poem of praise but as a comprehensive poetic project. The study argues that the poem chronicles the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his message, and the trajectory of the Islamic Ummah, its glory and decline. It analyzes the poem's unique artistic and thematic structure, which masterfully blends classical form with contemporary content. The paper deconstructs the poem into ten thematic sections, exploring its coverage of the Prophet's birth, character, miracles, the establishment of an Islamic state, and concluding with a supplication that reflects the concerns of the modern era. The findings confirm that Shawqi’s work transcends mere imitation of classical models, like Al-Busiri's "Burda," by infusing the traditional genre of “Madih Nabawi” (Prophetic Eulogy) with modern intellectual and civilizational dimensions, making it a timeless piece of Islamic literature that addresses both eternal truths and contemporary challenges

References

Abduh, I. (1968). Shawqi: Ḥayātuh wa-Aṣruh, Shiʿruh wa-Nathruh. Dār al-Maʿārif.
Dayf, S. (1979). Al-Romantikiyya fi Shiʿr Shawqi. In Al-Adab al-ʿArabi al-Muʿasir fi Misr (pp. 145–178). Dār al-Maʿārif.
Hussein, M. K. (2018). The Revival of Classical Forms in Modern Arabic Poetry: Ahmad Shawqi's Nahj al-Burdah and the Legacy of al-Būṣīrī. Journal of Arabic Literature, 49(3-4), 219–245.
al-Jundi, A. (1992). Aḥmad Shawqi: Shāʿir al-Qarn al-ʿIshrin. Al-Hayʿah al-Miṣriyyah al-ʿĀmmah lil-Kitāb.
Khalafallah, M. (2005). Dirāsāt fi Shiʿr Shawqi. Maktabat al-Ādāb.
al-Mīlī, M. (2001). Shiʿr al-Madīḥ al-Nabawi ʿinda Shawqi: Dirāsah Fanniyyah wa-Mawduʿiyyah. Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī.
al-Nāṣir, Ṣ. (1995). Al-Turāth al-Islāmī fi Shiʿr Shawqi. Dār al-Fikr al-ʿArabī.
Sāmi, N. (Ed.). (2004). Al-Hamziyya al-Nabawiyya li-Ami r al-Shuʿarāʾ Aḥmad Shawqi: Sharḥ wa-Taḥlīl. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya.
Stetkevych, S. P. (2010). The Mantle Odes: Arabic Praise Poems to the Prophet Muhammad. Indiana University Press.
al-Ṭāhir, ʿA. (1988). Al-Iltizām fi Shiʿr Shawqi. Dār al-Maʿrifah al-Jāmiʿiyyah.
Ahamed Zubair K. M. A., Nahvi Muhiyadeen Lebbai, M. Yasar Arafath Ali, & Ahamed Shahul Hameed, K. S. (2025). Arabic Mawlid poetry and its cultural-spiritual significance in Egypt and Tamil Nadu: Evolution and contemporary relevance. Ijaz Arabi: Journal of Arabic Learning, 8(2), 1093–1101. https://doi.org/10.18860/ijazarabi.v8i2.32166
Ahamed Zubair K. M. A., Abdul Hai Hasani Nadwi, M. Ahamedullah Al-Bukhari, M. Yasar Arafath Ali, & S. A. Usman Ali. (2024). Morals, virtues, and characters in Arabic-Tamil novel “Madinatun Nuhas” or “Tamirapattanam”. Ijaz Arabi: Journal of Arabic Learning, 7(1), 208–217. https://doi.org/10.18860/ijazarabi.v7i1.23157
Ahamed Zubair K. M. A., Yasar Arafath Ali, Nahvi Muhiyadeen Lebbai, A. Ahamed Shahul Hameed, & K. Seyad Ahmed Naina. (2024). Arabic panegyrics on the Prophet in Tamil Nadu state of India: Cultural reverence. Ijaz Arabi: Journal of Arabic Learning, 7(3), 893–902. https://doi.org/10.18860/ijazarabi.v7i3.23787
K. M. A. Ahamed Zubair. (2022). A study on Mawlid literature in Tamil Nadu: Special reference to the anthology Withriyya. Al-Bukhari Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies, 2(1). http://www.albukharijournal.in/index.php

The Role of Teachers in Shaping the Future Generation

2026-08-01T10:08:42+00:00

This study examines the significant role of the teacher in education, character formation, and the development of society from an Islamic perspective. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive methodology based on library research, drawing upon the Qur'an, the Sunnah, classical Islamic scholarship, and relevant educational literature. Through analytical and thematic examination of these sources, the study explores the teacher's responsibilities in nurturing students intellectually, morally, and spiritually. It highlights the teacher's role as both a transmitter of knowledge and a moral role model who cultivates ethical values, strengthens students' faith, and encourages positive social responsibility.

