Muhammad al-Eid Al Khalifa
- Died
- 1399 AH
- Born in
- -
Muhammad al-Eid Al Khalifa (1322–1399 AH / 1904–1979 CE) was an Algerian poet, educator, and leading literary figure of the modern Algerian Islamic reform movement .
Early life and education
Muhammad al-Eid ibn Muhammad Ali Khalifa was born in Ayn al-Bayda, Algeria, in 1322 AH (1904 CE; another report gives 1323 AH) . He began his early education under Muhammad al-Kamil ibn Azzuz and Ahmad ibn Naji . In 1918, he moved to Biskra, continuing his studies with Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Uqbi al-Sharif, Mukhtar ibn Umar al-Ya'lawi, and al-Junayd Ahmad Makki . He traveled to Tunis in 1921 to study at the University of Ez-Zitouna before returning to Algeria .
Teaching and reformist activity
Upon returning to Biskra, Al Khalifa participated in the cultural and intellectual revival of Algeria through teaching and publishing poetry and essays in periodicals such as Sada al-Sahra', al-Muntaqid, and al-Shihab . In 1927, he was invited to teach at Madrasat al-Shabiba al-Islamiyya al-Hurra (School of Free Islamic Youth) in Algiers, where he taught for twelve years and later served as director; he also directed the al-Irfan school in Ayn M'lila .
During his stay in Algiers, he took part in founding the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars and became an active member . He contributed his verses extensively to the Association's journals—including al-Basa'ir, al-Sunnah, al-Shari'ah, and al-Sirat—as well as other publications like al-Islah, al-Mirsad, and al-Thabat . He was imprisoned for his nationalist activities and poems . Following World War II, he returned to Biskra, where French colonial authorities placed him under house arrest, keeping him isolated until Algerian independence in 1382 AH (1962 CE) .
Among his students were the writers Othman Bouguetaya, Muhammad al-Akhdar al-Sa'ihi, and Ibn Muhammad Abd al-Qadir .
Literary standing
Al Khalifa was regarded as the foremost poet of the Algerian national and Islamic revival. Muhammad al-Bashir al-Ibrahimi described him as the "poet of youth, poet of young Algeria, and undisputed poet of North Africa," noting that his poetry closely chronicled every stage of the Algerian reform movement, and further hailed him as "the poet of Algeria, rather the poet of Arabism and Islam" . Shakib Arslan praised his verse for its natural elegance, emotional depth, and technical precision, likening his poetic style to that of Baha' al-Din Zuhayr . His collected poetry was published in Algeria by the Ministry of National Education under the title Diwan Muhammad al-Eid Al Khalifa .
Death
Al Khalifa died on 7 Ramadan 1399 AH (31 July 1979 CE; one biographical source recorded 1975 CE) at the hospital in Batna, and was buried in Biskra .
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List of Works
Diwan Muhammad al-Eid Al Khalifa is a collection of poetic works published after Algerian independence by the Ministry of National Education. The volume brings together poems that chronicle the modern Algerian reform movement, alongside verses dedicated to Islamic and national identity, religious occasions, elegies for prominent leaders and scholars, pan-Arab events, and the Algerian Revolution.