Satire in the Narrative Genre of Al-Hariri's Maqamat

Abstract

After Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani (358–398 AH) opened the door for the creation of maqamat in the 4th century AH, which received widespread acceptance from literary figures, Abu Muhammad al-Hariri (446–516 AH) came with his masterpiece that dazzled the lovers of literature and rhetoric, taking this art form to an unprecedented pinnacle. What distinguishes al-Hariri’s Maqamat from its counterparts is primarily its content, structure, and narrative form, making it an exemplary model for satirical storytelling in this genre. Undoubtedly, the features of its narrative type and essence require a thorough study and in-depth critical analysis. In this field, satire in al-Hariri’s Maqamat is a dominant trend, marking a huge presence due to the selection of specific topics and the use of a satirical style in its narrative structure. Based on this, the goal of this modest study is to shed light on how satire appears, its characteristics, and its mechanisms in al-Hariri’s Maqamat, using a descriptive-analytical approach. It also aims to explore related aspects of the topic, such as meta-history and ontological approaches, and to address the effect of satire in the relationship between these aspects and its unique impact.