On Pre-Islamic Literature

On Pre-Islamic Literature" by Taha Hussein

1. Methodological Introduction and Central Thesis
The Cartesian Method: Taha Hussein applied Descartes’ methodical doubt to the study of pre-Islamic poetry, insisting that scholarly inquiry should begin by questioning anything not proven through concrete material or historical evidence.

Main Thesis: He argued that “the overwhelming majority of what we call pre-Islamic poetry has nothing to do with the pre-Islamic era.” Instead, much of it was fabricated after the advent of Islam to reflect the political and religious agendas of Muslim communities, rather than the actual lives of the pre-Islamic Arabs.

2. Main Evidence for the Fabrication of Pre-Islamic Poetry

Religious Absence: The so-called pre-Islamic poetry rarely reflects the polytheistic religious life of the era, whereas the Qur’an, in his view, offers a more authentic picture of that world.
Uniform Language Despite Dialect Diversity: Before Islam, Arabic dialects varied greatly (e.g., Himyaritic in Yemen differed markedly from Quraysh’s dialect). How, then, could poets from southern Arabia, like Imru’ al-Qais, compose in the unified northern dialect? This, he argued, suggests the poetry was recorded only after Qur’anic Arabic became dominant.
Weak Historical Transmission: The poems reached later generations through storytellers and transmitters, who were prone to fabrication or embellishment in support of certain narratives or religious interpretations.

3. Reasons Behind the Fabrication of Pre-Islamic Poetry
Taha Hussein identified five main motives:

Tribal Politics: Post-Islamic tribes (such as Quraysh and the Ansar) invented poems to boast about their pre-Islamic glory.
Shu‘ubiyya Movement: Non-Arab scholars (e.g., Persians) composed poetry glorifying their own heritage and attributed it to pre-Islamic Arabs.
Storytellers: Fabricated verses to make religious or legendary tales more captivating.
Corrupt Transmitters: Altered texts for personal gain.
Religious Motives: Attributing poetry to figures like Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt to suggest a link between Islam and earlier religions.

4. Major Religious and Political Controversies

Questioning Religious Narratives: A particularly controversial passage angered Al-Azhar clerics when Hussein questioned the historical existence of Abraham and Ishmael, describing the story of their journey to Mecca as a “device” to link Arabs to the Jews.
Accusation Regarding the Prophet: He cited the Orientalist Clément Huart’s claim that the Prophet Muhammad drew upon Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt’s poetry—though Hussein later retracted this point.

Reactions:

Legal Case: Al-Azhar-affiliated MPs filed a lawsuit accusing Hussein of “insulting religion,” but prosecutors acquitted him on the grounds that his views were academic in nature.
Intellectual Backlash: Writers such as Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi‘i, in Under the Banner of the Qur’an, accused him of echoing Orientalist theories.
Book Revisions: In later editions, Hussein removed the most controversial passages and changed the book’s title to On Pre-Islamic Literature.

5. Place in Literary Criticism

Historical Continuity: Hussein reminded readers that earlier Arab scholars like Ibn Sallam al-Jumahi and Ibn Hisham had also questioned the authenticity of some pre-Islamic poetry, though his approach was broader and bolder.
Call for Renewal: He advocated separating literary study from political and religious agendas and urged Egyptian universities to adopt Western scientific methodologies.
Lasting Influence: A century later, the work remains a landmark in the clash between modernity and tradition in Arab thought.

6. Between Scholarly Value and Controversy
The book stands as a model for applying methodological skepticism to Arab heritage, while also highlighting the deep sensitivities surrounding religious narratives.

Despite criticism from traditionalists, Hussein’s contribution lies in breaking critical taboos and opening the door to re-reading heritage through rational inquiry.