The study further analyzes the importance of respecting teachers, maintaining proper teacher–student relationships, supporting learners of different abilities, encouraging individual talents, promoting active learning, fostering collaboration with families, and instilling balanced Islamic values that reject extremism. The findings indicate that the progress and moral strength of any nation depend significantly on the dedication, competence, and integrity of its teachers. The study concludes that teachers should be recognized, supported, and empowered by both society and the state to fulfill their educational and ethical mission in developing righteous individuals and a prosperous civilization.

Special Intensive Revision and the Challenge of Protecting the Electoral Rights of Minorities: A Legal and Analytical Study

2026-08-01T10:01:29+00:00

This study examines the implications of the Special Intensive Review (SIR) for the protection of minority electoral rights in India through a legal and analytical framework grounded in the Indian Constitution and international human rights standards. The study aims to clarify the concept of the Special Intensive Review, analyse its legal, social, and economic implications for minority communities, and assess its compatibility with the principles of equality, non-discrimination, and the rule of law. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, the research draws upon constitutional provisions, international human rights instruments, reports issued by international organizations, and relevant legal and development literature. The study finds that although the SIR is presented as a legitimate administrative and security mechanism, its selective implementation or application in the absence of adequate legal safeguards and effective judicial oversight may contribute to the marginalization of minorities, undermine public trust in state institutions, weaken political participation, and adversely affect social cohesion. The study concludes that balancing national security concerns with the protection of fundamental rights requires that such measures be governed by the principles of necessity, proportionality, and non-discrimination, while strengthening judicial and institutional oversight and promoting equal citizenship and pluralism. These measures are essential for safeguarding minority electoral rights and reinforcing good governance and the rule of law.

Sharia is the Base of Sufism

2026-08-01T09:33:48+00:00

All praise belongs to Allah, the Exalted Creator, besides whom we have no protector. He is the One who bestowed upon His saints the finest virtues and elevated their rank to the loftiest degrees of union. Blessings and peace be upon the leader of the spiritual substitutes (abdāl), Muhammad, the guide to the path of righteousness, and upon his family of the purest hearts, and his companions who strove diligently in traversing the path of the Most Generous.

To proceed:

This treatise discusses the importance of the Sharī‘ah in Sufism, its role in the ṭarīqah (spiritual path), and its contribution to the attainment of ḥaqīqah (ultimate spiritual reality). The foundation of the science of Sufism is purification and spiritual excellence (iḥsān), as mentioned in the two noble texts. Allah, the Exalted, says:

“Our Lord! Raise among them a Messenger from themselves who shall recite unto them Your verses, teach them the Book and Wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You are the Mighty, the Wise.”

And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, when Jibrīl عليه السلام asked him about iḥsān:

“That you worship Allah as though you see Him; and if you do not see Him, then indeed He sees you.”

Sayyidunā ‘Alī, may Allah ennoble his face, said in his Dīwān:

“Rise with knowledge and seek no substitute for it,
For people are dead, while the people of knowledge are alive.”

What is intended by “knowledge” here is its true essence, and the reality of knowledge is the knowledge of the Truth — سبحانه وتعالى.

There is an English saying: “All roads lead to Rome.” However, the matter is different concerning Allah سبحانه وتعالى, for He is the One Lord, and this is one community, and we are His worshippers. Thus, the only straight and upright path among all paths is Islam — the path which Allah chose for us, perfected for us as our religion, and completed His favor upon us, as Allah تعالى says:

“Today I have perfected for you your religion, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam for you as your religion.”

Therefore, a Muslim — that is, one who traverses the path of peace — must possess three qualities: sincerity, obedience, and steadfastness. Whoever possesses these qualities is truly a Sufi, as sought and emphasized by the majority of the great masters of Sufism.

The Rhetorical Secrets of Surah Yā Sīn in Al-Sabuni's Safwat al-Tafasir

2026-08-01T10:11:50+00:00

الحمد لله الذي أنزل القرآن بلسانٍ عربيٍّ مبين، وجعله معجزةً خالدةً تتحدى الإنس والجن ببيانه ونظمه المحكم، والصلاة والسلام على سيدنا محمدٍ أفصحِ الخلقِ لسانًا، وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين، وبعد:

فإن القرآن الكريم هو المعجزة البيانية الكبرى التي لا تنقضي عجائبه، ولا يخلق على كثرة الرد. وكلما غاص الباحثون في بحار آياته، استخرجوا منها لآلئ البلاغة وجواهر المعاني. ومن بين سور القرآن الكريم التي تجلت فيها روعة النظم وعظمة التصوير: "سورة يس"، التي تُعد قلب القرآن الكريم. وتبرز أهمية دراسة هذه السورة من الناحية البلاغية في الكشف عن التناسق العجيب بين اللفظ والمعنى، وكيفية توظيف الأساليب البيانية والبديعية في خدمة المقاصد العقدية.