Modesty and Its Connotations in Andalusian Panegyric Poetry – A Study of (Nafh al-Tib) as a Model

Abstract

This study sheds light on the ethical and societal value of modesty (haya) as reflected in Andalusian panegyric poetry, which serves as a mirror of life in al-Andalus. Modesty is one of the moral values closely tied to building sustainable societies due to its role in fostering peace, promoting equality and social justice, and encouraging respect for others. The uniqueness of this research lies in presenting this ethical dimension of Andalusian society in a way that challenges the common perception that Andalusians were preoccupied with indulgence, corruption, luxury, and disregard for religious obligations. Instead, the study highlights the moral aspect of modesty as a virtue praised and encouraged by Andalusian poets. We approached this topic through contemporary methods such as discourse strategies, the semiotics of body language, and face theory in interpreting poetic texts. The study also reveals hidden cultural patterns, highlights the poetic function of attentional appeal, explores the relationship between musical rhythm and thematic content, and examines the lives of the poets who referenced modesty in their praise poetry, along with their moral traits and cultural backgrounds. Taking the contextual descriptive approach as an analytical tool. Our selection focuses on poetic excerpts from Nafḥ alTib by al-Maqarrī (d. 1041 AH), as it is one of the most comprehensive and extensive Andalusian sources documenting life in al-Andalus through a rich literary anthology. We found that panegyric poetry overwhelmingly emphasizes modesty in various forms, such as: praising the modesty of the praised figure before God, the modesty of the people of Cordoba, the modesty of caliphal youths, the modesty of the Almoravids and even the modesty of the last kings of Granada in their inability to defend the land. The poets also expressed their own modesty toward those they praised. These examples affirm that modesty was an innate characteristic among the people of al-Andalus, reflecting their deep adherence to the teachings of Islam, in which modesty is considered a branch of faith and a core Islamic virtue.