RABIA AL-ADAWIYA (717–801)
Mystical poet, one of the earliest Sufi writers and saints. Her writings and sayings are widely revered in the Muslim world.
ADONIS (1930–)
Real name ‘Ali Ahmad Sa’id
A prolific Syrian-born poet who is considered one of the most influential 20th-century poets in the Arab world. Politically active his entire life, his verse is primarily concerned with social and intellectual concerns.
AL-AKHTAL (c. 640–710)
Real name Ghiyath Ibn Gawth Ibn al-Salt
Considered one of the leading poets and panegyrists of the early Ummayad period. He was later overshadowed by his contemporaries, al-Farazdaq, whom he supported, and Jarir, whom he despised. Born a Christian he converted to Islam.
ABU TAMMAM (c. 805–845)
Abu Tammam Habib Ibn Aws
Born in Syria he was a self-educated poet of the Abbasid period. He became famous chiefly for his collection of pre-Islamic poems under the title of Hamasa. It is one of the few records of pre-Islamic oral poetry and is considered the most important compilation of its kind after the Mu’allaqat and the Mufaddaliyat.
ILYA ABU MADI (1890–1957)
Lebanese poet who started writing poetry in Egypt but later settled in America in the early part of the 20th century along with his fellow mahjar poets, Gibran Khalil Gibran and Mikhail Naimy. He wrote mainly in Arabic and his poetry is widely read in the Arab world.
ABU’L ATAHIYA(748–828)
Real name Abu Ishaq Ismail Ibn al-Qasim Ibn Suwaid Ibn Qaisan
Abbasid poet who was known by his nickname, meaning “Father of Craziness”. He pioneered Arabic religious poetry in stark contrast to the bucolic verse of his contemporary, Abu Nuwas. He was among the first poets to break with the traditions of the past qasida form of poetry which relied heavily on desert imagery and themes and had become obsolete in the bustling urban society of the Abbasid Caliphate.
ABU’L HASAN ALI IBN HISN (11th century)
Andalusian poet and politician from Seville.
ABBAS AL-AQQAD (1889–1964)
Abbas Mahmud al-Aqqad
Born in Upper Egypt he was renowned for his poems, critiques, and essays. His didactic verse had a great influence on his contemporaries and the burgeoning reform movements in Egypt. He also founded al-Diwan, a school for poets with some of his contemporaries.
ABD AL-WAHHAB AL-BAYATI (1926–1999)
Iraqi-born poet exiled from his homeland as a young man, principally because of his Communist views. He was a prolific writer of socialist realist poetry, mostly in verse form.
BASHSHAR IBN BURD (715–783)
Abu Mu’adh Bashshar Ibn Burd
The first major non-Arab poet to write in Arabic. Born blind and of Iranian extraction, he was nicknamed “al-Mura’ath” which means “the wattled”. He is considered the first Abbasid poet to rebel against the archaic styles – thus he is a forerunner of the great poets, Abu Nuwas and Abu’l Atahiya. He was eventually sentenced to death by the Caliph for his often irreverent poetry, which bordered on heresy.
Al-BIRUNI (973–1048)
Abu’l-Raihan Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Biruni
Considered one of the greatest Arab scholars, scientists and polymaths in the fields of mathematics, geography and astronomy, he travelled throughout the Abassid empire conducting his studies. His writing was noted for its originality, detail, and objectivity.
AL-BUHTURI (820–897)
Al-Walid Ibn Ubayd Allah al-Buhturi
Arab poet born in Syria between Aleppo and the Euphrates. In Baghdad he wrote verses in praise of the Caliph al-Mutawakkil and of the members of his court. He devoted much of his poetry to the praise of Aleppo and much of his love-poetry in dedication to Aiwa, a maiden of that city.
AL-BUSIRI (1211–1294)
Sharaf al-Din Muhammad Ibn Sa’id Ibn Hammam Ibn Muhsin al-Busiri Considered the most important Mamluk poet, owing entirely to his splendid Qasidat al-Burda (Mantle Ode). This work was written in praise of the Prophet after the poet’s miraculous recovery from paralysis.
