An Examination of the Irrational Beliefs of the Character Khadija Abduljawad in Naguib Mahfouz’s Trilogy (Bayn al-Qasrayn, Qasr al-Shawq, and Al-Sukkariyya) Based on Jones' Irrational Beliefs Questionnaire (IBT)

Authors
hasan mirkamali
aliasghar habibi
mojtaba behrozi
University of Zabol
Abstract
Irrational beliefs originate from subjective interpretations of events and human interactions, transforming into entrenched cognitive frameworks that disrupt an individual’s psychological and social balance. In the context of identifying these beliefs within the literary domain, Jones’ “Irrational Beliefs Scale”, grounded in Albert Ellis’s Rational-Emotive Therapy theory, provides a precise analytical framework for examining the psychological structures underlying fictional characters. This research aims to identify the dominant irrational patterns governing a literary character and to analyze the mechanisms of their operation by applying the criteria of Jones’ questionnaire to the behaviors of Khadija in Naguib Mahfouz’s trilogy (Bayn al-Qasrayn, Qasr al-Shawq, and Al-Sukkariyya), in order to examine the impact of these beliefs on the formation of her psychological dynamics and social relationships within the narrative text. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method and, utilizing Jones’ questionnaire, analyzes the irrational beliefs of the character Khadija in Mahfouz’s trilogy. The results indicate that the “tendency to blame” was the most prominent irrational belief in Khadija’s character. This character was under the influence of constant blame and was known for her harsh manner and biting criticisms. She would blame others for the slightest issues and was always ready for verbal confrontations. Moreover, she consistently held others at fault, and her outlook on matters was predominantly pessimistic, such that she would react to situations with sarcasm, mockery, and relentless blame. Ultimately, the character of Khadija scored 223 on the Irrational Beliefs Scale.
Keywords
Irrational beliefs, Jones&rsquo
s model, Naguib Mahfouz&rsquo
s trilogy, Arabic Narratology
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Studies in the Arabic Geosciences
Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 21
Spring 2026
Pages 287-312