Editing Ghazal (section)

=== Origins in Arabia ===
The ghazal originated in Arabia in the 7th century,<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/ghazal|title=Ghazal – Islamic literature|access-date=9 September 2018}}</ref> evolving from the ''[[qasida]]'', a much older pre-Islamic Arabic poetic form.<ref name="Kanda" /> ''Qaṣīdas'' were typically much longer poems, with up to 100 couplets. Thematically, ''qaṣīdas'' did not include love, and were usually [[panegyric]]s for a tribe or ruler, lampoons, or moral maxims. However, the ''qaṣīda's'' opening prelude, called the ''[[Nasīb (poetry)|nasīb]],'' was typically nostalgic and/or romantic in theme, and highly ornamented and stylized in form. In time, the ''nasīb'' began to be written as standalone, shorter poems, which became the ghazal.<ref name=":1" />

The ghazal came into its own as a poetic genre during the Umayyad era (661–750) and continued to flower and develop in the early Abbasid era. The Arabic ghazal inherited the formal verse structure of the ''qaṣīda'', specifically, a strict adherence to meter and the use of the [[qafiya]], a common end rhyme on each couplet (called a ''bayt'' in Arabic and a ''sher'' in Persian).<ref name=":1" />

The nature of the ghazals also changed to meet the demands of musical presentation, becoming briefer in length. Lighter poetic meters, such as ''khafîf'', ''ramal'', and ''muqtarab'' were preferred, instead of longer, more ponderous meters favored for ''[[Qasida|qaṣīdas]]'' (such as ''kâmil'', ''basît'', and ''rajaz''). Topically, the ghazal focus also changed from nostalgic reminiscences of the homeland and loved ones, towards [https://www.quotencaptions.com/sunset-quotes-instagram-best-romantic-sunrise-and-sunset-captions/ romantic] or erotic themes. These included sub-genres with themes of courtly love (''udharî''), eroticism (''hissî''), homoeroticism (''mudhakkar''), and as a highly stylized introduction to a larger poem (''tamhîdî'').<ref name=":1" /><ref>Dayf, Shawqî. ''Târîkh al-Adab al-Islâmî: 2 – al-`Asr al-Islâmî'' (A History of Arab Literature: 2- The Islamic Era). Cairo: Dâr al-Ma`ârif. 1963. (pp. 347–348)</ref>

During the Umayyad and early Abbasid eras, the ghazal blossomed. It inherited the structure of the qaṣīda, focusing on meter and end rhymes. With time, it adapted for musical presentation, becoming shorter. Lighter meters were preferred, and themes shifted towards romance and eroticism.

==== Spread of the Arabian ghazal ====
With the spread of [[Islam]], the [[Arabia]]n ghazal spread both westwards, into [[Africa]] and [[Al-Andalus|Spain]], as well as eastwards, into [[Persia]]. The popularity of ghazals in a particular region was usually preceded by a spread of the [[Arabic language]] in that country. In medieval Spain, ghazals written in [[Hebrew]] as well as [[Arabic]] have been found as far back as the [[11th century]]. It is possible that ghazals were also written in the [[Mozarabic language]]. Ghazals in the Arabic form have also been written in a number of major West African literary languages like [[Hausa language|Hausa]] and [[Fula language|Fulfulde]].<ref name=":1" />