With al-Mutanabbi by Taha Hussein

 With al-Mutanabbi by Taha Hussein

Publication history: First published in 1937; republished by the Hindawi Foundation in 2013.

Writing context: The book was written during Taha Hussein’s stay in the French Alps in 1936, where he dictated its chapters over the course of just six weeks.

Methodology: Hussein relied on historical and psychological analysis, deliberately avoiding traditional biographical accounts. He used al-Mutanabbi’s collected poems as his primary source.

Purpose: To uncover the secret behind the enduring admiration for al-Mutanabbi despite his flaws, and to explore the role of the intellectual in confronting political corruption.

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Key stages in al-Mutanabbi’s life (as analyzed by Taha Hussein)

Unusual childhood:

Born in Kufa (Iraq) in 915 CE, al-Mutanabbi came from a poor family with disputed lineage. His father was reportedly a water carrier. Hussein argues that this ambiguous social background instilled in him a deep sense of inferiority—something he sought to overcome through poetry.

Escape to the desert:

He joined the Qarmatians, a radical Shi‘a revolutionary movement, which shaped his early political awareness.

Patronage under princes:

In Syria and Iraq, he sought the favor of regional rulers, but Hussein found his poetry during this period weak and lacking in artistic identity.

The era of Sayf al-Dawla al-Hamadani (his creative peak):

Their relationship was mutually beneficial: Sayf al-Dawla needed a poet to immortalize his victories, while al-Mutanabbi needed a patron to elevate his status. Hussein considered poems like “The horse, the night, and the desert all know me” among the finest ever written on chivalry.

Yet Hussein criticized al-Mutanabbi for what he called “trading in poetry”—using his talent to gain wealth and gifts, betraying the higher purpose of literature as a tool for social reform.

The Kafur al-Ikhshidi period (moral crisis):

In Egypt, al-Mutanabbi praised Kafur, the ruler, hoping to be rewarded with a governorship. When Kafur failed him, he retaliated with vicious satire, most notoriously: “Do not buy a slave unless you keep a stick with him.” For Hussein, this marked a moral collapse.

Tragic end:

In 965 CE, al-Mutanabbi was killed after his satirical verses against Fatak al-Asadi provoked revenge. Ironically, his own verse was cited to challenge him, compelling him to fight rather than flee.

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Taha Hussein’s analysis of al-Mutanabbi’s character

Human contradiction:

• Genius: A poet of unmatched talent in imagery, diction, and aphoristic wisdom.

• Weakness: Obsessed with wealth and power, dependent on tyrants, and unable to maintain intellectual independence.

The psychological burden of his lineage:

Hussein suggested that al-Mutanabbi fled from Kufa to Baghdad to escape the stigma of low birth, which fueled both his aggression and exaggerated pride.

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Artistic features of al-Mutanabbi’s poetry (according to Hussein)

• Hyperbole: He often exaggerated heroic feats—e.g., “If Alexander had thought more wisely, the darkness would have turned into sunlight”—to the point of undermining credibility.

• Verbal symmetry: His skill in balancing words (e.g., “the sword, the spear, the paper, and the pen”) sometimes overshadowed deeper meaning.

• Imitation: He imitated Abu Tammam’s poetic structures rather than innovating, contrary to his reputation as a revolutionary stylist.

• Finest works: Hussein singled out his elegy for Sayf al-Dawla’s sister, Khawla, as among his most moving poems.

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Critical messages in Hussein’s book

• Ethical critique: He accused al-Mutanabbi of turning poetry into a commodity for political gain, abandoning the writer’s duty to resist tyranny.

• Independent vs. opportunistic intellectuals: Hussein contrasted al-Mutanabbi, who courted power, with Abu al-‘Ala’ al-Ma‘arri, who upheld moral principles—presenting the latter as the true ethical model.

• Historical parallels: Hussein read the 10th century—a time of political corruption and Qarmatian uprisings—as a mirror of Egypt in the 1930s, with its struggles against colonialism and internal decay.

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Memorable quotes from the book

On al-Mutanabbi’s lineage:

“They say his father was a water carrier in Kufa… torn between those who sought to elevate him and those who wished to drag him down.”

On his contradictions:

“Why was he so hounded about his ancestry? And why did he avoid living in Iraq?”

On his historical role:

“An exceptional figure in a troubled age… he filled the world and occupied the minds of men.”

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The book’s impact and place in Taha Hussein’s career

• Dialogue of opposites: The work has been described as a debate between two forces—Taha Hussein as the symbol of intellectual independence, and al-Mutanabbi as the symbol of opportunism—reflecting Hussein’s own refusal to compromise with authority.

• Critical legacy: It was one of the first works to apply historical-psychological analysis to classical Arabic literature, influencing generations of scholars.

• Personal transformation: Hussein began the book disliking al-Mutanabbi, but ended with a reluctant admiration for his genius despite his moral flaws.

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“The journey began with resistance of the heart and ended with the discovery of why this poet endures: al-Mutanabbi embodied the eternal human struggle between greatness and deceit.”

For the original summary in Arabic