When we read on the first pages of Arab heritage books a description of the author as the eloquent, brilliant literary writer who leaves no dust in the race of writing, we are in the presence of a truly unique writer. The poet Abu al-Fath Muhammad bin Mahmoud al-Sindhi called himself (Kushajim), which is an abbreviation for his literary and artistic hobbies: Katib (writer), Sha'ir (poet), Adib (literary man), Jamil (handsome), and Mughanni (singer).

We also read at the end of books: "Written by the intelligent writer seeking the forgiveness of his Lord."

These descriptions and others decorate Arab heritage books in a way that transforms them from mere ordinary descriptions in books into a real art, with its own language, methods, visions, and implications, especially if the book received an appraisal from one of the writers, men of letters, or poets. This in turn takes us to another art: appraisal (Taqriz).

It was the custom of advanced writers and historians to present what they wrote or authored to their fellow scholar-writers of the art to see what might appear to them and testify to what is there, calling it Taqriz. Later writers increased this and exaggerated in poetry and prose, agreeing and endorsing what was presented to them, right or wrong. The truth is that the meaning of Taqriz in language is also praising the book or author, however it may be, and in the dictionary "Taqriz" is praising a living person for truth or falsehood.

Some critics believe that if Taqriz is upon request, it is invalid, but if it is without request and prompted by admiration, it is correct. The reality is that the book is enjoyable whether appraised or not. Among the food, what is better than appraisals is picking the treats. The judgment is for the sound taste and wise mind, and the beauty of the book is if it appraises itself.

The Art of Signatures (Tawqi'at):

Tawqi'at is the art of commenting on an event, news, book, issue, or poetic collection, meaning commenting and expressing a short and concise opinion in one or more phrases.

They are those concise expressions that the Caliph, king, prince, sultan, or minister used to write as a comment on a book or paper and with which they concluded official letters. Tawqi'at is almost exclusive to the Arabic language, and represents a stage of literary and rhetorical maturity for the Arabs. Its beginnings date back to before Islam, then it grew and developed in the Islamic and Umayyad eras, but it flourished brilliantly in the Abbasid era and became an art associated with politicians and high society, only practiced by the eloquent and those with the ability to manage speech. Tawqi'at is characterized by rhetorical brevity, accuracy of phrasing, strength of composition, power of meaning, and lasting influence. It varies in its structure and composition between declarative and imperative styles, quoting from the Holy Quran and Hadith, employing proverbs, wisdom, and poetry, and carrying broad semantic concepts due to the rhetorical, metaphorical, and metonymic images it contains, and strong musical rhythms, all aiming at hints, symbols, and compensation, ending with the meaning in the recipient's mind and fulfilling the semantic purpose with clarity and influence.

Models of it: The signature of Caliph Harun al-Rashid to the vernor of Khorasan, when popular resentment against him appeared: "Heal your wound before it widens." And his signature in the case of the Barmakids, saying: "Obedience planted them, and disobedience harvested them."

The Mujannaba in Answers:

This is a wonderful art for which Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abd Rabbih presented models in his book: (Al-Iqd al-Farid). He introduced it by saying:

Our saying in the speech of the Bedouins in particular has passed, and we are speaking, by the help and success of d, on the answers which are the most difficult of all speech to compose, the most precious to seek, the most obscure in method, and the narrowest in path; because its owner hurries the monologue of thought and the use of intuition, seeking in his improvisation to refute what the speaker has established in his vision. He is like one whose passes are closed and whose exits are blocked, he has faced spears and was a target for arrows, he does not know what hits him so he prepares for it, nor what surprises him from his opponent so he hits him with the like, especially if the speaker has taken hold of the core of speech and led it by its reins after thinking about it, reflecting, gathering his thoughts and striving, leaving the opinion to settle until it ripens; for they disliked the raw opinion just as they disliked the back answer, and he remains in the weaving of speech and its intimacy until if his stray is assured and his runaway settles, he hits his opponent with one phrase. Then if it is said to him: answer and do not err, and hurry and do not delay, you see him answering without patience or preparation, applying the joints and reaching the core of the fight, as he throws stones with stones and hits iron with iron, so he undoes his knots and destroys his bitter things, and his answer to his speech is like a cloud that calmed a dust storm. Nothing is more difficult than a ready answer, and no one is more precious than the eternal enemy who hits his companion and knocks down his opponent with a word like fire in dry wood.

The Mujannaba in answers includes the quick, silencing response, and Al-Iqd al-Farid presented many models of them, showing the uniqueness and distinction of this art.

References:

• https://ar.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9

• https://al-maktaba.org/book/33266/165#p3

• https://search.mandumah.com/Record/356283