The Hamziyya of Mustafa bin Zikri al-Trabulsi, on the Attributes of Imam al-Mahdi al-Senussi: A Critical Edition and Study

Abstract

This research provides a critical edition and analytical study of a rare, previously unpublished poetic text: the "Hamziyya" by the prominent Libyan poet and scholar Mustafa bin Zikri al-Trabulsi (1853-1934 AD), composed in praise of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Senussi. The significance of this study lies in its discovery of a "missing link" in the poet’s printed Diwan, found within the manuscript Al-Shumus al-Nuraniyya by Sayyid Ahmad al-Sharif, granting the text dual documentary and historical value. The study employs a rigorous philological methodology to edit and verify the text, correcting scribal errors and omissions caused by the uniqueness of the manuscript, alongside a descriptive-analytical approach to interpret the poem’s thematic and aesthetic dimensions. The findings indicate that the poet skillfully utilized "Prophetic Traits" (Shama'il) to depict the subject, establishing the Imam as a "Muhammadan Heir" and a spiritual guide. Furthermore, the poem highlights the strategic and mystical dimensions of the Senussi center's relocation from Jaghbub to Kufra, embodying the deep spiritual and cultural ties between the city of Tripoli and the Senussi headquarters in the desert. Finally, the study situates the poem within the tradition of poetic emulation (Mu'arada), tracing its stylistic lineage from Al-Busiri’s classical model to its later influence on the renowned writer Shakib Arslan, who emulated its meter and rhyme.