Taha Hussein

Taha Hussein

Egyptian philosophy Modern literary theory
Taha Hussein
Full name	Taha Hussein (طه حسين)
Born	1889 [1]
Died	1973[1]
School/tradition	modernism
Influenced by Al-Ma'arri, Ibn Khaldūn
Influenced Naguib Mahfouz, Tahar Ben Jelloun

Taha Hussein (November 14, 1889—October 28, 1973) (Arabic: طه حسين ‎) (nicknamed "the dean of Arabic literature")^[2] was one of the most influential Egyptian writers and intellectuals. He was a figurehead for the modernist movement in Egypt.

Biography

Taha Hussein was born on November 14, 1889 in the village of Izbet el Kilo in Minya Governorate in central Upper Egypt. He contracted an eye infection as a child, and faulty treatment rendered him blind at he age of six. ^[3] He went to a kottab, and then was sent to Al-Azhar University, where he was educated in religion and Arabic literature. From his childhood days he was reluctant to engrave the traditional education in his heart. Hussein was the seventh of thirteen children, living in a lower-middle class family. He became blind at the age of three due to a faulty treatment by an unskilled practitioner and was dealt with a great deal of anguish throughout his entire life. ^[4]

He met and married Suzanne Bresseau while attending the University of Montpellier in France. She was referred to as “sweet voice”. This name came from her ability to read to him as he was trying to improve his grasp of the French language. Suzanne became his wife, best friend, mother of his two children and mentor throughout his life. Taha Hussein’s children, his daughter Amina and her younger brother Moenis, both were important figures in Egypt. Amina, who died at the age of 70, was among the first Egyptian women to graduate from Cairo University. She and her brother, Moenis, translated his Abid (The Intellectual) into French. This was especially important to their father, who was an Egyptian who moved to France and learned the language. Even more importantly, the character of Adib is one of a young man who, like Taha Hussein, had to go experience the cultural shock of an Egyptian studying and living in France.^[5]

Academic career

When the secular Cairo University was founded in 1908, he was keen to enter, and despite being blind and poor he earned a place. In 1914, he became the first graduate to receive a Ph.D., with a thesis on the skeptic poet and philosopher Abu-Alala' Al-Ma'ari. He went on to become a professor of Arabic literature there. In 1919, he was appointed a professor of history at the Cairo University. Additionally, he was founding Rector of the University of Alexandria. He wrote many novels and essays, though in the West he is best known for his autobiography, [[El-Ayyam]] which was published in English as An Egyptian Childhood (1932) and [[The Stream of Days]] (1943).

An important episode in his life was the writing in the 1920s of "On Pre-Islamic Poetry" في الشعر الجاهلي Fil-Shiʿir al-Gāhilī in which he expressed doubt about the authenticity of much traditional Arabic poetry, claiming that it may have been faked during ancient times due to tribal pride and competition between those tribes. In this book, he also hinted indirectly that the Quran should not be taken as an objective source of history. Naturally this book aroused the intense anger and hostility of al-Azhar and many other traditionalists. He was prosecuted with the accusation of insulting Islam, but the public prosecutor stated that what Taha Hussein said was the opinion of an academic researcher and no legal action was taken against him. His book was banned but was later published with slight modifications under the title "On Pre-Islamic Literature".

Taha Hussein was an Egyptian renaissance intellectual and a proponent of the ideology of Egyptian nationalism, believing that the Egyptian civilization was diametrically opposed to the Arab civilization, and stressing that Egypt would only progress by reclaiming its ancient roots.^[6]

After Hussein obtained his MA from the University of Montpellier, one of Europe's oldest universities, he continued on with his academics and received another PHD at Sorbonne University, which is considered to be one of Europe’s most prestigious universities. With this accomplishment, Hussein became the first Egyptian and member of the mission to receive an MA and PhD from France. For his doctoral dissertation, written in 1917, Hussein wrote on Ibn Khaldun, a Tunisian historian, believed to be the founder of sociology. Two years later, in 1919, Hussein made his way back to Egypt from France with his wife, Suzanne. In Egypt, he was appointed to be professor of history at Cairo University.

