An Andalusian Ode to Najd
To an Arab, language is not only a means of communication but also a source of pride. Since pre-Islamic times Arabs were obsessed with their language, and with obsession came creation. Arabs are renowned for their great poetry. This love affair with poems and wordplay carried on with them, and centuries later, the Andalusians inherited their ancestors’ passion and completely immersed themselves in it. Poetry was at the heart of every occasion; birth, death, love, victory, loss, holidays, travel… Their obsession took them as far as to have poems decorate their walls. What is more beautiful than our language - was their mindset. Poems on the walls would describe how the light enters the room, boast about the view that this room has, or specify what the space was used for. They could write poems about anything and still make it a fine art.
So much has been written about the great Andalusian poets and their poems. However, hardly anyone wrote about how frequently Najd is mentioned in their poems or why it’s mentioned. Poets like Ibn Zamrak, Ibn Amira, Lisan Aldin Ibn Alkahtib, Ibn Jaber, Safwan Ibn Idris Altujibi, and Ibn Juzayy.. have all mentioned Najd of Arabia.
Although it might seem odd that they would mention a place so far away from them, and to a non-Arab, it’s thought of as just a desert. But Najd is of great significance to Arabs, as they are fully aware of the deep societal and cultural history of the Arabian Peninsula generally and of Najd specifically. There were, for example, ancient civilizations like The Kingdom of Kindah and Almagar - a culture that dates back 9000 years. In reality, Najd does not conform to the stereotype of being a barren desert; but rather, there is so much history buried beneath its sand. It is a true cradle of civilizations and a meeting point of different paths.
For nearly 800 years, the Andalusians have inhabited the Iberian Peninsula. Although that was their home, they had a longing for their ancestors’ land and spoke about it with so much pride and respect. Almaqqari, Lisan Aldin Ibn Alkhatib, Ibn Hayyan Alqurtubi, and so many other historians mention the numerous families of Alandalus and describe their migration from the Arabian Peninsula to Alandalus. They would also usually mention at what time in history they migrated (most migrations happened between 711 - 928 CE), and in which cities the families settled. This shows how much they were still bound to their ancestors and how their connection to Arabia was still very strong.
But perhaps the reason for mentioning Najd is because it is the source of great poets. The Mu'allaqat (or Suspended Odes) are considered to be some of the greatest Arabic poems of all time. They were produced around 1500 years ago and, to this time, they're regarded as a marvelous representation of using language as art. The Mu'allaqat are the fountainhead of literary and artistic inspiration. These poems are also a unique window that shows the breadth of human experience at the time. Each one of the Mu’allaqat was produced by a different poet, but almost all of them have either lived in Najd or were from Najd or mentioned Najd (or parts of it) in their poem. So when poets of Alandalus mention Najd, it’s their claim to mastery of the poetic language - in the hope that their poems will also go down in history as the Mu’allaqat did.