Modern Arabic Literary Biography: A study of character portrayal in the works of Egyptian biographers of the first half of the Twentieth Century, with special reference to literary biography BY WAHEED MOHAMED AWAD MOWAFY Thesissubmitted in accordancewith the requirementsfor the degreeof Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds The Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies June 1999 I confirm that the work submitt&d is my own and that appropriate credit has been given where referenceshave been made to the work of others ACKNONNILEDGEMENTS During the period of this study I have received support and assistýncefrom a number of people. First I would like to expressmy sincere gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor Dr. A. Shiviiel, who guided me throughout this study with encouragement, patience and support. His generoushelp was always there whenever neededand he undoubtedly easedmy task. I also acknowledgemy indebtednessto the Faculty of Da*ral-ýJlýrn, Cairo University, PP) OW Op 4t or and in particular to Profs. Raja Jabr and al-Tahir Ahmed Makki and Abd al-Sabur 000 SIýZin for inspiring me in my study of Arabic Literature. Next I would like to thank the Egyptian EducationBureau and in particular the Cultural Counsellorsfor their support. I also wish to expressmy gratitudeto Prof Atiyya Amir of Stockholm University, Prof. C Ob 9 Muhammad Abd al-Halim of S. 0. A. S., London University, Prof. lbrlfrim Abd al- C Rahmaonof Ain ShamsUniversity, Dr. Muhammad Slim Makki"and Mr. W. Aziz for 0V their unlimited assistance. 07 Finally, I would like to thank Mr. A. al-Rais for designing the cover of the thesis, Mr. 0! R. Lahgazi, Mr. H. A. A. R7aziq and Mr. S.A. G:;7rawi for typing the thesis patiently. 3 Abstract In Chapter one, I presented a comparative definition of the meaning of Slrah (PI. Siyar), Tarjamah (Pl. Tarajim), Manaqib, Tabaqat and Maghazi as they were understood in antiquity. I also showed how the meaning of Sirah in modem times has only narrowly developed. Although the method of biographical writing continuously developed in Europe, it hardly progressed in Modem Arabic Literature. The only exception was seen in the writings by the pioneers of enlightenment in Egypt at the beginning of the twentieth century. This change of direction relied on borrowing European methodology in biographical writing. In chapter two, I reviewed the early attempts at writing biographies in the nineteenth e. 4 M. century by Abd al-Rahm7an.al. -Jabarti and AlT Mub7arak.Although both were the first pioneers in this respect, yet they followed the footpath of classical approach above all -C that of al-Maqn'-zi' from whom Aff Mub&ak derived inspiration in his book Al-Khitat al-Tawfiqiyyah. In chapter three, I studied the twentieth century, starting with traditional biography writers who could not employ European methodologies and whose writings oscillated between biographical notes and biographical sketches; or whose texts were more of a literary study than a biography proper. In chaptersfour to nine, I selectedthe most renowned,productive writers who best represented methodologies of biography writing. Perhaps certain NAI-ritershave not been mentioned in this period of study. This is not out of negligence but simply becausetheir texts were totally out of reach, or their writings did not exhibit the required literary criteria. 4 All methodologiesrepresenting the theory of biography Nwiting in Ec-Typthave been analysed in these chapters.All, in fact, form a digestion or assimilation of French. English and German schools.In Egypt, Taha Husayn is consideredthe chairman of the French school, al-M`azini and al-ýAqqad of the English/German schools, al- Nuwaihi of the psychoanalytical/anatomical school and Sidqi who employed both. By contrast,al Iryan was the trailblazer of the distinguishedbiographical novel In these chapters, I tried to lay out the general outlines these writers have produced in the production of biographical texts, and how these attempts were a successful step on the road of presenting literary biographies characterized by high world standards. Chapter ten may well seem traditional, but it is important to give a comparative outlook on the views of biography writers themselves when they study and analyse the samecharacter. Among the Bashsliar, Abu Nuw5s, Ibn characters studied ,I selected al-Rurn-i, al- MutanablTiand al-Mlarril. These are outstanding landmarks in the history of Arab verse and the subject of a multitude of studies as well. Modern biographers took these figures as a test field for the deployment and employment of biographical methodologies. I selected these examples to provide comparisons and explain how far these biographies were successful in producing a biography or a profile of those classicalpoets. The conclusionand the bibliographical list arrived at the end of research. I wish, however, to clarify one important point here. It seemsthat I could not fix the year 1950 as the temporal parameterof my researchbut took sometextswhich were published shortly beyondthat point. The reasonfor this obvious extensionwas either 5 to give additional useful details or simply becausechapters of such texts had already beenpublished prior to that year and were known to the readership. At times I would satisfy myself with analysing the part rather than the ý,vhole. This again was meant to eschewrepetition or was due to the fact that the book in question was not available. 