In 1950, Hussein was appointed as the Minister of Education, and from there was able to put his motto into motion: "Education is like the air we breathe and the water we drink. Without Taha Hussein and his willingness to promote education, millions of Egyptians would not be literate throughout the generations.^[7]

Taha Hussein's complete works have been published by World Book Publishing [www.wbpbooks.com] in 16 volumes (Hardcover).

Controversy

Taha Hussein led a controversial life starting in 1926, as he waged many battles for enlightenment, women’s emancipation and the respect of reason and thought. With his views on these subjects, Hussein found himself in the middle of wide-scale arguments with the publication of “Pre-Islamic Poetry”. This publication found itself on the front pages of newspapers, where people would argue the pros and cons of his points. It was seen as highly controversial among the political and literary circles. As he defended himself, he argued that he adopted a method of approach in his dissertation on Pre-Islamic poetry. This method was adopted by western philosophers, scientists and men of letters who followed the French philosopher Descartes in his reasoning in search of the truth of the beginning. This though renovated philosophy and science and changed the outlook of men of letters and artists in the West. ^[5]

Legacy

Quotes

• "Education is as indispensable as water and air"

Works

Taha Hussein's literary works can be divided into 3 categories:

• Studies of Arabic and Islamic literature and culture.
• Fictional literary works centered on social commentary attacking poverty and ignorance.
• Political articles published in the two journals of which he was editor-in-chief.

• Complete Works of Taha Hussein 1-16 [2]
• The Memory of Abu El Alaa 1915
• Selected Poetical Texts of the Greek Drama 1924
• Ibn Khaldun's Philosophy 1925
• Dramas by a Group of the Most Famous French Writers 1924
• Pioneers of Thoughts 1925
• Wednesday Talk 1925
• Pre-Islamic Poetry 1926
• In the Summer 1933
• The Days "3 Volumes" 1933
• Hafez and Shawki 1933
• The Prophet's Life "Ala Hamesh El Sira" 1933
• Curlew's Prayers 1934
• From a Distance 1935
• Adeeb 1935
• The Literary Life in the Arabian Peninsula 1935
• Together with Abi El Alaa in his Prison 1935
• Poetry and Prose 1936
• Bewitched Palace 1937
• Together with El Motanabi 1937
• The Future of Culture in Egypt 1938
• Moments 1942
• The Voice of Paris 1943
• Sheherzad's Dreams 1943
• Tree of Misery 1944
• Paradise of Thorn 1945
• Chapters on Literature and Criticism 1945
• The Voice of Abu El Alaa 1945
• Osman "The first Part of the Greater Sedition
• "El Fitna Al Kubra" 1947
• Spring Journey 1948
• The Tortured of Modern Conscience 1949
• The Divine Promise "El Wa'd El Haq" 1950
• The Paradise of Animals 1950
• The Lost Love 1951
• From There 1952
• Varieties 1952
• In The Midst 1952
• Ali and His Sons (The 2nd Part of the Greater Sedition" 1953
• (Sharh Lozoum Mala Yalzm, Abu El Alaa) 1955
• (Anatagonism and Reform 1955
• Criticism and Reform 1956
• Our Contemporary Literature 1958
• Mirror of Islam 1959
• Summer Nonsense 1959
• On the Western Drama 1959
• Talks 1959
• Al-Shaikhan (Abi Bakr and Omar Ibn El Khatab) 1960
• From Summer Nonsense to Winter Seriousness 1961
• Reflections 1965
• Beyond the River 1975
• Words 1976
• Tradition and Renovation 1978
• Books and Author 1980
• From the Other Shore 1990

Translations

• Jules Simon's The Duty 1920-1921
• Athenians System (Nezam Al-Ethnien) 1921
• The Spirit of Pedagogy 1921
• Dramatic Tales 1924
• Andromaque (Racine) 1935
• From the Greek Dramatic Literature (Sophocle) 1939
• Voltaire's Zadig or (The Fate) 1947
• André Gide: From Greek
• Legends' Heroes
• Sophocle-Oedipe 1947^[1].

See also

• List of Egyptian authors

References