The arena of lovers

The book "The Dungeons of Lovers" represents a link in a series of book chapters about love in Arab Islamic civilization. The authorship of Al-Sarraj for this book came after the Arab library had known about fourteen books and essays on the subject before it. A number of books on the topic were written after it, most of which were greatly influenced by it. This is because this chapter was characterized by the strength of its influence. This prompted Professor Muhammad Hassan Abdullah to say in his book "Love in Arab Heritage": "There is no exaggeration in saying that the book 'The Dungeons of Lovers' is considered the greatest and most important source of news and stories of lovers, regardless of their different love orientations, and its impact is clear in the writings of those who came after it." We begin by examining the name that Jafar Al-Sarraj chose for his book. We find it composed of the words "The Dungeons" and "Lovers." In the language of Arabs, "Al-Masar'a" (the dungeons) comes from "Sar'a," meaning to throw down or lay flat. It is said that "Sar'a" was used for death, as in "He was slain" or "He died." And "The Dungeons of Lovers" are where they were killed. "Lovers" is from "Love," which is excessive affection and attachment to something that does not leave the lover. It is mentioned in "Lisan al-Arab" that "the lover is called 'lover' because he withers from intense longing, just as the love-plant withers when cut, and the love-plant is a tree that greens, then withers and turns yellow." Several writers have spoken about this connection, including Abdul Rahman Badawi, who wrote about the link between love and death in his book "Death and Genius," saying: "The connection between love and death can be interpreted in two ways: one is a pure Sufi interpretation based on the idea of union between the lover and the beloved, and the other is a purely human interpretation based on the idea of continuous transformation and human development within the individual or in relation to the species. In the first case, the motive is the passion that characterizes the Sufi experience, and in the second, it is the tendency toward transcendence that characterizes the human experience." Muhammad Hassan Abdullah also highlighted this connection in the title he chose for his study and analysis of the book "The Dungeons of Lovers," which is: "Al-Sarraj and the Love of Death." He explained that "the central point that influenced Al-Sarraj's choice is the culmination of emotion through love of death, which is considered as death itself—similar to ecstasy, fainting, and madness in many cases."