MAHMOUD DARWISH (1942–2008)
Considered the Palestinian national poet, his work symbolized and portrayed the struggles, sufferings, hopes and dreams of the Palestinian people. His entire life and work was devoted to achieving a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
DIBIL (765–861)
Real name Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Razin al-Khuzai
An Abbasid poet. Most of his verse displays hostility towards everything held sacred by his contemporaries.
AL-FARABI (c. 870–950)
Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Tarkan Abu Nasr al-Farabi
One of the greatest Muslim thinkers and a precursor of Ibn Sina. He wrote widely on music and medicine as well as on philosophy, which he strove to reconcile with Islam.
AL-FARAZDAQ (c. 640–728)
Real name Hammam Ibn Ghabib Ibn Sa’sa’a
Principle Ummayad poet, who bore the nickname “the Lump of Dough”. A dissolute, gifted composer of lampoons and panegyrics, he was famed for his slanging matches with his contemporary, Jarir.
MONA FAYAD (1950–)
Lebanese–Shiite poet and writer, she frequently contributes to an-Nahar magazine. Dr Fayad is also a Professor of Psychology at the Lebanese University of Beirut.
MUHAMMAD AL-FAYTURI (1930–)
Sudanese poet who has strongly espoused the cause of Black African Liberation. He has lived his entire life in Egypt where he studied at al-Azhar University. He has also travelled in the Arab world as a journalist.
SOLOMON IBN GABIROL (1021–1058)
Andalusian Jewish philosopher and poet who had a lasting effect on the philosophers of his community and beyond.
SAADIA GAON (882/892–942)
Famous rabbi and first of his age to write about Jewish theological matters in Arabic. He travelled extensively through the Muslim Empire.
AL-GHAZZALI (1059–1111)
Real name Abu Hamid Muhammad Ibn Muhammad al-Tusi al-Shafi Considered the great Arab mystical philosopher. He is regarded as the pre-eminent figure in Muslim religious thought. Later in life he increasingly turned to Sufism and became highly critical of his fellow philosophers. His most important work is his monumental Ihya ulum al-Din (The Revivification of the Religious Sciences).
GIBRAN KAHLIL GIBRAN (1883–1931)
Lebanese poet and philosopher who spent most of his life in America. He became the pre-eminent Arab writer in English. His finest work, The Prophet, is among the world’s bestsellers. A Christian strongly influenced by Sufism, Gibran’s literary work reconciled Eastern and Western Philosophy.
TEWFIQ AL-HAKIM (1898–1987)
The most important playwright in the Arabic language, he was also a novelist, essayist and short-story writer of distinction. His plays are focused mostly on social and intellectual themes.
AL-HALLAJ (858–922)
Real name Abu’l-Mugith al-Husain Ibn Mansour Ibn Mahamma al-Baidawi An early Sufi poet. His unswerving devotion to mystical doctrine brought him a violent martyrdom at the hands of a weakening Baghdad government.
AL-HAMADAHANI (967–1007)
Abu’l Fadl Ahmad Ibn al-Husain Ibn Yahya Ibn Said Ibn Bishr al-Hamadhani Earliest exponent of the maqama, later perfected by al-Hariri, he was held in great esteem by his contemporaries who dubbed him “Badi al-Zaman” (Wonder of the Age).
ABU FIRAS AL-HAMDANI (932–968)
Real name al-Harith Ibn Abi’l-‘ala’ Sa’id ibn Hamdan al-Taghlibi
This Syrian poet who was a near contemporary of al-Mutanabbi. He was particularly esteemed for his war poetry which stemmed from his own considerable experience in battle.
AL-HARIRI (1054–1122)
Abu Muhammad al-Qasim Ibn Ali Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Bishr al-Hariri Arab philologist whose Maqamat, despite their very bawdy content, are regarded as second only to the Qur’an in eminence among Arab literary works. His command of language was considerable, and his works contains some of the finest rhymed prose in any language.
KHALIL HAWI (1919–1982)
Lebanese poet trained at Cambridge and Professor of Arabic Literature at the American University of Beirut. He wrote mainly philosophical verse that dealt with the upheavals in the Arab world, the travails of Arab nationalism and the tortuous unrest within his homeland.
TAHA HUSSEIN (1889–1973)
One of the giants of 20th century Arabic literature. His fame rests above all on his “stream of consciousness” autobiographical novel, al-Ayyam (The Days), one of the most original and influential works to have been written by an Arab in the previous century.
