Undermining Fundamental Assumptions in Pre-Islamic Poetry: (The Case of Al-Muhalhil and Imru’ al-Qais)

Abstract

Human beings are by nature, fundamentally hypothetical entities, constructing their understanding of reality based on assumptions embedded in their lives, which they consider fixed and immutable. These assumptions serve as frameworks through which individuals interpret both themselves and the world around them. Yet, lived experience demonstrates that such assumptions are vulnerable to collapse when confronted with unforeseen events. Encountering such events can displace individuals from a state of stability to one of disruption, from certainty to doubt, and from comfort and tranquility to despair and fatigue. This disruption reverberates across both their external circumstances and their inner self, necessitating a reconfiguration of consciousness and a redefinition of meaning. Consequently, individuals are compelled to reassess their perspectives and reorganize their priorities in response to experiences that transform familiar realities into unexpected and novel conditions.