Dr. Walid Qassab

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• Honest and abstract criticism from whim in our time and in other times is rare. Integrity and justice are only given to a few.
• The critic is an expert person, as he is like the banker, the doctor, the judge, and the engineer. All of those are experts in their craft.

Some people compared the literary critic to a judge or an arbitrator. The first judges between the claims of people and their cases, and the second judges between writers, poets, and masters of eloquence and speech.

Both are required to be honest and fair, as they are responsible and their words are heard and effective. But honest and fair judgments are only given to a few of those who knew the truth, were raised on it, and committed themselves to it. 

Was it not narrated on the authority of Buraydah - may God be pleased with him - that he said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings of God be upon him) said: "Judges are three: two in the fire and one in Paradise. A man who knew the truth and judged by it, he is in Paradise. A man who knew the truth and did not judge by it and was unjust in judgment, he is in the fire. And a man who did not know the truth and judged for the people on ignorance, he is in the fire." (Narrated by the four and authenticated by Al-Hakim) (1)

Honest criticism abstract from whim in our time - and in other times - is rare and few. Whenever I remember the saying of Al-Khalil bin Ahmed to the poet Ibn Manader: "You - assembly of poets - are only followers of mine, and I am the captain of the ship: if I praise you and am satisfied with you, you will be in demand, otherwise you will stagnate." (2)

I realized what role the critic can play in the cultural and intellectual movement.

Rather, I realized - which is the most important - how the respected critic is a ruler with influence and in his hand is the fate of the writer. He has the power to raise him and he has the power to lower him, as he is an expert whose word is heard, the people return to his opinion and submit when he declares a saying.

Did not the Arabs in the past place a dome of leather for Al-Nabigha Al-Dhubyani in the Okaz market, then the poets come to him submissively, offering their poems to him, and asking him for his opinion on them? Whoever he praised, his name became famous and his status rose, and whoever he ignored or did not like his poetry, his status fell and his position declined? " (3) 

The sultan of criticism Khalaf Al-Ahmar expressed best in that deep literary dialogue that took place between him and a man from the general public who appreciates poetry. A man said to Khalaf: "I do not care if I hear poetry and I like it, what you and your companions say about it," which is a saying - as is clear - that denies the role of the critic or at least tries not to give him weight as if he sees him as an unnecessary mediator between the creator and the recipient, as it is sufficient for the recipient to be the judge by approval or disapproval on what he hears of speech. But Khalaf answered him with confidence and arrogance: "If you took a dirham and liked it then the banker said: It is fake or bad, would your liking of it benefit you?!" (4) 

These and other sayings in explaining the sultan of the critic have many aspects of the truth. There is no doubt that the critic is an expert person, so he is like the banker, the doctor, the judge, and the engineer. All of those are experts in their craft, and no matter of its affairs is decided except that they are referred to. That is one of the laws of God in the universe, a law based on asking the people of knowledge.

Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Yahya used to say: "Criticizing poetry, arranging speech and putting it in its places, good selection and metaphor, and denying the repulsive and the harsh, is a craft in its own right and you only see it for those whose natures are correct, whose minds are ignited, whose insights are alert, and who have disciplined the speech and narrated and distinguished." (5)

But this truth may be confused with falsehood. The critic - while exploiting his social sultan - may turn into an unjust judgment or a tyrannical judge, moved by personal whims and desires, so he deviates from the right, and sides with objectivity and fairness, so he spoils and destroys, and is an element of sabotage and misleading, raising trivial people, and lowering creative people, and that is when he is possessed by whim, or follows a certain ideological direction, trying to support it with right and wrong, or is moved by greed, interests, desires, and "cliques" and similar considerations of personal whim that are countless.

This unjust criticism was found in the old and in the new, but in our time - because of the clash of interests, the desires of the souls, and the lack of seriousness and objectivity - it is more prominent and its glaring examples...