IBNU’L FARID (1181–1235)
Real name ‘Umar Ali al-Misri al-Sadi
Foremost Arab mystical poet. He wrote a relatively small number of odes, all of them highly impressive in their stylistic individuality.
IMRU AL-QAIS (c. 501–544)
Imru al-Qais Ibn Hujr
The most eminent of the pre-Islamic poets and author of one of the seven odes known collectively as the Mu’allaqat. He was reviled by early Muslim puritans but subsequently revered as the outstanding exponent of the early Qasidah.
IBN ISHAQ (c. 704–768)
Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Ishaq
The earliest and most reliable biographer of the Prophet Muhammad who wrote Sirat Rasul Allah (Life of God’s Messenger); he invented the style of interpolating poems into narrative text.
JAMIL (c. 660–701 AD)
Jamil Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Ma’mar al-Udhari
Notable Ummayad poet regarded as one of the greatest love poets of Arabic literature. He composed popular verses, many with a folk-song flavour. His poem “Jamil Buthayna” is on a par with Majnun Layla.
JARIR (650–728)
Jarir Ibn ‘Atiyya Ibn al-Katafa Ibn Badr
Considered along with al-Farazdaq as one of the two most important Ummayad poets. Pre-eminent as a satirist with a biting tongue, often at the expense of al-Farazdaq, he also wrote eulogies and panegyrics.
KATARI OF MAZIN (c. 697)
Poet of the Orthodox Caliphate and Ummayad periods.
LABID (c. 560–660)
Abu ‘Aqil Labid Ibn Rabia
The most important pre-Islamic poet (one of the seven poets of the Mu’allaqat) to survive beyond the time of the Islamic dispensation and to convert to the new Faith.
IBN MAIMON (1135–1204)
Musa (Moses) Ibn Maimon
Known also by his Greek name Maimonides, Ibn Maimon is one of the most famous Jewish philosophers who wrote in the Arabic language. His works greatly advanced the philosophical thought of his age and continued to exert influence on modern Jewish theological study.
IBN AL-MUQAFFA (d. 757)
Abu’l Bashar Ibn al-Muqaffa
Zoroastrian convert to Islam and a skilled translator, he produced the first literary version of Kalila wa Dimna, which he translated from the Persian rendering of the original Sanskrit.
ABU NUWAS (747–810)
Abu Nuwas al-Hasan Ibn Hani’ al-Hakami
Immortalized in The Arabian Nights as the dissolute boon companion of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, Abu Nuwas was one of the most influential poets in Arab and Islamic history. His verses are among the treasures of Arabic literature, notwithstanding their obsession with the twin glories of love and wine. He became famous for his masterful poetry on themes considered taboo in Islamic culture.
IBN ‘ABD RABBIHI (860–940)
Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Abu ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi
Andalusian poet laureate and litterateur from Cordova. He was the author of a twenty-five-volume anthology entitled al-Iqd al-Farid (The Unique Necklace). Each of the volumes is named after a jewel in the necklace.
IBN AL-RUMI (836–896)
Ali Ibn al-Abbas Ibn Jurayj Ibn al-Rumi
Gifted Abbasid poet who made many enemies through his outspokenness – not to be confused with the great Persian mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi.
IBN AL-AHNAF (750–809)
al-Abbas ibn al-Ahnaf Abu’l Fadl
Contemporary of Abu Nuwas and Caliph Harun al-Rashid. His poems are almost all simple love lyrics in the ghazal form which he pioneered.
IBN ARABI (1165–1240)
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali, Muhyi’l-Din, al-Hatami Alta’i al-Andalusi Ibn Arabi
Celebrated Muslim mystic who was born in Murcia, Spain. He exerted a great influence on religious philosophy – both Muslim and Christian – for centuries after his death. He was an outstanding writer of both prose and poetry.
IBN BATTUTA (1304–1368)
Muhammad Ibn Abd Allah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Abu ‘Abd Allah, al-Latawi al-Tanji Ibn Battuta
One of the two great Muslim travelogue writers, Ibn Battuta was born in Tangiers and spent most of his life as a peripatetic. He wrote vividly and entertainingly at a time when Arabic was going into decline as a literary language.
