Top of page

Book/Printed Material The Book of Adornment in the Rhetorical Arts.

About this Item

Title

  • The Book of Adornment in the Rhetorical Arts.

Summary

  • Kitāb al-tarṣīʻ fī ʻilm al-maʻānī wa-al-bayān wa-al-badīʻ (The book of adornment in the rhetorical arts) is primer on Arabic rhetoric. The author, 'Abd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad Salīm al-Kīlānīlal-Iskandarānī, states he will be "brief, useful, and simple." In this he is largely successful. Kitab al-tarsi' was printed at the government press in Damascus in 1922, presumably for use in schools, although there is no evidence that it formed part of the official syllabus. A note on the title page says that the book was distributed "for love of the Prophet," from which it can be inferred that the author financed the printing himself. Al-Kilani treats 'ilm al-balaghah (rhetoric) in its traditional divisions of al-ma'ani (clear expression), al-bayan (use of tropes), and badi' (embellishment and beautiful style). He states at the outset that the goal of communication is al-fasahah (eloquence), that is, expression that is free of fault, distraction, and infelicity. Little is known about al-Kilani other than that he was a Syrian Islamic scholar who was born in Alexandria (also called Alexandretta, present-day Iskenderun, Turkey) and lived in Damascus. In addition to works on language, he wrote a rebuttal of the Protestant criticism of the Qur'an. He is perhaps best known for his refutation of the doctrines of Wahhabism contained in Al-Nafkhah al-Zakiyah (The refreshing breeze) and al-Minhah al-Ilahiyah (The divine gift), which he advertises in a note at the end of this volume.

Names

  • Iskandarānī, ʻAbd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad Salīm al-Kīlānī, died 1943 Author.

Created / Published

  • Damascus : Government Press, 1922.

Headings

  • -  Syrian Arab Republic--Damascus
  • -  1922
  • -  Arabic language
  • -  Rhetoric

Notes

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666278

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Iskandarānī, ʻAbd Al-Qādir Ibn Muḥammad Salīm Al-Kīlānī, Died 1943 Author. The Book of Adornment in the Rhetorical Arts. Damascus: Government Press, 1922. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666278/.

APA citation style:

Iskandarānī, ʻ. A. I. M. S. A. (1922) The Book of Adornment in the Rhetorical Arts. Damascus: Government Press. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666278/.

MLA citation style:

Iskandarānī, ʻAbd Al-Qādir Ibn Muḥammad Salīm Al-Kīlānī, Died 1943 Author. The Book of Adornment in the Rhetorical Arts. Damascus: Government Press, 1922. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666278/>.