International Journal Of Literature And Languages
19
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
19-22
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue07-06
Interpretation of The Plot and Historical Image in The
Novel "Imam Maturidi" By Lukman Borikhan
Khamidova Dilorom Olimjonovna
Doctoral student of the Department of Literature of the Independence Period and Theory of Literature of the Philological Faculty of the
Samarkand State University named after Sharaf Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Received:
11 May 2025;
Accepted:
07 June 2025;
Published:
09 July 2025
Abstract:
This article provides a detailed analysis and interpretation of the plot of the novel "Imam Maturidi" by
the Uzbek writer Lukman Borikhan and the image of the main character in it - Abu Mansur Maturidi. In this work,
the writer used a retrospective type of plot to describe the events of the past.
In order to artistically depict the image of a historical figure, the plot of the novel is composed of a prologue, three
main parts and an ending. The structure of the work's architecture thus serves to depict the image of Maturidi
without departing from its historical basis.
Keywords:
Retrospective plot, historical image, novel, prologue, development of action, introduction, conflict,
climax, denouement.
Introduction:
The creation of a work of art from
historical materials requires, first of all, a creative
concept and an aesthetic ideal. In order to transfer a
conceived theme or idea into an image, to dress it in
artistic clothes, the writer must connect this idea with
an aesthetic ideal. According to Belinsky, “The essence
of any work of art is that the event in it is inextricably
linked from the existing possibility to the existing
reality. An idea, like a tiny, invisible to the eye “grain”,
enters the artist’s consciousness, and from this fertile
and fruitful soil begins to sprout, blossom, grow,
entering with its beauty and life into perfect forms and
images” [1].
The idea, imprinted on the pages of history, born of life
events, passes through the prism of the creative mind,
creating logical integrity and artistic perfection. In the
novel "Imam Maturidi" by the writer Lukman Borikhan,
some scenes from the political, social and educational
life of ancient Samarkand at the beginning of the
distant 10th century are imprinted with a pen.
He tries to reflect the artistic image of Abu Mansur
Maturidi. The author's skill is demonstrated by the fact
that when depicting the image of a historical figure, the
wall between the artistic texture and real life becomes
invisible to the reader. And at the same time, it does
not contradict the logic of truth in the embodiment of
historical truth.
METHOD
Plot is a French word meaning a subject, something
that is based on. It is considered one of the most
important elements of artistic form and denotes a
system of events in a work of art that are inextricably
linked with each other and consist of the actions of the
characters. In Uzbek literary criticism, the issue of plot
has been analyzed by a number of scholars.
“A series of events that arise as a result of the
interaction and struggle of images, revealing the
direction of the will and character t
raits, is called a plot”
[2]. Literary scholar E. Khudaiberdiyev, who conducted
research on the plot, defines it as follows: “The plot
means the sequence of events in a work, “in works with
a plot, an important social conflict is artistically
explored in c
onnection with the holistic picture of life”
[3]. H. Umurov emphasizes: “The plot refers to events
in the lives of the characters in the work and to the
connections, relationships, conflicts, growth and
changes in this process” [4]. A. Ulugov explains that
“the plot is a system of connections and relationships
between characters that make up the content of the
work” [5]. The plot is considered as a single whole in its
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
essence, and naturally, as a whole, it consists of
components. One group of literary scholars: Dilmurad
Kuranov [6], Izzat Sultan [7], A. Ulugov [5] say that the
plot consists of five components: exposition,
development of action, climax, denouement, while the
second group of scientists (H. Umurov [4], T. Boboev
[8], E. Khudoyberdiev [3]) show that the plot consists of
seven elements: prologue, exposition, climax,
development of action, climax, denouement, epilogue.
Also, the plot of the work cannot be imagined without
its main character, that is, Abu Mansur Maturidi.
Because this historical figure is the main moving figure
in the novel, and every element of the plot is directly
related to him. The writer made a lot of efforts to
elevate the figure of this historical figure to the level of
a historical image - an artistic image. The Russian
scientist V. G. Belinsky, characterizing the general
aspects of the artistic image, writes: “The artistic image
not only re-draws life, but also shows and generalizes
its essential aspects for authors in order to understand
life through evaluation” [1]. “A se
rious artistic image is
a creative discovery that enriches the spiritual culture
of humanity” [9]. “An artistic image is an accurate and
at the same time generalized depiction of human life,
created with the help of imagination, which has
aesthetic value”
[10]. If an image acquires historicity, is
embodied in a historical period and space, then it is
called a historical image.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In Lukman Borikhan's novel "Imam Maturidi", a
retrospective type of plot is used, that is, the plot of the
work is created by "remembering" past events. Ibrahim
Gafurov, who wrote the foreword to the novel,
expressed the following thoughts: “In developing the
narrative and the development of events, the writer
mainly uses the technique of “recollection” in the
c
onnections of episodes” [11].
