Arabic Philosophy of Pleasure in Confronting Death: An Intertextuality Study of Pre-Islamic Poetry

Authors

  • Tariq Mohammed Farghal

    Department of English Language and Translation, Amman Arab University, Amman 11134, Jordan
  • Ahmad Talaha

    Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Al-Balqa Applied University, Amman 11134, Jordan
  • Amer Al-Dourou

    Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Al-Balqa Applied University, Amman 11134, Jordan
  • Reem Maaitah

    Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Al-Balqa Applied University, Amman 11134, Jordan
  • Emran Rababa

    Language Center, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i2.8241
Received: 30 November 2024 | Revised: 22 January 2025 | Accepted: 27 January 2025 | Published Online: 18 February 2025

Abstract

The study examines the philosophical extrapositions of the perception of the pre-Islamic poets in resisting the nihilism of death as an existentialist crisis through a philosophy of pleasure despite the inevitability of immortality. The philosophy of pleasure is manifested in the poet’s romanticist language, which expresses the depth of life's pleasures as an ultra-philosophical concept resonating with Epicurism. This study selects a sample of pre-Islamic poets who have adopted this form of philosophy as a lifestyle and attitude toward nothingness including Tarafa bin Al-Abd, Umru’ Al-Qais, and Al-A’sha, among other prominent figures. By analyzing the poems qualitatively, the study categorizes thematic, symbolic, and stylistic features that show ‘intuitive’ philosophical depth including the imagery of wine, the romanticist image of women, and the life-affirming thrill for honor and risk-taking as essential to understanding life. These behaviors go beyond pleasure-based nihilism, but they rather reflect resisting life-affirming Epicurius's position toward death as an existential end as it was perceived in that era. The study highlights that the philosophical mind of the pre-Islamic poet is fundamentally existential as it intersects through recurring themes, consistency of usage of expressions, and patterning in discourse that these poets delve into notions of great significance to intertextuality studies addressing literary-philosophies of pleasure, intoxication, immortality, and the dichotomy of life and death.

Keywords:

Philosophical; Pre-Islamic; Existential; Immortality; Tarafa; Epicurus; Death; Pleasure

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Farghal, T. M., Talaha, A., Al-Dourou, A., Maaitah, R., & Rababa, E. (2025). Arabic Philosophy of Pleasure in Confronting Death: An Intertextuality Study of Pre-Islamic Poetry. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(2), 603–626. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i2.8241

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 2 (February 2025): In Progress

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Copyright © 2025 Tariq Mohammed Farghal, Ahmad Talaha, Amer Al-Dourou, Reem Maaitah, Emran Rababa

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