A comparative study of writers’ characteristics and conditions in Adab al-Kuttab by al-Suli and Chahar Maqale by Nezami

The political and social conditions of different countries have always been referred to as the two dominant arteries in transmitting culture and literature to their respective lands. In the Islamic era, the influence of Arab-Islamic political institutions on the borders of Iran has led to the influence of politics, culture, and literature in the two addressed countries and the emergence of educated scholars and writers who were distinguished with respect to their own ways. Nezami Arouzi and Abu Bakr al-Suli can be mentioned among the distinguished writers in Persian and Arabic literature. Nezami, who is reknowned as one of the most famous writers in Persian literature, has had an attempt to present the duties of four important categories in the political apparatus of the government in an article. One of these categories is concerned with the writer, and more specifically, his conditions and characteristics. Precisely, as it has been noted out by al-suli in adab al-kotab has paid a great deal of attention to the duties of the teacher within the political system. Furthermore, multiple common features can be found in al-suli’s work with that of Nezami. However, this does not mean that the two authors have been influenced by each other. Perhaps the impact of culture of the two poets in their respective lands has given rise to similarities in their teachings, which can be studied and investigated in addition to the differences between them. Accordingly, this research attempted to criticize and compare them from a comparative perspective so as to know the similarities and differences between these two works
Introduction:
In the Islamic period, the influence of Muslim-Arab political institutions in Iran's borders has led to the mutual impact of the politics, culture and literature of the two nations. Furthemore, it has led to the emergence of prominent scholars, scientists and writers who are unique in their kind, even by today’s standards. Among the prominent writers of Persian and Arabic literature, we can mention Nizami Arouzi and Abu Bakr Soli. In Chahar Maqale, Nizami Arouzi introduces the duties of four important classes in the political apparatus of the government, one of which is specific to writing and its conditions and attributes. Abu Bakr Souli also discusses the importance of secretary’s duties in the political system in Adab al-Kutab.
Among the schools of comparative literature, the names of two schools are prominent. French school and American school. In the French school, the issue of influence is of utmost importance, and in the American school, the commonalities and differences of literary works are discussed regardless of the issue of impact and impression have been given the highest priority.This research is an attempt to identify the similarities and distinctions of these two literary works regarding the characteristics and conditions of writing, regardless of their influence and impression via examining the two works of Nizami Arouzi and Abu Bakr Souli based on the American school of thought.
Method:
This research is based on the analytical descriptive method and the French school of thought for comparative literature. Furthermore, it reviews the characteristics and conditions of the authors in the Adab al-Kutab by Souli and Chahar Maqale by Arouzi Samarkandi and the similarities and differences of these two works.
Results and Discussion:
The conventional and accepted methods of writing in these two works are based on the fact that both writers have common opinions in alignment with the observance of the writing principles such as observing politeness, knowing the people of the time, and respecting the elders. However, due to the existing cultural and social differences, they also have differences in the field of letter writing and writing methods. As an instance, Rouzi selects features and moral characteristics that cannot be seen in Souli’s book.
Conclusion:
AbuBakr Souli shares common features with Nizami Arouzi, but this does not mean that the two authors were influenced by each other; Perhaps the influence of the culture of the two nations on each other's territory has caused similarities between the two, which can be considered and examined in addition to the differences in these teachings. Nizami Arouzi selects the characteristics and moral qualities that are not observed in Abu Bakr Souli and, on the other hand, he chooses characteristics that are related to his nature, innate intelligence, and moral qualities. In case a writer is not a respectable, intelligent, and thoughtful person and chooses the job of writing merely for earning money, he will not succeed in his career. From Abu Bakr Souli’s perspective, there are also principles in the art of calligraphy and writing that Arouzi did not mention. Principles such as the necessity of calligraphy and choosing a good font, selecting a good and suitable compound, paper, and pen, how to seal the letter, and last but not least, editing and revising the letter after finalizing it.