The composition of the work begins with a prologue, in
which, in a manner typical of a historical novel,
information is given about the socio-political events
that took place in 299 AH. The work reflects the most
vivid and brilliant period of the life of a historical figure
- Abu Mansur Maturidi. Therefore, the composition of
the novel consists of a prologue and three parts, each
chapter is called by subheadings in accordance with the
theme. In the prologue, the figure of Imam Maturidi
does not participate directly, but the departure of his
student Kutlug Muhammad Nuri from Baghdad to
Samarkand to receive news from his teacher, as well as
the people he meets on the way and conversations
with them are directly connected with the subsequent
parts of the work, preparing the ground for the
development of events in the plot of the work.
The prologue sets the tone for the subsequent events
of the work. That is, the events taking place in
Samarkand, Nuri's concern for the health of his teacher
and his anxiety on the road, the debates of the students
about the views of different schools of Islam, the
suspicious departure of the 17-year-old Greek youth to
Samarkand and his interrogation of caravan leader
Inayat and his learning of a truth useful to himself, form
the basis of the plot. The first part of the novel
describes events that took place at the same time as
the prologue, and begins with the appointment of
Khalid Khalaj as governor of Samarkand and his
invitation to a feast by the city's leading officials and
scholars. A conflict arises between the elderly Imam
Maturidi and the governor. Idris Shami is the cause of
the formation of this "seed" of conflict.
Based on this conflict, the development of events in the
work is described retrospectively. First of all, Moturidi
recalls his youth, the times when he was engaged in
science and the first signs of holiness appeared. Then
other characters in the work, such as Javad, Khalid
Khalaj, Idris Shami, Wasiq ibn Qasim, Mastonbibi,
Kutlug Muhammad, etc., recall their childhood,
adolescence and youth, that is, what trials they
experienced before living to this day, and their
sympathy or, conversely, hostility towards Maturidi,
the central character of the work. Each episode based
on the "memory" is unique and proves the cause of the
conflict in the work. It leads to an interesting
development of events and a climax. The climax of the
plot begins in the second part of the novel. The author's
goal in writing about Maturidi is to show the
importance of the imam in eliminating various
misconceptions that arose in the Islamic world in the
9th and 10th centuries. For this reason, in the first part
of the novel, the confrontation between characters
such as his childhood friend Wasik Lali, who intended
to be hostile to Maturidi, Idris Shami, who secretly
harmed him, and Khalid Khalaj, who, under the
influence of instigators, aimed to destroy Imam
Maturidi, is traced to the attempts of supporters of
religious movements such as the Mutazilites to
undermine Islam.
The second part of the novel begins with the chapter
"Debate before the Emir", in which Maturidi, based on
his deep knowledge, deals a sharp intellectual blow to
the supporters of the Mutazilites. The events in this
chapter are described based on the memoirs of Abu
Mansur Maturidi. After the episode of Maturidi's
"memory", the narrative returns to the period in which
the main events of the work take place. The
development of events continues calmly, as if slowing
down a little. The knots in the prologue of the work are
gradually unraveled. The conflicts between Khalid
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
Khalaj and Maturidi are resolved.
A small personal conflict between Wasik Lali and Idris
Shami grows and takes on a hostile tone. The chapters
"The Day the Secret Was Revealed" and "The
Execution" provide clues to the plot, unraveling the
knots that have been waiting to be resolved throughout
the narrative. It turns out who Shami really is, and that
the Greek youth Uzro is Idris Shami's son. At the same
time, the conspirators in Samarkand are eliminated.
The third part of the story covers the events of the new
era - Maturidi's denunciation at the age of seventy and
a description of the last minutes of his life. The chapter
"The Last Sermon" can be considered the conclusion of
the story. In it, despite his old age and illness, Maturidi
prefers to speak from his heart to his people: “O
people, O nation!” he said after shaking several times,
“make your weapons of knowledge. Learn knowledge
and teach others. Consider your past as a teacher. Do
not scold anyone excessively, do not praise in vain. Do
not regret what has passed, what has spilled and what
has gone. Also, do not forget that discord is a sign of
ignorance” [11]. Through the chapter "The Day the
White Caravan Returned," one can understand the idea
that good always triumphs over evil in life, that human
life is fleeting, and that knowledge and enlightenment,
not wealth, live forever. As the author gradually
describes the protagonist's personality and his
relationships with people, the hero seems to grow and
mature before our eyes. Therefore, the reader never
tires of observing the unique characters of each of the
people he has raised, watching their struggle,
witnessing their exploits and adventures in their lives.
