Investigating and Identifying the Roots of Iranian Thought in Arabic Sources with Reference to the Shahnameh: A Case Study of Muwallad Proverbs and Arabic Sources

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Peyman Salehi 1
hedieh jahani 2
vahid Sabzianpoor 3
farideh ahmadi 4
1 Professor in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
2 PhD in Arabic Language and Literature, Lecturer in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
3 Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
4 M.A. in Arabic Language and Literature, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
Abstract
This study investigates the intellectual and cultural interconnections between the Persian and Arabic literary traditions during the early Islamic centuries, focusing on the identification of Iranian ethical and sapiential elements in Arabic sources. A significant portion of Iran’s cultural heritage was assimilated into Arabic texts under the label of Muwallad (generated/non-native) proverbs, often obscuring their original identity. Conversely, Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh preserves these thoughts within a coherent, native Iranian framework. Utilizing a comparative-analytical framework, this research juxtaposes over thirty Arabic Muwallad proverbs and maxims against the sapiential themes of the Shahnameh. The findings indicate a profound structural and conceptual alignment between the two corpuses, demonstrating that Arabic sources can serve as a viable medium for reconstructing the historical and moral identity of Iranian thought from the 4th to the 6th centuries AH. Key thematic areas—such as prudence, systemic corruption, and inherent danger—reveal direct textual lineages, proving that many Muwallad proverbs are Arabicized reflections of pre-Islamic Persian wisdom.
Keywords
Muwallad proverbs in Arabic and Persian
Muwallad proverbs and Iranian thought
the Shahnameh and Muwallad proverbs
Muwallad proverbs in Arabic sources.
Subjects
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Literary Research
Volume 23, Issue 91
Spring 2026
Pages 115-149