Experts take part in Arabic Language Academy session

As part of its vision to strengthen awareness of the Arabic language and deepen engagement with its scientific and intellectual heritage, the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah devoted the eleventh Language Council to highlighting “the scholarly journey of Professor Dr Samir Al-Droubi in authorship and classification.”

The session was attended by Dr Amhamed Safi Al-Mustghanemi, Secretary- General of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, alongside a distinguished group of academics, educators, and Arabic-language specialists, and was moderated by Dr Ahmed Aqili.

During the council, Dr Al-Droubi presented the trajectories of research and critical editing, and their role in building knowledge and preserving Arab scientific heritage.

He placed particular emphasis on Arab scientific contributions in experimental and applied fields, especially agricultural science, drawing on the book Al-Filaha Al-Andalusiyya by Ibn Al-Awwam Al-Ishbili (d. 580 AH).

Dr Al-Droubi explained how the knowledge contained in this work helped shape the course of the European Renaissance, and stressed that some of its experiments and scientific methodologies remain relevant and applicable to this day.

The eleventh Language Council opened with remarks by Dr Amhamed Safi Al-Mustghanemi who underlined the importance of listening to scholars’ experiences in authorship, critical editing, and classification, given the depth of accumulated knowledge and long professional experience they embody.

In this context, he noted that Dr Al-Droubi’s presentation offered a vivid example of a fully integrated lifelong scholarly path, combining research in history, civilisation, Arab-Islamic thought, and the art of maqamat.

Dr Al-Mustghanemi pointed out that such encounters reflect the mission of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah to place scholarly expertise at the service of society, transforming it into accessible knowledge that enhances cultural awareness and forges links between generations.

Dr Al-Droubi explained that his specialisation in the art of maqamat grew out of his work on the critical edition of Al-Suyuti’s maqamat.

He clarified that this genre is not merely a form of traditional storytelling, but rather a dynamic field of knowledge that has evolved over centuries in both structure and content.

Dr Al-Droubi noted that Al-Suyuti’s maqamat addressed distinct topics in medicine, botany, agriculture, astronomy, linguistics, and social and political critique.

Working on these texts, he said, opened up for him the full breadth of the Arabic intellectual tradition across its many disciplines, following four years devoted to collecting manuscript copies and collating their texts.

Dr Al-Droubi also observed that while some maqamat convey an immediate, surface meaning, others conceal deeper symbolic layers that can only be grasped through careful reading and an understanding of their historical and cultural context.

Speaking about chancery manuals and administrative writing, Dr Al-Droubi noted that Arab heritage in this field attained an exceptionally high level of organisation and precision. Recently, as part of the main events marking the opening of the “Arabic Language and Culture Festival” in Milan, Italy, organised by the Institute of Arab Culture at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and sponsored by the Sharjah Book Authority, the Arabic Language Academy showcased the emirate’s global efforts to support the Arabic language and promote its presence in Western academic circles.

The session highlighted Sharjah’s scientific and cultural initiatives to enrich Arabic studies and research at international universities.

During a panel titled “Efforts of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah to Support Arabic in the West,” Dr Al Mosteghanemi, emphasised that Arabic, as a bridge for intercultural dialogue, continues to be cherished by its native speakers and passionately studied by Orientalists and scholars in both Asia and Europe.

These efforts, he noted, have translated into meaningful contributions that have helped establish Arabic’s global standing.

WAM