The author does not describe any of his characters
completely, but draws them from the language of
various characters throughout events, conflicts, mental
images or memories. The portrait of the protagonist of
Maturidi's work also gradually matures as the
development of events becomes more intense.
Sometimes from the language of the author,
occasionally from the language of Maturidi's rivals or
admirers. The first description is given by the author
himself. The writer embodies the image and existence
of Moturidi as if he were looking at it with his own eyes.
To recognize this, it is enough to read the following
passage: "The sun seems to shine from the slopes of the
Karabork rock. Its warm rays delighted a small lump of
flesh and bone, wrapped in a motley robe and leaning
thoughtfully on a maple stick. He pushed his dome-
shaped cap off his forehead for a moment and stroked
his eyebrows. He walked toward his flock of ten or
fifteen lambs, spread out on the bare ground behind a
row of trees" [11]. In this passage the writer, as if
standing aside, looks at the figure of Maturidi and
paints his vivid portrait. The reader cannot tell from his
appearance that the hero is Maturidi. Therefore, the
writer turns his gaze to the inner world, the spiritual
world of the hero and subtly emphasizes the main
virtue in him: "Oh, merciful and kind Lord! There is no
limit to your wisdom and kindness. "You have made the
value of your servant Abu Mansur higher than his name
and his roof. Give your traveler the opportunity to be
grateful for the blessings bestowed upon him. Do not
take his life suddenly!" [11]. These lines alone indicate
to the discerning reader that Maturidi lived a life of
poverty and misery, that he renounced worldly
pleasures and dedicated his life to knowledge and
enlightenment. The author himself gave the first
characterization of Maturidi, but this description is not
enough for the reader to judge Maturidi's individuality.
Therefore, the author prefers an objective approach.
The writer gradually describes the image of Maturidi in
the speeches of other characters. From the very
beginning, the work does not express a sharp opinion
about Maturidi, leaving the conclusion to the course of
events and the will of the characters. The author gives
a second description of Maturidi in the language of Idris
Shami and through the description clearly shows Idris
Shami's attitude towards Maturidi. "The ruler, who had
thought for a moment, raised his head. "What kind of a
man is Imam Abu Mansur Maturidi?" he asked, without
revealing the secret. "He is over fifty years old. But he
is still a living, alert man. His tongue is bitter, he speaks
without uttering a word. He likes to make fun of others.
It is difficult to find a clear, concise statement. Each of
his word is like a secret" [11]. The author gives a
description of Maturidi as a person who does not
hesitate to tell the truth, and who has fair and painful
thoughts, in the language of his opponents. This serves
to further increase the respect for the figure of
Maturidi and the reader's interest. Maturidi's thoughts
were always in books, he had no relation to the
environment or society, he repeated what he had
learned when he went to bed and always looked for
examples from life for the issues he was studying. The
author emphasizes that the years of study played a big
role in the development of as a great scientist. Because
he tries to prove that the scientist found a place in the
hearts of people only through diligent study and
appreciation of human qualities, and that it was
precisely because of these aspects that he was
imprinted on the pages of history. It is appropriate to
understand that the poetics of the image is the ability
of the creator to understand and imagine his image, to
set a clear artistic task for it, to form his attitude to the
environment, to give it artistic speech corresponding to
its character, and to act only based on the personal
logic of the image. L. Borikhan pays attention to these
aspects in the image of Maturidi.
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
CONCLUSION
The plot of the novel "Imam Maturidi" meets the
requirements of a perfect work. Like many historical
works, the fact that the novel is written using a
retrospective plot method has increased the artistic
and aesthetic value of the work. The writer has
appropriately used each element of the plot. Based on
the requirements of a work of art, both historical and
fictional images have their place and their word in the
work. Artistic images in a novel are not simply a copy of
reality. They are a product of the creator's discovery
and creative work. Regardless of whether they
correspond to historical reality or not, they enrich the
reader’s imagination, excite his mind, and elevate his
thinking with innovations.
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