Layla and Majnun
Ancient Arab lovers whose story inspired centuries of poetry.
Layla and Majnun is an ancient Arab love story about the 7th-century poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and his lover Layla al-Amiriyah. The story originates from Najd in present-day Saudi Arabia, with Qays and Layla traditionally associated with Al-Aflaj Governorate and the city of Layla, which is named after Layla al-Amiriyah. Their tragic love story became one of the most famous romances in Arabic literature and inspired adaptations throughout the Islamic world.
- field
- Poetry, Romance
- nationality
- Arab (Banu Amir tribe, Hawazin)
- known_for
- Undying love story; Qays known as Majnun ('crazy' or 'possessed by Jinn')
Lore & Background
Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and Layla al-Amiriyah fell in love as children, but when Qays asked for her hand in marriage, Layla's father refused because Qays was considered mentally unbalanced. Qays became obsessed with Layla, composing poems about her, and the community gave him the epithet Majnun. Layla was forcibly married to a noble merchant named Ward Althaqafi. After her marriage, Majnun fled into the desert, wandering and reciting poetry. Layla eventually moved to northern Arabia, fell ill, and died.
Reader's Guide
Nizami collected secular and mystical sources about Majnun and portrayed a vivid picture of the lovers. The romance became popular in Ottoman Turkey and India. Mystics used stories about Majnun to illustrate concepts such as fanaa (annihilation) and divānagi (love-madness). The story is considered a 'virgin love' tale because the lovers never married or consummated their passion.
Did You Know?
- Qays and Layla are traditionally associated with Al-Aflaj Governorate in Saudi Arabia, where the town of Layla is named after Layla al-Amiriyah.
- Qays was given the epithet Majnun, meaning 'crazy' or 'possessed by Jinn', by his tribe Banu Amir.
- The story is one of several 'virgin love' tales in Arabic literature, including Qays and Lubna and Antara and Abla.
More in Poetry Collections And Epic Poems 1-22
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