Arab poet taha hussein wonderful poem about islam i worship the devil a poem taha hussein. Taha husayn sometimes spelled hussein 18891973 is considered one of egypts leading men of letters. On pre islamic poetry is a book of literary criticism published in 1926 by the egyptian author taha hussein. Taha hussein 1889 1973 nicknamed the dean of arabic literature was one of the most influential egyptian writers and intellectuals. The author, sometimes called the dean of arabic literature, died on october 28, 1973. It is common to note that the definite unit of such poem is the line. When the national university was taken over by the state in 1925, taha hussein was first appointed professor of arabic literature and then dean of the faculty of arts in. A theistic poem by taha hussein satanism community.
Most of taha husseins negative description in the days is meted out to people of religious authority or inclination. Taha hussein was an intellectual of the egyptian renaissance and a proponent of the ideology of egyptian nationalism along with what he called pharaonism, believing that egyptian civilization was diametrically opposed to arab civilization, and that egypt would only progress by reclaiming its ancient pre islamic roots. A determined modernist, taha hussein in the early 1920s devoted himself to the study of pre islamic arabian poetry and ended up concluding that much of that body of work had been fabricated well after the establishment of islam in order to lend outside support to koranic mythology. Taha husayn served as rector of the university of alexandria from 1943 to 1946 and as egypts minister of education from 1950 to 1952. Blind from early childhood, he devoted his life to intellectual freedom for the writer, critic, and scholar and to the introduc. His book fi asshir ajjahili on the preislamic poetry, in my opinion, comes as a result of his attitude toward religion in the first place. Arab poet taha hussein wonderful poem about islam i worship.
Sep 09, 2019 hussein was a strong proponent for modernization of the interpretation of the islamic heritage and islamic religious texts, as demonstrated in his famous book, pre islamic poetry, which was considered controversial and even banned for a time. Pages in category pre islamic arabian poets the following 36 pages are in this category, out of 36 total. But once you allow poetry, the teenangst legion starts posting their barf and will shatter to pieces the moment you remark that their poem was kinda crap. While their theory has been largely abandoned, doubts about the authenticity of the corpus have. What are some examples of preislamic arabic poetry. The comparison is hardly fair, since he does not claim to be a religious reformer. Taha hussain suggests two ways to get the reality about the preislamic poetry, he says. Dec 31, 2019 translating the islamic religious expressions in taha husseins novel al ayaam by e. Dec 07, 2019 during the storm which was aroused in egypt by his book on pre islamic poetry he was described by a popular english daily as the martin luther of egypt. The autobiography of taha hussein see other formats. Taha hussein argued in his 1938 volume that egypt was a never an arab, among which the most controversial were on pre islamic poetry and alayyam the days the days his autobiography in three parts by taha hussein. Taha husayn and the fundamentalismsecularism struggle almuslih. Taha hussein 18891973 is the doyen of arabic literature and one of the most celebrated figures of egyptian contemporary cultural and intellectual history.
Oct 28, 2016 this is the third and final day of events commemorating the 40th anniversary of taha husseins passing at cairos taha hussein museum. His application of descartesism to the arabic literature is definitely propelled. Then arabic language is odd one when it is compared to islam. He issued selected pages from greek dramatic poetry 1920, the athenian system in 1921, and leaders of thought in 1925. He emerged from the egyptian countryside and from the cloisters of alazhar university to enrich the arabic library with more than fifty books dealing with. As a matter of fact, im quite enamored with certain poets. This is not a chattel khaleeq nation of egypt, was from the shelter in history literature and habitat of civilization. According to the book in pre islamic poetry taha hussein that arab literature in the last fifty years had fallen and wounded deformed and distortion, due to a monopoly of arabic language and literature, by virtue of the law.
