Abu Hilal al-‘Askari and His Contributions to the Field of Arabic Criticism

Abstract

The study of Abū Hilāl al-ʿAskarī’s contribution to Arabic literary criticism is important because some scholars have regarded him merely as a compiler and transmitter of earlier critical views rather than as a figure with original contributions to the development of classical Arabic criticism. This research aims to reassess Abū Hilāl al-ʿAskarī’s position and to explain the nature of his contribution to Arabic literary criticism, particularly through his major work, Kitāb al-Ṣināʿatayn. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method, supported by a historical-critical approach and textual analysis of the ideas, structure, and literary examples presented in al-Ṣināʿatayn. The findings show that Abū Hilāl did not merely collect the opinions of previous critics, but also organized, classified, explained, and enriched critical and rhetorical materials with strong aesthetic sensitivity and linguistic insight. His work played an important role in clarifying rhetorical concepts, establishing standards for evaluating textual beauty, and guiding readers and writers in understanding the quality of literary expression. Thus, Abū Hilāl al-ʿAskarī deserves to be positioned as an important link in the development of classical Arabic literary criticism, as his contribution connects earlier critical traditions with a more systematic form of rhetorical inquiry.