MORAL AND ETHICAL NORMS IN THE MAQAMAS OF THE GREAT THINKER FROM KHWARAZM MAHMUD AL-ZAMAKHSHARI

Abstract

The cultural upsurge in the 9^th–12th centuries in Central Asia and throughout the area of the Muslim East contributed to the flourishing of literary creativity in Arabic. Thinkers of Central Asia have made a great contribution to this rise, which has been called the Muslim Renaissance. Such scholars of the region as Abu Bakr al-Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina, Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, Mahmud az-Zamahshari successfully combined scientific research with their literary activity and created unique works in both fields. These works have played a major role in the formation of spiritual and social thought and aesthetic consciousness of the peoples of the Muslim East. The literary work by Imam az-Zamahshari “Maqamat az-Zamahshari” belongs to such works which are considered “the basis of books and heritage” by the Arabs. In this article, the maqams by az-Zamahshari are viewed from the point of an organic combination of Islamic and universal values in them, conveying the spiritual ideals of their time and forming aesthetic taste. Literary works like “Maqamat az-Zamahshari” played great importance not only for the Arab-Muslim civilization, but also for the entire world literary process.