ABSTRACT
Despite growing interest in Arabic/Arab-Islamic rhetorics, little attention has been paid to epistolary rhetoric. To revisit and deepen explorations of the arts of letter writing, this chapter sheds light on (1) sources for varied epistolary practices and epistolography and (2) the three main types of epistles. The first part of the chapter introduces the terms tarassul and ‘ilm al-tarassul, or letter writing and the study of letter writing, and locates this rhetorical knowledge and practice in anthologies and handbooks written for writers. The second part of the chapter provides examples of the three main types of epistles, namely functional, technical, or literary rasā’il. The first type (functional) comprises personal messages and institutional correspondence; the second type (technical) covers tracts, treatises, or essays; and the third type (literary) includes letters that fall under the domain of belletristic writing, or adāb.
