News in Nuzhat al-Jalīs wa Munyat al-Adīb al-Anīs A Methodological Analytical Study

Abstract

The khabar (report/news narrative) is considered one of the most prominent literary genres concerned with recording the events of earlier generations and delving into their lives, traditions, modes of living, morals, principles, and the defining features of their era. It also serves to introduce historical figures, their social status, their influence on contemporaries, and even their emotional and psychological responses to events. This, in turn, contributes to forming a comprehensive image of the past of nations and civilizations and the features of their culture, transmitting it to later generations. Since the khabar is most often related to the past, it is typically transmitted through narration from others. From this perspective, the present study seeks to examine Arabic heritage reports in the book Nuzhat al-Jalīs wa Munyat al-Adīb al-Anīs, investigating their structure, characteristics, and types. The structural components of the khabar include the chain of transmission (isnād), the introduction, and the conclusion. The study also addresses the thematic structure of the reports, which varies among realistic, humorous, strange, marvelous, and didactic forms, with a limited presence of dream narratives.