The Influence of Al-Bajali on the Commentators of the Poem “Banat Suad” Regarding the Verse of Kabab bin Zahir: “Haifa muqbilatan”

Abstract

The poems of early poets in the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods received significant attention from linguists. The Muallaqat, for example, were the subject of extensive commentaries across different centuries, focusing on their vocabulary, rare expressions, grammar, and morphology. The same applies to the poem Banat Suad by Kabab bin Zahir. Just as the transmitted versions of the Muallaqat differ in the number of their verses, they also differ in the transmission of certain words. This variation is also present in Banat Suad. Among the verses whose authenticity fluctuated within the poem is Kabab’s line:
Haifa, graceful when she approaches, radiant when she turns away;
Neither her shortness nor her height gives cause for complaint
I traced this verse across its primary sources and found that its interpretation was presented in a particularly distinguished manner by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin al-Haddad al-Bajali (d. 750 AH). I also found that several later commentators closely resembled Al-Bajali’s explanation. This motivated me to examine the impact of his commentary on subsequent interpretations. The results show that his influence was substantial: some later scholars transmitted his explanation entirely, while others adopted parts of it or benefited from his vocabulary, expressions, and conceptual approach.