6 CONTENTS Chapter I Introduction a. Definitions of Terms: I 3t firah 13 Tarjamah 15 Magha"z'T 17 Tabaqat 18 Ansab 20 Maýaqib 22 b. Comparative Analysis 23 C. Characteristic of Medieval Arabic Biography 24 d. Previous Critical Works on Arabic Biography 31 e. Biographical Works in Egypt 33 Chapter 11 The Development of Biography Writing in Egypt in the Nineteenth Century 43 Introduction 44 -7 a. Al-Jabarti 45 b. Salih Majdi 47 -7 c Ali Mub&ak 47 Chapter III Traditional Literary Biography of the First Half of the Twentieth Century 54 Introduction 55 -ý a. JUrj 1Zaydan 55 b Hasan al-Sandubi 59 7 C. Ahmad Taymu-r 60 d Mayy Ziylda 60 e. Muýammad ýjusaynHaykal 6-5 f. Ahmad An-in 66 g. Ibf dhTmN aji7' 69 h. Ahmad Hasanal-Zayygt 71 i. Zaki MuýammadMujahid 72 j. Ahmad Zaj Abu-Sha(Ti 73 Chapter IV New Paths in Literary Biography: Taha Husayn 81 Introduction 82 a. A Portrait of al-Ma Cam'ý 84 b. A Portrait of Ab'u"NuwýTs 86 C. A Portrait of BashslZarb. Burd 87 d. A Portrait of Hafiz Ibrahim 88 e. A Portrait of Ahmad Shawqi 88 f. A Portrait of Ibn al-Rumi 89 9. A Portrait of al-Mutanab]Ti 91 h. His short biographies 93 His characteristics as a biographer 94 Chapter V Abbas Maým6d al5Aqqad 101 Introduction 102 a. A Portrait of al-Mýý 107 b. A Portrait of al-Mutanabbi 108 C. A Portrait of Bashsh7arb. Burd 109 d. A Portrait of Ibn al-Rumi 110 8 A Portrait of Shu "aia" Milsr 112 f. A Portrait of 4Umar b. Abi Ral7a I 131 9. A Portrait of Janýil Buthayna 114 h. A Portrait of Abý NuZ* s 11-5 i. A Portrait of Goethe 116 j. A Portrait of Bernard Shaw 117 k. A Portrait of Shakespeare 118 1. A Portrait of Jimenez 118 M. His short biographies 119 His characteristics as a biographer 121 a Chapter VI lbrWim Abd al-Qlidir al-Ma'O"zinli- 131 Introduction 132 a. A Portrait of Ibn al-R5nýi 133 b. A Portrait of al-Mutanabbi 135 C. A Portrait of Bashsha"rb. Burd 137 His characteristicsas a biographer 139 Chapter V11 Zalj Mubirak 145 Introduction 146 a. A Portrait of 'tUmar b. AIDTRaO a 149 b. A Portrait of Jamil Buthayna 153 ýC. A Portrait of Kuthayyir 154 d. A Portrait of al-ýAbbas b. al-Aýnaf 155 e. A Portrait of al-Shar7ifal-Radi 156 His characteristics as a biographer 161 9 Chaptet V111 A. Muhammad SAýTdal-'g'lryan 170 Introduction 171 A Portrait of al-Rýfi 41 171 His characteristics as a biographer 175 C B. Abd al-Rahm; n Sidq"l 179 Introduction 180 a. A Portrait of Baudelaire 180 b. A Portrait of AbU Nuwas 182 His characteristics as a biographer 186 Mi Chapter IX MOammad al-Nuwa`: 192 Introduction 193 a. A Portrait of Ibn al-Rumi 195 b. A Portrait of Bashshar b. Burd 197 C. A Portrait of Ab5 Nuwqs 199 His characteristics as a biographer 201 Chapter XA comparative analysis of five literary personalities as reflected by leading Egyptian biographers 206 Introduction 207 a. Bashshar b. Burd 210 b. Abý Nuwas 214 C. Ibn al- RUMI 219 d. AI-MutanabIDT e. AI-Macarrl' '2217 10 Conclusion Selected Bibliography `38 a Primary sources 9 b. Critical works in Arabic 244 C. Critical works in English 250 II CHAPTER I Introduction a. Definitions of Terms Sirah Tarjamah Maghazi Tabaqjt Ans5b Manaqib Comparative Analysis C. Characteristic of Medieval Arabic Biography d. Previous Critical Works on Arabic Biography e. Biographical Works in Egypt 12 Modern Arabic biography writing has its roots in two different sources.The first is the developedEuropean biography which Arab writers had come acrossduring their encounterwith Westerncivilization in the twentieth century.The secondsource is the classical, embryonic, raw forms of Arabic biography. This dual origin contributedto the developmentof a mode of biography writing. This chapterexplains the classical lineageof the blend. In its earliest prototypes, biography emerged at certain points in the development of civilizations. It stemmed out of spiritual (religious) or mundane needs, or out of both. In its simplest form, it was a record of the deedsof sublime figures, the two major classesof the time, statesmenand warriors. Obviously, it was a method of venerating or worshipping the past and instructing the living.