As a consequence of the impact with the Napoleonic expedition in Egypt, substantial historic and cultural changes occurred bringing about a series of cognitive paradigms which, until today, have influenced our perception, our analysis as well as our judgement of Arabic literature in the post-classical period. Despite the enormous gaps in our knowledge about post-Abbasid centuries, the firm belief which still prevails among modern scholars is that the Arabic-Islamic civilization, literature in particular, underwent an impetuous downfall and a long and dark period, similar to the European Middle Ages and which lasted from the 13th century to the 18th century. This essay aims to discuss the paradigm of literary decadence (inḥiṭāṭ) and to shed light on the heated debate among Arabists on this important theme.