THE EPIC-NOVELISTIC DRAMA IN SĪRAT AL-SHAYKH NŪR-AL-DĪN

Abstract

The research paper tackles Ahmed Shams Aldin Alhajajy’s Sīrat al-Shaykh Nūr-al-Dīn (the Biography of Sheikh Nur al-Din). It adopted an analytical method to investigate the structure of the novel and Sufi visions, including the Sufi courtyard and its functional role in the text and genre blending called “epic-novelistic drama” to analyze the character of Sheikh al-Tayyib and the reflection of his personality on the portrayal of the protagonist and Sheikh Nur al-Din and the fusion of Pharaonic, Christian, and Islamic elements. After that, it delves into the features of folk epics, focusing on the traits of the folk hero as depicted in the character of Sheikh al-Tayyib and the woman's role in the overt and covert texts. Finally, the paper explores modern techniques, e.g., the stream of consciousness, the creation of parallel characters, and the stylistic techniques in the novel.