Taha HusseinEgypt
Dean of contemporary Arabic literature and a pioneer
of enlightenment,
Taha Hussein was born in AI-Minya province, Upper Egypt, on November 14th,
1889 and grew up, the seventh of thirteen children, in a lower
middle-class family. At a very early age, he contracted a simple eye
infection and, due to faulty treatment by an unskilled local practitioner,
was blinded, at the age of three.
He was placed in a kuttab (a school where children learn Quran and reading
and writing) and was later sent to Al-Azhar University, where he acquired
a thorough knowledge of religion and Arabic literature in the traditional
manner. He felt deep discontent with the narrow thinking and conservatism
of his tutors.
In 1908, he learned of the founding of a new, secular university as part
of a national effort to promote education in Egypt under British
occupation, and was very keen to enter it. He was blind and poor, but
overcoming many obstacles, he was accepted in that university. He later
stated, in Al-Ayyam (The Days) that the doors of knowledge were from that
day opened wide for him.
In 1914, he was the first graduate of this university to receive a Ph.D
with his thesis on the skeptic poet and philosopher Abu-Alalaa’
AI-Ma'arri.
Again with much trouble, he was sent to study in France on the
university's educational mission. His blindness caused him continuing
pains, aggravated by a careless brother, presumably sent to take care of
him. It was in France that he met his ‘sweet voice’, Suzanne, who came to
read to him since not all the references needed were available in braille.
She later became his wife, his mentor, advisor, assistant, mother to his
children, great love and best friend. He states that since he first heard
that 'sweet voice', anguish never entered his heart."
After his death, Suzanne wrote Ma'ak (With You), published in Arabic; a
touching remembrance of their life together.
His doctoral dissertation, written in 1917, was on lbn Khaldun, the
fourteenth century Arab historian, the founder of sociology.
In 1918 he obtained his second PhD in Social Philosophy from the
Sorbonne, Paris.
In 1919 he received a diploma in post-graduate studies in the Roman Civil
Code from the same university.
He was granted honorary doctorates from the universities of Oxford,
Madrid, and Rome.
In 1919 he was appointed a professor of history at the Egyptian
University. He did not confine himself to political and constituational
history but transferred to his students his knowledge of Greek drama such
as Sophocles and Aeschylus.
When he assumed office as Minister of Education in 1950, he managed to put
his motto, "Education is like water we drink and the air we breath," into
practice.
He succeeded in making all elementary and secondary education.
Millions of Egyptians owe their literacy to Taha Hussein
His Work
The greater part of Taha Hussein’s canon is basically influenced by Greek
culture. He issued "Selected Pages" from Greek Dramatic poetry (1920),
"The Athenian System" in 1921, and "Leaders of Thought" in 1925. Thus, the
link between his Arabic culture with that of Greece was a turning point as
thinker.
The first book was an incomplete attempt at an expose of Greek poets and
their works. The second book was a meticulous translation of one of the
most important texts of Greek history of civilization. He deals with the
religious impact on thought in the Middle Ages, then moves on to the
Modern Ages of multi influences.
Thus,Taha Hussein was not merely influenced by Greek thought in his
literary work but also in his books on politics and civilization. The
books he issued following his return from Paris greatly influenced modern
Arabic classical literature.
He waged many battles for enlightenment, the respect of reason and
thought, and women’s emancipation. The first of these was in 1926 when he
issued "Pre-Islamic Poetry", which was highly controversial in both
politically and literary circles. It aroused widescale front page
arguments in newspapers between supporters and opposers. In self defence
he argued that he adopted a scientific method of approach in his treatise
on Pre-Islamic poetry. That method, he said, was adopted by western
philosopher scientists and men of letters who followed the French
philosopher Descartes in his reasoning in search of the truth of
beginning. It rennovated science and philosophy and changed the outlook of
men of letters and artists in the West.
Taha Hussein's works can be divided into three categories: scientific
study of Arabic literature and Islamic history; creative literary works
with social content combating poverty & ignorance, and political articles.
The latter he published in the two papers of which he was editor-in-chief,
after being expelled from his post as professor of Classical Arabic
literature at the Egyptian University. His expulsion came as a result of
public reaction to his book 'On Pre-lslamic Poetry'.
In his novels, he expresses an astounding sensitivity, insight and
compassion in that age for a person with his background.
His arguments for justice and equality are supported by deep and honest
understanding of Islam. Equally remarkable are his sympathy with his
downtrodden compatriots and his understanding of the deepest emotions and
thoughts of woman as girl, lover, wife and mother
His type of literature became an independent form and readers competed in
it passionately, reading and interpreting, discussing analyses, and
extracting clear meanings from ambiguous allusions ... Looking at his
publications, one will find allusions to phenomena that one abhorred and
could not speak of openly during those dismal days. We preferred ambiguity
to clarity, symbols and riddles to declaration, allusion and insinuation
to calling things by their names.
The government of that era and its controllers would read and not
understand. Thus, he defeated the oppression of tyrants and escaped the
censorship of censors and manage to record the injustices of the unjust
and the corruption of corruptors.
Taha Hussein, who had to bear the brunt of conservative attacks and
confront enemies of his reforms, enjoyed affection of his pupils &
colleagues. During his life time, he was elected member of many
educational academies in Arab countries, and was honored by many
international institutions. The American University in Cairo paid no heed
to Egyptian Premier Isma'il Sidqi, when he warned against offering
employment to Taha Hussein. Its Ewart Hall, where AUC holds its
extra-curricular activities, was teeming in the 1930s with listeners eager
to hear him and to declare him Dean of Arabic Literature.
President Gamal Abd AI-Nasser bestowed on him the highest Egyptian
decoration, normally, reserved for heads of state. In 1973, he received
the United Nations Human Rights Award.
Taha Husein died in October 1973, immediately after witnessing his
country's victory in its last war against Israel.
He died in his home, alone with his "sweet voice"; Suzanne.
She wrote: "We were together, alone, close to an extent beyond
description. I was not crying - the tears came later. Each of us was
before the other; unknown & united as we had been at the beginning of our
journey. In this last unity, in the midst of this very close familiarity,
I talked to him, kissing that forehead that was so noble and handsome, on
which age and pain had not succeeded to carve any wrinkles, and no
adversity had managed to cause to frown - a forehead that still emanated
light”.
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