The Voice of Abi al-Alaa" by Taha Hussein

"The Voice of Abi al-Alaa" by Taha Hussein

About the Book
Published in 1945, The Voice of Abi al-Alaa is a unique critical work embodying a creative dialogue between two great literary figures: Abi al-Alaa al-Ma'arri (the Abbasid poet-philosopher) and Taha Hussein (the Dean of Arabic Literature). In this work, Taha Hussein presents a prose interpretation of al-Ma'arri’s poetry, particularly the Luzumiyyat, aiming to make his complex philosophy accessible to the general reader while preserving its profound pessimism—which Hussein viewed as essential for the reform of the human soul.

Critical and Artistic Methodology
Prose as a Tool for Interpreting Poetry:

Taha Hussein transforms al-Ma'arri’s poetic verses into fluid prose while retaining their philosophical and critical essence.
He deciphers the ambiguity in the Luzumiyyat (where al-Ma'arri adhered to challenging rhymes and unconventional letters) through language that balances rhetoric and clarity.

Dialogue Across Time:

Hussein revives al-Ma'arri’s voice to engage with him as a "loyal friend," expressing admiration for his rebellious spirit and social criticism.
He merges the voices of both men into a "creative crucible" that blends the depth of the 4th century AH (Hijri) with the modernity of the 20th century.

Critique of Art and Form:

Hussein notes that al-Ma'arri’s strict adherence to rhyme in the Luzumiyyat (e.g., using two specific consonants) served as self-amusement during his seclusion but occasionally weakened the poetry’s artistic value.

Intellectual Content and Key Themes
Al-Ma'arri’s Three Prisons:
Taha Hussein argues that al-Ma'arri’s life was confined to three cages:

Blindness: Lost his eyesight at age four.
Isolation: Confined to his home in Ma'arra for 50 years.
Philosophical Imprisonment: His struggle with existential and religious questions.

Table Summarizing Al-Ma'arri’s Prisons (as Analyzed by Taha Hussein):

Prison	Interpretation by Taha Hussein	Example from al-Ma'arri’s Poetry
Blindness	Transformed into strength of memory and thought	"لِفَقْدِي نَاظِرِي" (For the loss of my sight)
Isolation	A philosophical choice to avoid people’s malice	"وَلُزُومُ بَيْتِي" (And confining myself to my home)
The Body	Hatred of the flesh as a source of desires	"كَوْنُ النَّفْسِ فِي الجِسْمِ الخَبِيث" (The soul’s existence in the vile body)

Pessimism as Reformist Philosophy:
Despite al-Ma'arri’s profound pessimism, Hussein rejects interpreting it as weakness. Instead, he sees it as essential social criticism for reforming the soul and advocating a better future.
Example: The poem "لَأَمْوَاهُ الشَّبِيبَةِ" (O Waters of Youth) expresses grief over fleeting youth but also reveals later religious inclinations in his life.

Social Criticism and Socialism:

Hussein uncovers socialist dimensions in al-Ma'arri’s poetry, particularly in lines like: "غِنَى زيدٍ يَكُونُ لِفَقْرِ عَمْرٍو" (Zaid’s wealth becomes the cause of Amr’s poverty).
He clarifies that this socialism is philosophical (a critique of injustice), not political like Marx’s.

Religious and Philosophical Controversy:
The book discusses al-Ma'arri’s contradictions between faith and doubt, explaining them as products of an era rife with religious turmoil.

Parallels Between Taha Hussein and al-Ma'arri

Blindness: Both lost their sight at age four, deepening Hussein’s connection to al-Ma'arri and compelling him to study him as a "mourning widow" rather than a neutral researcher.
Culture and Challenge: Al-Ma'arri traveled to Baghdad and Aleppo seeking knowledge, while Hussein studied in France. Both overcame disability through intellectual pursuit.
Relative Pessimism: Hussein was influenced by al-Ma'arri’s pessimism, but his marriage to "Suzanne" and professional life softened this aspect—unlike al-Ma'arri, who rejected marriage, calling it a "crime."

Notable Quotes from the Book
Taha Hussein on al-Ma'arri:

"He is worthy of both pity and admiration... We visit him in his prison to witness how he lives his life as a poetic intellectual."

Al-Ma'arri’s Words:

"Fie upon people, be they men or women... Nothing protects you from them except avoiding them."

Critical Significance and Legacy

The book is the first radical attempt to simplify al-Ma'arri’s philosophy without subjecting it to religious or traditional frameworks.
Hussein pioneered psychological criticism by analyzing how al-Ma'arri’s blindness and isolation shaped his poetry (inferiority, hostility, contradictions).
Reprinted numerous times (latest in 2014) for its enduring relevance as a reference on the relationship between literature and philosophy.

The Voice of Abi al-Alaa remains a testament to an eternal intellectual dialogue between two revolutionary minds who transcended the constraints of time and disability to offer profound humanistic insights on existence and resilience.