Within the program of the ‘Discussion Hour’ initiative
Anasy Media organizes a panel discussion entitled
“Epithets & Titles: its origin, role and place in the Arabic heritage”
AbuDhabi(News Desk)::In the presence of Sheikha Alyazia Bint Nahyan Al Nahyan, former Ambassador for Arab culture to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), members of the program and diplomats , along with numerous cultural and media figures, Anasy Media organized at Manarat Saadiyat a panel discussion within the agenda of the ‘Discussion Hour’ program entitled “Epithets & Titles: its origin, role and place in the Arab heritage” presented by Dr. Ahmed Attia, Head of Research at the Manuscripts Center at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, followed by an instructive session on the importance of emotional balance under the title of “A Window to the Interior” presented by Dr. Ayat Makki , a solopreneur, healer, life coach and a licensed Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) trainer.
The discussion panel, moderated by the journalist Fatima El Nazoury, addressed several topics:
the meaning of epithets in the Arab heritage, the goals achieved by using it, its position in speech among the Arabs, their importance in determining the name in the Arab heritage, and its place in the life of the Arabs in the past.
This session is one of the series of Discussion Hour cultural gatherings launched in 2017, which continue Anasy’s goals in presenting an avant-garde kind of intellectual communication, relying on the interaction among the members of the program including university lecturers, professors and specialized researchers, by creating an atmosphere of fun that truly feeds both the intellect and spirit together. Throughout its gatherings, the Discussion Hour series highlights a number of topics related to eastern culture and identity.
Definition of the epithets and its objectives:
Dr. Ahmed began his talk by defining the epithets in the Arab heritage. He said: The epithet/title is everything that refers to a father, a mother, a son, or a daughter. The origin is from the metaphor, which is when you say something and mean something else by it. You say:“I was named and nicknamed by such and such, and by such and such, a name and a nickname, and the plural is the nickname. The basic principle is that it refers to children, so whoever does not have a son or a daughter, they call him by her, and whoever does not have a son or a daughter, they call him the closest person to him, just as the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, called Abdullah bin Al-Zubayr when he was a boy, Abu Bakr, and he is his
maternal grandfather, Asma. Then, when a son was born to him, he named him Khubayb and
nicknamed him, so he had two nicknames.Dr. Ahmed focused on the goals of using the nickname, saying: “There are important and different goals achieved by the use of the nickname in the Arab heritage, such as glorifying and honoring the one who is called, such as optimism and hope, distinguishing between people who have similar names, and so on, and a number of important sources have made this clear, such
as: Al-Kawakib. Al-Durya by Al-Ahdal, and the Interpretation of the Problem of the Qur’an, by
Ibn Qutaybah.”He said: “The nickname had a great place in the lives of Arabs in the past. Its status was such
that the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, called Imam Ali, Abu Turab, and this nickname was one of the most beloved names for Imam Ali, may God bless him. And he, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said in the Prophet’s hadith: “Call by my name and do not call me by my nickname,” and the nickname of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, was Abu al-Qasim. It was narrated on the authority of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, that he said: “Publish the nicknames, for they are Sunnah.”
The position of the nickname in Arabic speech:
In the context of his talk, Dr. Ahmed Attia spoke about the nickname, and its position in Arab speech. Does it occur after the name and title, or before the title and after the name? Is the position of the nickname obligatory, or does the speaker have the option of moving its position between the different components of the name? He explained that the term for it in writings is to give precedence to the name to the nickname, and to give priority to the nickname to the title, which is what Al-Qalqashandi mentioned in “Subh Al-A’sha” quoting “Sina’at Al-Kitab” by Abu Jaafar Al-Nahhas, and an example of it is to say: From Abdullah so-and-so, the father of so-and-so, Imam So-and-so, Amir Al Moumeneen. But this arrangement is not binding. Abu al-Baqa al-Hanafi mentioned in his book “Al-Kulliyat” that if the name and the nickname are combined or the nickname is the title, you have the option of giving precedence to one of them, but if the three are combined: the name, the nickname and the title, the nickname is given precedence
over the name and then the title is given, then it becomes apparent that there is a need to delay. The title is about the nickname.
Dr. Ahmed explained that what is meant by the dominant nicknames is that the nicknames are often used with some words, such as the nickname of a name. The name Muhammad is often called Abu Jaafar, Ali is called Abu Al-Hassan, Al-Hussein is called Abu Abdullah… and other names, and these dominant nicknames are useful in identifying Suspect names.
Nickname sections:
Regarding the different types of nicknames, Dr. Ahmed Attiya said: “We observe, for example,the single nicknames and the rare nicknames, as well as Ibn al-Atheer’s division of them: the usual and unusual nicknames. And from the sources that we can refer to in this division: Al-Kunya wa Al-Asma’ by Al-Dulabi – Al-Majdi fi Al-Nasab – Al-Marsa’ by Ibn Al-Atheer – Lisan Al- Arab, by Ibn Manzur.”
Regarding the extension of the use of nicknames to animals and inanimate objects, he said:“Some nicknames specific to animals and plants were mentioned in the book “Hayat al-Anani al-Kubra” by Al-Dumayri. Concluding his talk, Dr. Ahmed Attia mentioned some of the issues related to the nickname,
such as: the nickname’s contradiction to reason and reality, the multiple nicknames and names for one person, and the nickname of kings. He also talked about some sources related to the subject of the nickname, such as: Al-Taj fi Akhlaq al-Muluk, by Al-Jahiz – who agreed with his nickname. The nickname of his wife from the Companions, by Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Haywih – the nickname of the poets and those whose nickname prevailed over his name, by Ibn Habib – opening the door to nicknames and titles, by Ibn Mandah… to other works discussing the issue of nickname in Arab heritage.
“A Window to the interior” instructive short session
Dr. Ayat Makki presented an instructive segment during the discussion session entitled “A Window to the Interior,” in which she talked about the importance of emotional balance, addressing a number of topics: understanding emotions and their importance, developing self-awareness and techniques for managing emotions, and promoting a lifestyle that supports emotional balance.