IBN AL-FARAS (1130–1200)
Andalusian poet and lawyer from Granada – not to be confused with Ibn Faris, the 10th-century philologist and grammarian.
IBN HAMDIS (1056–1133)
The most distinguished Arab poet to originate from Sicily, Ibn Hamdis wrote most of his verse at the court of al-Mutamid, King of Seville. He has been compared to Wordsworth. He travelled the Western Mediterranean and composed for several Muslim royal courts.
IBN HAYYUN (12th century)
Andalusian poet from Seville, but not to be confused with Ibn Hayyan, the 11th-century historian from Cordoba.
IBN HAZM (994–1064)
Abu Muhammad ‘Ali Ibn Ahmed Ibn Sa’id Ibn Hazm
One of the greatest of the Andalusian scholars. He was more successful as a prose-writer than as a poet. His book on chivalrous love, Tauq al-Hamama (The Dove’s Neck-Ring) is a classic of its kind. He was also an important and controversial theologian.
IBN JUBAYR (1145–1217)
Abu’l Husain Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Qanini Ibn Jubayr
Along with Ibn Battuta, he was one of the greatest Arab travel writers and geographers. Born in Valencia, Spain, he was especially noted for his account of a pilgrimage to Mecca from Granada.
IBN KHALDUN (1332–1406)
Wali al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Khaldun
Great Arab philosopher-historian who was born in Tunis of Andalusian descent. His Muqaddimah (Prologomenon) is one of the most important treatises on history ever written. He held the posts of both ambassador and judge.
IBN KHALLIKAN (1211–1282)
Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Khallikan Shams al-Din Abu’l Abbas al-Barmaqi al-Irbili al-Shafi’i
Outstanding Arab biographer famed for his Wafayatu’l A’yan (Obituaries of Eminent Men), which remains the standard source of information of the first six centuries of Islam. This work contains entertaining anecdotes as well as comprehensive biographical information.
IBN AL-MU’TAZZ (861–908)
Abu’l Abbas Ibn al-Mu’tazz ‘Abd Allah
Abbasid court poet and son of the Caliph al-Mu’tazz, he was noted for his learning and good taste. After being drawn into a conspiracy that led to his ascending the throne for one day, he was put to death.
IBN QUTAYBA (828–889)
Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Muslim al-Qufi Almarwazi al-Dinawari Ibn Qutayba Versatile essayist, historian and an influential philologist, he did much to establish correct usage of the Arabic language. His wide knowledge was reflected in his literary thesaurus, Uyun al-Akhbar (Choice Histories).
IBN QUZMAN (c. 1078–1160)
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn ‘Isa Ibn ‘Abd al-Malik Ibn Quzman
Troubadour poet born in Cordoba, Spain, he was one of the most famous of the Andalusian poets. He was celebrated chiefly as the leading composer of the zajal or popular ballad form of verse.
IBN RUSHD (AVERROES) (1126–1198)
Abu’l-Walid Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Rushd
One of the most important Arab philosophers. He was well known in the West for his study of Aristotle. He refuted al-Ghazali’s Tahufat al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the Philosophers) in his other major work, Tahufut al-Tahufut (The Incoherence of the Incoherence).
IBN SA’AD AL-KHAIR (12th century)
Andalusian poet and lawyer from Valencia.
IBN SAID (1213–1286)
Andalusian poet from Alcala la Real who compiled an anthology of Andalusian poetry entitled The Pennants. He is not to be confused with his namesake and contemporary.
IBN SINA (AVICENNA) (980–1037)
Abu Ali al-Husain Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Sina.
The leading philosopher of his age. He also wrote important works on medicine, astronomy and the natural sciences as well as some poetry. He wrote in both Persian and Arabic, and exerted a great influence in both the East and the West.
IBN TUFAYL (c. 1105–1186)
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Malik Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Tufayl al-Qaisi
He was a philosopher famed almost solely for his revision of a tale of Avicenna entitled Hayy Ibn Yaqzan (Live, Son of the Awake), which describes the awakening to religion of an infant raised entirely by animals.
IBN ZAYDUN (1003–1071)
Abu’l Walid Ahmad Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Ghalib Ibn Zaydun Considered by many to be the most illustrious of all Andalusian poets, he lost favour at the court of Cordova after romancing the Caliph’s daughter but was later honoured by al-Mutamid, poet-King of Seville.
