The Aesthetic of Silence in al-Jāḥiz's al-Bayān wa al-Tabyīn and Sa'di's Golestan

This study explores the aesthetic and ethical dimensions of silence in two seminal works of classical Arabic and Persian literature: al-Jāḥiz's al-Bayān wa al-Tabyin and Sa'di's Golestan. Through a comparative analysis of twenty canonical quotations (ten from each text), we examine how these medieval masters conceptualize silence as a rhetorical and moral ideal. Al-Jāḥiz, in his ۹th-century rhetorical treatise, juxtaposes proverbs like 'If speech were silver, then silence would be gold' with arguments for the necessity of eloquent speech, advocating a balanced approach where silence reflects strategic restraint. Conversely, Sa'di, in his ۱۳th-century moralistic tales, employs poetic metaphors and anecdotes-such as the 'perfumer's casket'-to portray silence as a virtue of humility and spiritual wisdom. Despite their differing contexts- rationalist Abbasid Baghdad for al-Jāḥiz and Sufi-influenced Persia for Sa'di-both authors view silence as an eloquent act that complements speech, enhancing meaning through omission. This analysis reveals a shared cultural valuation of silence as a dynamic aesthetic strategy in Islamic literature, inviting reflection on its interplay with eloquence and its broader significance in rhetorical and ethical discourse.

کلیدواژه ها:

Silence ، Eloquence ، al-Jāḥiz ، Sa 'dī ، al-Bayān wa al-Tabyin ، Golestan ، Arabic literature ، Persian literature ، Rhetoric ، Adab