Muhammad Yusuf Najm
- Died
- 1430 AH
- Born in
- -
Muhammad Yusuf Najm (1925 – 1430 AH / 2009 CE) was a Palestinian literary scholar and critic known for his studies on modern Arabic literary genres, including Fann al-Maqala (The Art of the Essay).
Early life and education
Najm was born in Palestine in 1925. He graduated from the Arab College in Jerusalem and pursued the study of Arabic literature at the American University of Beirut until 1948. In 1949, he enrolled at the Egyptian University in Cairo, where he obtained his doctorate from the Department of Arabic Language in 1954.
Academic career and scholarship
Najm joined the faculty of the American University of Beirut, serving as an assistant professor and subsequently as an associate professor of Arabic literature. His scholarly work encompassed modern literary history, critical theory, translation, and classical manuscript editing, and he collaborated on numerous literary and critical studies with the scholar Ihsan Abbas.
His critical work Fann al-Maqala became an established reference examining the origins, historical progression, and theoretical and practical foundations of the essay as a literary genre. He also investigated the rise of modern theatrical prose in studies such as Al-Masrahiyya fi al-Adab al-Arabi al-Hadith (Drama in Modern Arabic Literature). He died in 1430 AH (2009 CE).
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List of Works
Fann al-Maqala (The Art of the Essay) is a critical and historical study of the essay as a literary genre. It examines the historical origins and modern development of the form across European and Arabic literature while analyzing its theoretical elements and classifications.