Shihabuddin Ibn Ma'tuq al-Huwayzi: An Ottoman era Arab poet and his poetry

This study deals with the life and poetry of Shihābuddīn Ibn Ma'tūq al- Ḥuwayzī, a Ḥuwayza-born Arab Shia poet, whose journey took him to Basra at a tender age, where he blossomed into his poetic prowess during the Ottoman era. The structure of this study includes three main chapters, in addition to the introduction and conclusion chapters. The introduction section covers the importance and purpose of the topic, the research methodology, and the sources used, along with a general overview of Arabic literature during the Ottoman period. In the first chapter, the poet's life and literary persona are examined, as well as the historical, geographical, political, social, and religious context of the era in which the poet lived, and the general characteristics of Arabic Shii poetry during that time. The second chapter categorizes his poems into themes such as madiḥ, ghazal, marthiyya, zuhd/ḥikma, ikhwaniyya, shikāya and ṭabī'a and then proceeds to analyze their contents. The third chapter examines the structural features of Ibn Ma'tūq's poems, including various poetic forms such as qasīda, takhmis, band, mewāliyya, rubā'ī, ma'kūs and tashṭīr. Additionally, the chapter explores the meter, rhyme, style, and narrative techniques employed in these poetic structures, as well as the rhetorical devices and artistic expressions. In conclusion, Ibn Ma'tūq, in his poems, not only embodies the essence of Arabic poetry in both content and form but also introduces innovative structures and meters that were previously unseen. His mastery of language and style is evident in his successful execution of these poetic elements.