Knowra Adab Adab Adab is an Arabic tradition of refined writing and learning that combines belles-lettres, practical knowledge, and ethical instruction. Its forms include essays, anthologies, advice literature, and literary anecdotes.
Arabic prose : Written Arabic expression that is not arranged as poetry. Adab developed a prose tradition alongside poetry, using prose for essays, anecdotes, and instruction.
Abbasid Caliphate : An Islamic caliphate that ruled much of the Middle East from 750 to 1258. Its courts and urban elites became major settings for adab's growth.
Mirrors for princes : Works offering rulers advice about justice, governance, and personal conduct. Adab supplied a literary and ethical repertoire for advising rulers.
Islamic jurisprudence : The interpretation and development of Islamic legal norms and methods. Adab ranges across literary and practical learning, rather than centering on legal reasoning.
Balagha : The Arabic disciplines of eloquence, stylistics, and effective expression. Adab's ideal of polished writing draws on Arabic theories of eloquence.
Arabic literature : Literature written in Arabic, spanning poetry, prose, and many historical periods. Adab is a major prose tradition within the wider history of Arabic literature.
Islamic ethics : Reflection on moral principles and conduct within Islamic intellectual traditions. Adab's instruction often translated ethical ideals into social habits and practical counsel.
Hadith : Reports about the words, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad. Hadith transmission follows scholarly standards distinct from adab's broader literary compilation.
Akhlaq : The study and practice of moral character and virtues in Islamic thought. Ethical instruction gives many adab works their account of cultivated conduct.
Translation movement : The translation of Greek, Persian, and other works into Arabic, especially under the Abbasids. Translated knowledge broadened the practical and intellectual learning gathered in adab.
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