Taking a Closer Look at Adab
The concept of adab in Kalila wa Dimna
A topic I found particularly interesting from Professor Rahimieh's lectures was the term, 'adab,' and how it is represented in Kalila wa Dimna.
Adab - the Islamic concept of etiquette
According to Encyclopaedia Brittanica:
- Islāmic concept that became a literary genre
- distinguished by its broad humanitarian concerns
- developed during the height of Abbasid culture in the 9th century, continued through Muslim Middle Ages
The Wikipedia definition of Adab (Arabic: أدب) :
- In the context of behavior, adab refers to prescribed Islamic etiquette: "refinement, good manners, morals, decorum, decency, humaneness"
Professor Rahimieh discussed adab in her lecture, "Mirrors for Princes":
- Its original meaning was ‘prose read for edification and entertainment’
- In modern Arabic, it has come to mean both 'good manners' and 'literature'
The presence of adab in "Kalila wa Dimna"
Ex #1: Nushirvan
Page 12 of Kalila wa Dimna introduces Nushirvan, the Sasanian king of Iran, as a "learned man interested in philosophy."
"During his inquiries into various sciences, he was informed of a book preserved in India that contained instructions and rules of conduct for princes and kings. "
Thus, we learn that there are stories that contain knowledge and rules for ethical governance. They also tell these stories through the use of animals: "It had been written by India philosophers and included tales and stories about animals." (Kalila wa Dimna 12)
Ex #2: King seeks knowledge
There is a pattern to the framework of the fables in Kalila wa Dimna: a king asks a philosopher to tell him a story, each with a specific instruction. After each story is told, the king asks for another story.
"Dabshalim, the king of India, asked his minister and advisor, who was a philosopher, to tell him stories that contained instructions on governing his kingdom. His first request to the philosopher was to explain how a false and cunning person can come between two friends..." (Kalila wa Dimna 17)
Thus, the king is actively on a quest for knowledge to become a better ruler.
Ex #3: Borzoe epitomizes adab
King Nushirvan needs someone to find the special book for him, and Burzoe is chosen because of his reputable characteristics:
"Nushirvan told the physician that he was chosen for the mission because of his reputation for wisdom and learning and for his thirst for knowledge..." (Kalila wa Dimna 12)
Burzoe exemplifies adab through his actions that follow, as he searches for the book:
- In India, Burzoe "frequents markets and claims to be a stranger seeking knowledge"
- befriends philosophers and a sage
- to gain access to the book, Burzoe approaches a culture to which he doesn't belong with sensitivity
The qualities that Burzoe embodies are overlapping qualities of adab: friendship, honesty, & good judgement. These helped him gain access to the king's library, thus accomplishing his mission for knowledge.
I found this interesting because adab is not something that only exists in Islamic culture. Other cultures and regions have their own versions of adab.
One instance of culture-specific etiquette in America, for example, is to greet someone by asking "how are you?" or "how has your day been?". There is also a standard set of manners one should have, such as holding the door open for someone when entering a building. Within a culture, there can also be region-specific etiquette rules; consider the Southern states of America, where "Southern hospitality" is often expected.
Therefore, I chose to write about adab because it can be connected to a broader idea of societal behaviors that pertain to different cultures. However, while various cultures may have their own versions of adab, all interpretations lead to the same thing: guidelines for behavior as a member of society.
Sources:
- Firmage, Edwin Brown and Weiss, Bernard G. and Welch, John W. Religion and Law. 1990, page 202-3
- "Adab (Islam)." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adab_(Islam)#cite_note-1.
- "Adab." Encyclopaedia Brittanica, https://www.britannica.com/art/adab-literature.
- Kalila wa Dimna, "Fables from a Fourteenth-Century Arabic Manuscript".