Humour, its origins, and its development in Arabic literature

الفكاهات,نشاته و تطوره في الأدب العربي

Abstract

This Article explores the concept of al-fukāhah in Arabic literature, humor has played a significant role as a literary and social weapon for expressing criticism, highlighting human frailties, and tackling political, cultural, and social issues in addition to being a form of entertainment. "Humour, Its Origins and Development in Arabic Literature" is the subject of this work, which looks at humor's historical development from the early Arabic literary heritage to the present. It examines the literary and linguistic idea of humor and sets it apart from similar expressions like parody, satire, irony, wit, and anecdote. The study looks at how humor developed during the Islamic and Abbasid eras, when it became more prevalent in literature and culture, and traces its origins in pre-Islamic poetry and prose.

The study looks at how humor developed during the Islamic and Abbasid eras, when it became more prevalent in literature and culture, and traces its origins in pre-Islamic poetry and prose. The contributions of authors like al-Jahiz, Abu Nuwas, al-Tawhidi, al-Hamadhani, and al-Hariri—whose works exhibit a variety of forms and techniques of comedic expression—are given special consideration. The study also looks into how humor changed in contemporary Arabic literature, being more closely associated with political commentary, social criticism, and the portrayal of daily life. In order to determine the main traits, topics, strategies, and purposes of humor in Arabic literature, the study takes a historical and analytical approach. It comes to the conclusion that Arabic humor has developed from straightforward forms of entertainment into a sophisticated literary method that can blend amusement with social criticism, intellectual contemplation, and artistic expression.