DOCUMENT RESUME ED 044 689 48 AL 002 664 AUTHOR Le Gassick, Trevor TITLE Modern Arabic Prose Literature: An Introduction. INSTITUTION Michigan Univ. ,Ann Arbor. SPONS AGENCY Institute of International Studies (DmFW/OF), Washington, D.C. BUPEAU NO BR-0-7736 DUB DATE Nov 70 CONTRACT OEC-0-70-?987(823) NOTE 285p. AVAILABLE 'FRCM Inspection copy available at EPIC Clearinghouse for Linguistics, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1717 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C. 20036 EDPS PRICE EDPS Price MF-$1.25 PC Not Available from FDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Arabic, *Authors, *Pibliocraphies, *Literary History, Literature, *Prose ABSTRACT This is the preliminary draft of a planned "Introduction to Modern Arabic Prose literature," the completed text of which "would offer basic biographical and bibliographical impressions, rather than extensive treatments, of the major figures in Arabic prose in the 19th and ?0th centuries; along with corcise assessments of their ranges of interests and literary achievements." The present version begins with an introductory section on classical Arabic literature and then traces the deelopment of Arahic prosP writing from the time of the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt to the period following Morld War II. Individual sections cover the production of a certain time period or movtrent ("The Muhammad All Dynasty and the Arabic Renaissance," "Syrian Muslim Reformists," etc.), providing a brief general introduction to the period followed by extended treatments of important authors. The author stresses that sections en mid-20th century journalists, political and philosophical writers, and certain major figures in contemporary Arabic fiction are necessary before the text can be considered complete.A °0 -0:10e bibliography compiled by Howard Ttowland is appended. Tt lists not only the works of the authors considered in the body of the text but also critical considerations of these authors as well. rNot available in hare copy due to marginal legibility of original.) (TW14) bCii . 09, L /31c' Final Report Contract No.: OEC-0-704987 (823) Cr. CO c° Modern Arabic Prose Literature: U.1 An Introduction DEPANI MIXT Of HEALTH. EDUCATION S WELFARE OPPICIF OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS MATEO DO NOT NECES SARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EOU CATON POSITION OR POLICY TREVOR LE GASSICK Ann Arbor, Michigan November, 1970 co C20 U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Office of Education Institute of International Studies Final Report Contract no. OEC-0-70-3987 (823) co -4. Modern Arabic Prose Literature-. O O An Introduction Trevor Le Gassiok University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Mloh, November, 1970 The research reported herein was performed pursuant to a contract with the Office of Education, U.S. department of Health, Eduoation and Welfare, under provisions of Title VI, Section 602, of the National Defense Education Act, Public Law 85.864, as amended. U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare Office of Education Institute of International Studies. PREFACE This Report gives the results of several months spent, in the summer of 1970, reading, reviewing, writing and organizing materials towards the preparation of a preliminary draft of an Introduotion to Modern Arablo_krou_literature; it includes a provisional bibliography compiled by Mr Howard Rowland, a graduate research assistant. The author's intentionas and remains to attempt to develop a text for students of Arabia literature that will introduce this broad and diverse field in a manner both suuoinot and likely to stimulate further interest. The text would offer basic biographical and bibliographical impressions, rather than extensive treatments, of the major figures in Arabia prose in the 19th and 20th centuries, along with oonoise assessments of their ranges of interest axed literary achievements, As here presented, the text is still inoomplete. Additional readings and assessments need to be made for Tag Husain, °Abbis al-°Aci( Ahmad Lutfr al-Sayyid and others who might conveniently be later included in a seotion on the Journalists, Critics and litterateurs of Egypt at early mid- century. Similarly, authors of Arabic politioal and philosophical writings and the Arab nationalism movement need separate treatment. Further short essays on major figures of oontempori Arabic fiotion, Mahfilf, Idris, Vaqqr and others, must be assembled before the basio objeotives of the text oould be oonsidered aohievod. An index would, of course, also be indispensable for the maximal usefulness of the work. CONTENTS Introduction Classical Arabic Literature 1 The Napoleonic Invasion of_Egykt 8 Arabic Literary Activity under the French 10 c The MuhammadAlr pxna2ty and the Arabic Renaissance 11 The Egyptian Study Missions to France 13 Mfg% Rgfi° al-Tahpgwr 13 c Ali Pasha Mubgrak 20 Beginnings of the Literary Revival in Syria 22 Ahmad nris al-Shidygq 22 Continuine Development of Education in Syria 28 al-Madrasat al-Wqanrya--Butruo al-Bustgnrosopm 30 Salim and Sulaimgn al-Bustgnr ....32 NgEgf al-Ygziir and his Sons 34 Resentments in Egypt 37 Jamg1 al-Drn al-Afghgnr 38 Muhammad °Abduh 46 The °Urgbr Movement--Egyptian Secular Reformists 53 o Abd Allah al-Nadrm 57 tAdrb Ishgq 64 Ya°40b fare' 67 Munafg Kgmil 73 Syrian Muslim Reformists 80 Muhammad Rashid Rid 80 °Abd al-Rahan al-Kawgkibr 84 literary-Journalistio Contributions of Christian Arabs, 90 Jurjr Zaidin 91 Farah tAntan 97 Sallma 102 CONTENTS, continued) Lebanese-American Emigre Litterateurs.. 