The Short Story in Classical and Post-Classical Arabic Literature

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the short story in classical and post-classical Arabic literature, tracing its development from pre-Islamic times to the eighteenth century. It highlights the centrality of narrative forms—such as khabar, hikaya, qissa, ustura, and risala—within a literary tradition often perceived as predominantly poetic. The study emphasises the dynamic interplay between oral and written transmission, a defining feature of Arabo-Islamic culture, and examines how these modes shaped the evolution, circulation, and reception of narrative prose across different social strata.