مذهب الجاحظ في الارتجال في كتابه البيان والتبيين

Irtijal (speaking impromptu, improvisation) in al-Jahiz's al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin has not been given due attention by his critics nor in studies on Arabic literary theory in general. Al-Jahiz's material on the subject seems incongruent or even contradictory. The present article traces this material, reconstructs it to elucidate the main features of al- Jahiz's theory and investigates it to determine the degree of its coherence and consistency. By re-examining al-Jahiz's remarks and the traditions he quotes within their own contexts and considering the different angles wherefrom he tackles the subject, the present article concludes that al-Jahiz's precepts here, despite their apparent contradictions, remain fairly coherent and consistent: so long as the quality of the speech is not compromised, it is Irtijal that attests to the speaker's eloquence. But in certain cases, this quality is unlikely to be maintained unless the speech is prepared and revised. Here Irtijal should be avoided.