Narrative Aesthetics in the Stories of the Tābiʿūn: A Study of Artistic Structure and the Development of Early Religious Narrative

Abstract

This research addresses the aesthetics of narration in the stories of the Tabi‘un (the Successors), considering them as one of the foundational forms of early religious narrative in Islamic culture. It aims to uncover the artistic and stylistic structure through which these stories were shaped, analyze the mechanisms of plot construction, character formation, and the use of time and space, as well as examine the characteristics of narrative language, dialogue, and rhythm.

The study adopts an analytical narrative approach that takes into account the specificity of religious discourse and its historical and cultural context, while avoiding the automatic application of modern critical concepts. The research concludes that the stories of the Tabi‘un are not limited to being historical accounts or didactic materials; rather, they represent narrative texts with distinct aesthetic qualities, characterized by condensation, archetypal function of characters, clear linear structure, and simple yet impactful linguistic style.

Furthermore, the study demonstrates that these stories contributed significantly to the development of subsequent Islamic narrative, particularly in works of asceticism, biographies, and biographical dictionaries, making them a crucial link in the history of Arabic-Islamic narration.