Trips in “The Stranger’s Letter to the Beloved” Abu Asida Al-Baja’i: An objective study

Abstract

Objectives: This study illuminates key aspects of Abu Asida al-Baja’i's travel literature, "The Stranger’s Letter to the Beloved." It aims to explore the literary and scientific value of the trip, offering insights beneficial to literary scholars, writers, and researchers in the field of travel literature. Despite its significance, this trip has not received the attention accorded to others in the past, warranting a closer examination. Methods: The study adopted an inductive-analytical approach to trace the contents of the “The Stranger’s Letter to the Beloved”, and to present an overview of the conditions of the society and its surroundings. Results: The study concluded that the trip is full of intense cognitive nature, which includes a huge amount of knowledge and topics in the cultural and civilized environment that emerged from it. In it was a presentation of a picture of the different aspects of life: religious, including religious rituals in the Hijaz, and proximity to the Messenger PBUH social and psychological, including praising friends and scholars, alienation, and nostalgia. Thus, it represents an important document that was translated for its owner and for the prominent figures of his era whom he met and his correspondence to his friend Al-Mishdali. Conclusions: The study delves into Abu Asida Al-Bajai's diverse life experiences, covering social, religious, and intellectual dimensions with an artistic reflection of his era. Considering the results, it suggests an artistic approach to "The Stranger’s Letter to the Beloved," emphasizing key phenomena like intertextuality in its various forms.