ABSTRACT
The aim of the present chapter is to set the scene for the reader regarding the development of Arabic rhetorical studies and the three disciplines of cilm al-macmni, cilm al-baymn, and cilm al-badlc that constitute Arabic rhetoric. It is, therefore, an induction for the reader who is unaware of the constituent disciplines of Arabic rhetoric. It also provides an outline account of the value of rhetoric in communication and why Arab scholars have been captivated by the study of rhetoric. This chapter also provides brief historical details in order to enable the reader to piece together the development stages of Arabic rhetoric and the contributions made in this field by major Arab rhetoricians. However, a thorough historical investigation is provided in Chapter 2 of this book. The present chapter also guides the reader to the main functions of each rhetorical discipline. The details here, therefore, are a glimpse of Arabic rhetoric which will enable the reader to come to grips with, and appreciate the study of, Arabic rhetoric. Detailed theoretical accounts of the three disciplines in Arabic rhetoric are provided in Chapters 4, 5, and 6. In the meantime, however, we need to learn how rhetoric is different from grammar.
