Arabic literature is studied at the Madrasah because the classical texts assume it. A student who cannot hear the weight of a line of poetry will read the sources of the sharīʿah more slowly, and less accurately, than one who can. Sharḥ Dīwān al-Mutanabbī takes up the poet most often quoted in the commentaries and works through his language line by line. The Explanation of Qaṣīdah al-Burdah reads al-Būṣīrī’s poem in praise of the Prophet ﷺ, treating its language and its meanings together. Both are taught live and recorded, and neither requires prior study of the field.
For why literature belongs in a curriculum of the sharīʿah sciences, see the Literature study field.