HAFIZ IBRAHIM (1872–1932)
After his contemporary, Ahmad Shawqi, he is the most important poet of the late 19th-century Arab literary renaissance. He is best known for his elegies as well as his use of classical poetic form and metre to discuss modern issues and portray modern realities.
JABRA IBRAHIM JABRA (1919–1994)
Christian Palestinian writer from Bethlehem, who was regarded as one of the leading contemporary Arab poets and critics. After the events of 1948 he settled in Iraq. He was also a distinguished novelist.
AL-JAHIZ (781–868)
Abu ‘Uthman ‘Amr Ibn Bahr al-Fuqaimi al-Basri al-Jahiz
An early free-thinker and prose-writer from Basra noted for his great learning and wit. His most important works are Kitab al-Bayan (The Book of Proof) and Kitab al-Hayawan (The Book of Animals).
SALMA AL-KHADRA AL-JAYYUSI (c. 1922–)
Palestinian poetess and one of the leading contemporary woman writers in the Arab world. She is one of the preeminent translators, critics, editors and authors of contemporary Arabic Literature.
AL-JUNAYD (830–910)
Abu’l-Qasim Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Junayed al-Khazzaz al-Kawariri al-Nihawandi
Celebrated sufi from Baghdad. He was influenced by al-Hallaj and laid the foundations for later Sufism. His greatest work is Risa’il, which consists of letters to private persons and tractates on mystical themes.
AL-KALABADHI (c. 990 AD)
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Ishaq al-Kalabadhi
Sufi writer heavily influenced by al-Hallaj and in some ways the forerunner of al-Ghazzali. He was a very precise and meticulous writer.
ABD AL-HAMID AL-KATIB (d. 750)
Real name Abd al-Hamid Ibn Yayha ibn Sa’d
Nicknamed “The Scribe” (al-Katib), he worked as the secretary to the last Ummayad Caliph. In this position, he pioneered the art of Arabic prose writing and letter writing. His fame spread for his six stylized “epistles”, one of which described the function of his own office.
ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-KAWAKIBI (1855–1902)
Abd al-Rahman Ibn Ahmad Ibn Mas’ud al-Kawakibi
Syrian champion of the Arab nationalist movement, which fought against Ottoman oppression. His fervent nationalism finds eloquent expression in his Umm al-Qura (Mother of Communities).
YUSUF AL-KHAL (1917–1987)
Lebanese poet, journalist and teacher. In Beirut, he founded Shi’ir magazine, one of the most influential poetry magazines of its time. He was also a long serving editor for an-Nahar newspaper.
AL-KHANSA (590–644)
Real name Tumadir Bint ‘Amr
The greatest female Arab poet, nicknamed “The Snub-Nosed”. A near contemporary of the Prophet, she wrote particularly fine elegies. Upon meeting the Prophet she converted to Islam along with her children all of whom would later die in the Battle of Qadisiyah.
IBN AL-KHATIB (1313–1375)
Lisan al-Din Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Sa’id Dhu’l Wizaritain, Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Ahmad al-Salmani Ibn al-Khatib
Andalusian statesman, poet and prose writer who wrote on many subjects including history and geography. He spent most of his life writing in the Sultan’s court in Granada. He was the last great composer of the muwashshah style of verse.
AL-MA’ARRI (973–1057)
Abu’l-‘Ala Ahmad Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Sulaiman al-Ma’arri
Blind poet from Northern Syria, pre-eminent among free-thinkers in Arabic verse. He was a harsh critic of hypocrisy and superstition, a champion of justice, and a distinguished teacher of poetics and diction.
NAGUIB MAHFOUZ (1911–2006)
The leading novelist in the Arab world. Progressed from mainly historical novels to graphic portrayals of contemporary life such as Zuqaq al-Midaq (Midaq Alley). His most important work is his Trilogy, which has been compared to The Forsyte Saga.
NAZIK AL-MALA’IKA (1922–2007)
Born in Baghdad. She studied comparative literature in the United States. Upon completion of her studies she returned to Iraq to teach and write. She was one of the first Arab poets to achieve success with free verse.
