The Aspects of Islamic Literary Criticism in the Thought of Umar bn Al- Khattab

Abstract

The Islamic literary criticism is a critical approach based on Islamic principles in analyzing and evaluating literary texts in terms of both form and content, according to the Holy Qur’an guidelines and the Sunnah of the Prophet. ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb is regarded as a central figure in Islamic literary criticism due to his rhetoric acumen, refined literary taste, and ability to distinguish between eloquent and poor speech. He guides poets and orators to uphold meaning and values. His views and stances helped establish standards of honesty, clarity, and simplicity, making him one of the foundational and early authentic examples of literary criticism in Islam. This research addresses the concept of literary criticism, its definition and characteristics in the Islamic context, the influence of Islam on literary criticism, the personality and literary taste of Caliph ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb and the manifestations of his critical thinking from social، artistic and comparative perspectives. The study presents vivid examples of his positions that illustrate features of Islamic literary criticism, his encouragement of purposeful expression. The research is structured into five main sections and adopts the descriptive-analytical method and Inductive approach in addressing the topic.

Keywords: Aspects, Islamic Literary, Criticism, Thought of Umar bin Al- Khattab.