The are called hanging because it is believed that they were hung on kaba in mecca, or because they are like precious je. Bennabi made a direct reference to tahas book and provided a. The contentious book is now republished by the supreme council of culture. Taha hussein often traveled abroad in order to represent egypt in numerous congresses or to receive honors given by diverse universities and foreign governments. He contracted an eye infection as a child, and faulty treatment. In it, hussein argued that some pre islamic poetry was inauthentic, and cast doubt on the authenticity of the quran. Millions of egyptians owe their literacy to taha hussein his work the greater part of taha husseins canon is basically influenced by greek culture. Taha husayn was persecuted by reactionary circles for his monograph on preislamic poetry published 1926, which advocated a critical approach to all literary texts, even the. Each line was polished to perfection, with overall poetic structure less important. Discussion in religious debates started by mahasn ebn sawresho, dec 22, 2015. In arabic poetry, the qasida ode is considered by scholars to be one of its most distinguishing aspects. Madame taha hussein accompanied her husband on these trips and left very vivid descriptions and anecdotes from many of the encounters on those trips.
Translating the islamic religious expressions in taha husseins novel al ayaam by e. Mar 21, 2017 the problem was his book in literary criticism on pre islamic poetry of 1926. In this book, he expressed doubt about the authenticity of much early arabic poetry, claiming it to have been falsified during ancient times due to tribal pride and riv. It is composed in monorhyme having between fifteen and eighty lines. The first of these was in 1926 when he issued preislamic poetry. Taha hussein article about taha hussein by the free dictionary. Its nothing personal nor has it anything to do with poetry itself. Taha hussein has 24 books on goodreads with 59166 ratings. He was also considered a great literary critic and theorist. Paxton article pdf available in english language teaching 1. He was a figurehead for the modernist movement in egypt. Taha husayn was declared an infidel and incitements were made against him. Some of these hanged poems were allowed to remain after the muslim order was established. So why do we not find in preislamic poetry any reference to their religious.
Pre islamic arabia notes, notebooks and journal articles, undated. He even accused arab and islamic linguists and historians of faking, or at least accepting a fake, history for arab tribes before islam. He took part in a cultural life vibrant with nationalism and jealously devoted to independence. Taha husseins the future of culture in egypt republished. Marriage in preislamic arabia as reflected in poetry and prose. He was a figurehead for the modernist movement in egypt his life. Pdf marriage in preislamic arabia as reflected in poetry. Taha hussein began to teach greek and roman history at the national university. Taha hussein was a scholarly of the egyptian renaissance and a defender of the belief system of egyptian patriotism alongside what he called pharaonism, trusting that egyptian human advancement was oppositely restricted to arab development, and that egypt would just advancement by recovering its antiquated pre islamic roots. The books publication caused a major literary controversy in egypt.
Several of husseins books have been published in translation by the egyptian general book authority, such as the curlews prayer and tree of misery, both translated by a. We can work on ibn khaldun by taha hussein and islamic. In self defence he argued that he adopted a scientific method of approach in his treatise on pre islamic poetry. However, he has shown luthers dauntless courage in the face of persecution and like luther has survived it.
Taha hussain that preislamic poetry was a later forgery. The above is a very basic introduction to the research that dr taha husayn presented in his book on pre islamic poetry, a book which stirred up the fundamentalist current in egypt with the official religious body of alazhar at its head. Jul 22, 2008 he attracted accusations of heresy after the publication of on pre islamic poetry, which called into question the historical accuracy of the quran. In march 1926 professor taha husayn, an expert in arabic literature, presented the. The first of these was in 1926 when he issued pre islamic poetry, which was highly controversial in both politically and literary circles. View academics in taha hussein the days pdf on academia. Oct 02, 2016 almualaqat that word means literally the hanging poems and they are considered the best of preislamic poems. Taha hussein argued in his 1938 volume that egypt was a never an arab, but a western country. Pdf translating the islamic religious expressions in.
Nov 14, 2019 other popular works include the curlews prayer, which was turned into a celebrated film, and his on preislamic poetry. Hussein wrote his most controversial book fi alsher algaheli pre islam poetry questioning the whole methodology and construction of pre islam arabic poetry and literary history. Taha hussein on pre islamic poetry notebook, undated. Using western methods of literary criticism the author maintained that most preislamic. Using western methods of literary criticism the author maintained that most pre islamic arabic poetry was a later fabrication.
They allow us some insight into the literature of pre islamic arabia. Arab poet taha hussein wonderful poem about islam i. This was a work on pre islamic poetry fi shshir aljahili by taha husayn. It aroused widescale front page arguments in newspapers between supporters and opposers.
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