AL-MASU’DI (c. 896–956)
Abu’l Hasan ‘Ali Ibn al-Husain al-Masu’di
Well-travelled, eminent historian and geographer, precursor of Ibn Khaldun. Revered especially for his highly entertaining anecdotal style as well as for his philosophical approach.
AL-MUTAMID (1040–1095)
Abu’l-Abbas Ahmad Ibn Jafar al-Mutamid ‘Ala ‘llah
Third and last King of Seville in the Abbasid Dynasty who waged a series of wars to control Cordoba. He was also a very gifted poet in his own right and a munificent patron of the arts.
AL-MUTANABBI (915–965)
Real name Abu’l Taiyib Ahmad Ibn al-Husain al-Jufi
Regarded as the “Arab Shakespeare” and nicknamed “He who professes to be a prophet”. He is considered by many to be the greatest of Arab poets. He wrote very complex verse which is difficult to translate. Assassinated in an ambush near his home in Baghdad.
KHALIL MUTRAN (1872–1949)
Christian poet and journalist from Lebanon who settled in Egypt after fleeing from the Ottomans. He exerted great influence on modernizing poets in the Arab world through use of his publications and his translations of European literature.
MIKHAIL NAIMY (1889–1988)
Poet and thinker who formed al-Arrabitah (Pen-bond) in the USA with his fellow Lebanese Christian Mahjar writers, Gibran and Rihani. He wrote in both Arabic and English, and is best known for his work The Book of Mirdad.
AHMAD AL-SAFI AL-NAJAFI (1894–1978)
Iraqi poet who spent most of his life in Syria and Lebanon. His simple and traditional verse focused on the social ills of society as well as the simple life of his communities.
NIZAR QABBANI (1923–1998)
Influential modern poet born in the Syrian capital, Damascus. He specialized in powerful love poetry but also wrote and published on a variety of topics including feminism, Arab Nationalism and religion.
AL-RAZI (864–925)
Abu Baker Muhammad Ibn Zakariyya al-Razi
The greatest of Muslim physicians, known to the West as “Rhazes”. He was also a noted philosophical writer and sceptic. He compiled an important medical encyclopedia entitled al-Hawi (The Comprehensive Book).
ANTOINE RAAD (1940–)
One of Lebanon’s foremost creators of children’s literature. He is a poet, a writer and an educator. Former President of the Lebanese Teacher’s Union and Winner of the Louise El-Hawa Prize for Moral Literature for Children, Raad lived in exile in London during the civil war in Lebanon (1975–1990) where he also served as President of the Arab Club. In 2005 he published al-Sinbad which was translated into English and French, illustrated and set to music.
‘UMAR IBN ABI RABI’AH (644–719)
Earliest known Arab composer of love lyrics who provided a sharp contrast with the Bedouin poetry that preceded him. He continued to write love poetry at court during the time of the Prophet, which many pious Muslims opposed.
AMEEN RIHANI (1876–1945)
Lebanese essayist and poet who wrote in both Arabic and English. He was a well-travelled scholar who spent much time in America, as one of the three great mahjar writers. He became an unofficial ambassador for his country.
MAY RIHANI (1964–)
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, she is the niece of her country’s famed writer and thinker, Ameen Rihani. She continues his work of promoting global dialogue and understanding through her efforts as an international education and gender equality specialist. In addition to papers and books on innovative approaches to education, she has published three collections of Arabic poetry. She presently resides in Washington, DC.
MA’RUF AL-RUSAFI (1875–1945)
The most important poet of the literary renaissance in Iraq. Focused on the ills of society in the Arab world of his time, he was also highly critical of the ongoing British involvement in Iraq.
SALAH ‘ABD AL-SABUR (1931–1981)
Leading modern Egyptian poet and playwright who was inspired by modernist movements in European poetry such as socialist realism and existentialism. He also wrote both romantic and metaphysical poetry dealing with the search for new values and the longing for youth and rural life.
ABUS SALT (1067–1134)
Abus Salt Ummaya Ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Ibn Abi’l-Salt al-Andalusi
Andalusian poet and litterateur, who was born in the Near East, but is more associated with Seville. He made his fame as a scholar who also wrote on logic, astronomy and the sciences.
