Taha Hussein |
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| Full name | Taha Hussein (طه حسين) |
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| Born | November 14, 1889 [1] |
| Died | 28 October 1973 (aged 83)[1] |
| Era | Modern literary theory |
| Region | Egyptian philosophy |
| School | Modernism, Classical Arabic literature, Al-Nahda |
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Dr. Taha Hussein (November 14, 1889—October 28, 1973) (Arabic: طه حسين, Egyptian Arabic: [ˈtˤɑːhɑ ħ(e)ˈseːn], Arabic: [tˤaːha ħusajn]) (nicknamed "Dean of Arabic Literature")[2] was one of the most influential 20th century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a figurehead for the Arab Renaissance and the modernist movement in the Arab World.
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Taha ( he-sein ) was born in the village of Izbet el Kilo in Minya Governorate in central Upper Egypt. 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.[3]
Hussein 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 Adib (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.[4]
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, al-Ayyam (الايام, The Days) which was published in English as An Egyptian Childhood (1932) and The Stream of Days (1943).-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, and 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, although he lost his post at Cairo University in 1931. His book was banned but was later published with slight modifications under the title "On Pre-Islamic Literature".
Taha Hussein was an Egyptian renaissanvdfc ce intellectual 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.[5]
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 Ph.D 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 Ph.D 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 never have become literate.[6]
Dr. Taha Hussein was appointed in many positions including working as a professor of history, Greek and Roman literature in Cairo University following his return from France. He worked as a professor of Arabic literature in the Faculty of Arts. In 1930, He was dismissed from the university following the in 1926 publication of his controversial book "On Pre-Islamic Poetry" or " On The poetry of the period of ignorance" , but the American University in Cairo appointed him and in 1942 he became an adviser to the Minister of Education and a director of the University of Alexandria until he retired on October 16, 1944. In 1950, he became a Minister of Knowledge (Ministry of Education nowadays) where he led a call for free education and the right of everyone to get educated. Additionally, he was an advocate against the confinement of education to the rich people only. In that respect, he says, "Education is as water and air, the right of every human being". Consequently, on his hands, education became free and Egyptians started getting free education. He has also transformed many of the Quranic schools to primary schools,was credited with establishing a number of Egyptian universities and converting a number of high schools to colleges such as the Graduate School of Medicine, Agriculture and others.
Taha Hussein held the position of chief editor of a number of newspapers and has written numerous articles in addition to membership in several scientific academies, whether inside or outside Egypt.
Taha Hussein's literary works can be divided into 3 categories: