The Invocation of Quranic Figures and Stories in Ma ruf al-Rusafi's Diwan

This article studies Quranic stories and figures, focusing on their use in Ma‘ruf al-Rusafi’s Diwan. The article explains the extent to which al-Rusafi has been influenced by these elements and has developed techniques to adapt them to his odes’ content by way of technical and thematic incorporation toward the creation of a spiritual atmosphere in his poetry, in such a way he hopes to reach his audience’s minds and perception. Al-Rusafi has drawn upon Adam’s story and hissubsequent fall from paradise, has summoned such characters as Belqais, the queen of Sheba; Moses and Jesus and their miracles; Prophet Muhammad and his perfection. Al-Rusafi has selected and alluded to specificsegments of the aforementioned stories that would best enrich the texture of his poems and serve his poetic purposes. To achieve their desired effect these allusions rely to a certain degree onhis audience’s familiarity with the Quranic stories.