MAI SAYIGH (1940–)
A Palestinian poet who writes about life as a refugee and the lives and perspectives of women. She studied in Cairo and continues to publish from Paris, where she now lives.
BADR SHAKIR AL-SAYYAB (1926–1964)
An Iraqi poet who forsook communism for the cause of Arab nationalism. He was renowned as a pioneer of free verse in Arabic, merging modern Arab themes and imagery with the new European form and structure.
ABU AL-QASIM AL-SHABI (1909–1934)
Born in Tunisia, al-Shabi was one of the most outstanding modern poets of North Africa. His poetry is mainly romantic and bears the influence of the mahjar poets. He died of an incurable illness at the age of 25.
AHMAD SHAWQI (1868–1932)
The most eminent poet and writer of verse drama in the modern Arab world, he was dubbed the “Prince of Poets” by his contemporaries. He wrote many poems on political themes, but his shorter narrative poems are more accessible and successful.
AL-SHAYBANI (749–805)
Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani
An Arab jurist of the early Abbasid period. He authored the Kitab al-Siyar (Islamic Law of Nations), one of the most important works on Islamic jurisprudence. He was one of the disciples of Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi School of Islamic Jurisprudence.
AL-TABARI (839–923)
Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Great Arab historian who wrote a much-needed commentary on the Qur’an called the Tafsir. His monumental and largely reliable universal history, covering the first three centuries of Islam and before, provided valuable material for subsequent historians.
AL-TIRRIMAH (660–725)
al-Tirrimah Ibn Hakim al-Ta’i
Syrian poet of the Ummayad period and a champion of Islam. Noted for his resolute opposition to the unorthodox, especially as expressed in the poetry of his contemporaries.
AL-TANUKHI (938–994)
Abu ‘Ali al-Muhassin al-Tanukhi
Much read author of belles-lettres which are principally anecdotal in form, drawing heavily on oral sources and having a strong social content. He was a judge in Baghdad during the Ummayad Dynasty.
AL-TAWHIDI (c. 923–1023)
al Ibn Muhammad al-Tawhidi
Eminent Arab prose-writer noted especially for the splendid characterization evident in Kitab al-Wazirayan (The Two Viziers) and Kitab al-Imta wa’l Mu’anasa (The Book of Enjoyment and Good Company).
MAHMUD TAYMUR (1894–1974)
Egyptian writer who pioneered the art of short-story writing in Arabic. Strength of characterization and humor are notable features of his stories and plays.
FUDWA TUQAN (1917–2003)
Born and raised in Nablus, the Palestinian poet changed her focus from her early works of love poetry to poetry of resistance. She described the suffering and the ongoing struggle that her homeland witnessed.
USAMA (1095–1188)
Usama Ibn Murshid Ibn Ali Ibn Muqallad Ibn Nasr Ibn Munkidh al-Shaizari al-Qinani
Writer of autobiography which is the most important document about the Crusades from an Arab standpoint. He lived to a remarkable old age.
AL-ASWAD BIN YAFUR (c. 500)
Abnu’l-Jarrah al-Aswad Ibn Yafur Ibn ‘Abd al-Aswad al-Tamimi
Pre-Islamic poet, two of whose odes are contained in the collection known as Mufaddaliyat.
MAY ZIADAH (1886–1941)
Lebanese poet and essayist who settled in Egypt and contributed much to the emancipation of Middle Eastern women and the promotion of the nascent Arab feminist movement. She maintained a close friendship with her fellow Lebanese poet Gibran Khalil Gibran. She wrote in Arabic, French and English.
HENRI ZOGHAIB (1948–)
Lebanese poet and writer with many poetry and prose books to his credit. Co-chairman of the International Association for the Study of Life and Works of Kahlil Gibran, for Lebanon and the Arab world (since 1999), he founded the Center for Lebanese Heritage at the Lebanese American University in 2002 which he still directs. His last book Kahlil Gibran, People and Places sheds new light on Gibran’s life and literary achievement.
KA’B BIN ZUHAIR (6th/7th Century)
Son of one of the seven poets of the Mu’allaqat. He wrote a famous panegyric to the Prophet Muhammad entitled Banat Su’ad (Suad is Gone), which is the only surviving description by a contemporary poet of the beginnings of Islam.