The Raven and the Falcon : Youth Versus Old Age in Medieval Arabic Literature.

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- List of Illustrations -- Introduction -- 1 Arab vs. Western Tradition -- 2 Scope -- 3 Sources -- Chapter 1 Toward a Definition of the Ages of Man -- 1 Medical Authors -- 2 Non-Medical Authors -- 3 A Sample of Longevity -- Chapter 2 The Age of Beauty -- 1 Color -- 2 Youth = Spring -- 3 Beauty -- 4 Health and Vigor -- 5 al-Dahr (Time, Fate) -- 6 Reflections by a Nonagenarian Warrior on His Old Age -- Chapter 3 Youthful Pleasures and Repentance -- 1 Pre-Islamic Pleasures -- 2 What is Pleasure? -- 3 Ḥijāzī and Umayyad Pleasure -- a Two Amatory Poets -- b Singers -- 4 ʿAbbāsid Joie de Vivre -- a Singing Slave Girls -- b Two Amatory Poets -- c Pederasty -- 5 Repentance -- Chapter 4 Lament for Lost Youth -- 1 Death of Youth -- 2 Reminiscences -- 3 The Ride of Abū Nuwās -- 4 Lamentable Changes -- Chapter 5 Intellectual Pursuits -- 1 Inexperience vs. Experience -- 2 Ignorance vs. Wisdom -- 3 Ambition -- 4 Quest for Knowledge -- 5 Education -- 6 Instructions for Tutors -- Chapter 6 Code of Conduct -- 1 Folly and Intoxication -- 2 Promised Recompenses for Behavior -- 3 Honoring Age -- 4 Recalcitrance (ʿuqūq) -- Chapter 7 Marriage and Sexuality -- 1 Fasting: An Alternative to Marriage -- 2 The Dowry -- 3 Onanism -- 4 Self-Castration and the Sexual Urge -- 5 Criteria for Choosing a Wife -- 6 The Cult of Virginity -- 7 Remarriage -- 8 Disparity in Age: Old Husband-Young Wife -- 9 Celibate Scholars -- Chapter 8 Religio-Political Leadership and the Promise of Paradise -- 1 Leadership -- 2 Combat -- 3 Wish for Martyrdom -- 4 Paradise: A Bargaining Chip -- 5 Jihad vs. Filial Piety -- 6 Bulūgh (Majority, Puberty) -- Chapter 9 Rejuvenation and Paradisiacal Youth -- 1 Rejuvenation -- 2 Camouflaging Age: Hair Dyeing -- 3 al-Khaḍir-Drinking the Water of Life -- 4 Paradisiacal Youth -- Concluding Remarks -- Appendix A Rhetorical Devices.

Appendix B Monographs Apparently Lost -- Bibliography -- General Index.

This book fills a long-standing gap in Arabic-Islamic studies. Hasan Shuraydi presents an in-depth survey of relevant themes that concern youth and old age in Medieval Arabic literature in an informative and entertaining style intended for specialists and non-specialists.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.