How were pre-Islamic Arabic poems preserved before they were written down?

Before pre-Islamic Arabic poetry was systematically collected and written down in the 8th century, it was preserved through a rigorous oral tradition.12

The primary figures responsible for this preservation were the rāwīs (singular: rāwī), or professional reciters. A rāwī would typically attach themselves to a famous poet as an apprentice, learning the master's works by heart and mastering their specific poetic techniques. These reciters would then perform and explain the poetry to wider audiences, effectively continuing the master's style. Over time, many rāwīs became poets in their own right and formed an independent class known for their phenomenal memories.13

Because this method relied entirely on human memory, it was inherently imperfect. The poetry was subject to mutations, omissions, and unauthorized additions over generations. Consequently, when scholars in the 8th century began recording these works, they often encountered multiple versions of the same poems, leading to ongoing debates among historians regarding the authenticity of specific verses attributed to pre-Islamic poets.13