111 Jibrin Khalil 111 Mikhilrl Nu°aima............ O 120 Amin al-HiOnr........... 132 Beginnings of Modern Fiction in Egypt 145 Muhammad al-Muwailihr ........145 Multafg Lutfr al-Manfalatr 147 Muhammad Hifiz Ibrahim 151 Muhammad Husain Haikal 155 The Taimar Family.. 162 Ahmad Taimar 162 Muhammad Taimar 165 Mahmad 165 Tawfrq al-Hakim.... 169 Post World War Arabic Fiction 176 Ihsin °Abd al4tuddas.. 176 Footnotes ...... OffellOOOO 185 Provisional Bibliography 189 Introduction The Arabic language, written without major change in gramma or basic vocabulary, over a vast geographical area for almost 1500 years, has enjoyed a continuity as a vehicle for literary expression unmatched by any other language. As the language in which the Koran was expressed, it has itself constituted the most fundamental basis of all study and interpretation of Islam and was, until only decades ago, the lingua franca of the entire Muslim world. Still widely studied even in non-Arabic reading Muslim countries, Arabic has pro- vided large percentages of the vocabulary content of other languages, especially Turkish, Persian, Urdu and Malay and Arabic literature has had major influences on the developments of the literatures of these and other languages. Many of the masterpieces of classical Arabic are widely known and appreciated in today's Arab world and continue to influ- ence literary production there. A number of authors writing in the period covered by this study have both modelled their work stylis- tically on those of classical writers and have made contributions to similar fields of literature. A brtef survey of the major genres of classical literature will demonstrate the nature of the indigenous literary heritage from which modern Arab authors draw. The Earliest Arabic Writings A Hamito-Semitic language of indeterminate antiquity, archaeological discoveries show a widespread use of a proto-Arabic script in religious and governmental functions in the pre-lslamic petty states and kingdoms of the periphery of the Arabian peninsula. Although no concrete supporting contemporary evidence has yet been 2 discovered, it is assumed that spoken Arabic was also a vehicle for the expression of poetry and story-telling, without which, it seems, no primitive society has existed. The coming of Islam in the second and third decades of the 7th century A.D. and the great expansion in the use and study of the Arabic language following thereafter, led to the collection and compilation of a great body of materials sup- posedly from this pre-Islamic era. Likely to be authentic in some measure, if not in exact present form, the extraordinary mass of verses still preserved, representing several score poets, chiefly male, may be taken to provide a panorama of the type of literary activity in the tribes and settlements of ancient Arabia. Much of this poetry is highly sophisticated in metrical arrangement and imagery and with conventions seemingly established for each genre to give an impression of poets both skilled and gifted creating for an audience with a well-established and demanding system of criteria for poetic excellence. The most widely appreciated of these poems, in ode form, move in a complex and stylized progression in interest-focus and imagery and are clearly intended to demonstrate the poetic virtuosity and stress the fine qualities of the poet him- self as well as to proclaim the power and importance of the tribe or city-state he represented. The poet was frequently prince, it seems, as well as propagandist and the odes are patriotic anthems as well as personal statements of affection and convictions. This colorful body of pre-Islamic poetry, comprising panegyric, satire, love poetry and elegy has aroused much interest outside the Arab world as well as within and many translations and studies of it have been undertaken. 3 The Koran This early Arabian poetic heritage was not, of course, collected into its present form until the 8th and 9th centuries A.D., when scholars chiefly interested in studies of a religious, pedagogic, or genealogical nature travelled widely throughout the Islamic empire in their research. Tribal, personal, academic and political rivalries were all involved in their activities and findings and even early Arabic sources therefore question the authenticity of at least part of their discoveries. The Koran itself, however, is aoknowledged by all to contain, even if in its present form not arrar,3ed either chronologically or strictly by subject matter, utterances actually made by the Prophet Muhammad and learned, recorded and transmitted by his followers.