Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi fi Adab Taha Husayn

Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi fi Adab Taha Husayn (The Art of the Journalistic Essay in the Literature of Taha Husayn) is a critical and media-theory study by the Egyptian scholar Abd al-Aziz Sharaf, completed in Cairo in May 1974 Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…. The work examines the journalistic essays of Taha Husayn, analyzing their communicative functions, literary and editorial techniques, and role in modern Egyptian intellectual life Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.

Purpose and Methodology

Sharaf approaches Taha Husayn's journalistic writings through mass communication theory, defining the journalistic essay as a dynamic channel between writer and audience across psychological, social, and cultural dimensions Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…. The book argues that Taha Husayn helped shift Arabic journalistic prose from an early phase dominated by ornate linguistic imitation to a modern, rationalized medium that explains, analyzes, and addresses practical social realities using clear Classical Arabic Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…. According to Sharaf, Taha Husayn combined traditional linguistic authenticity (asala) with modern communicative techniques (tajdid), prioritizing the intellectual and social mission of public guidance, debate, and social reform over purely aesthetic display Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.

Structure and Contents

The book consists of an introduction, ten thematic chapters, a bibliography, and an appendix of historical document facsimiles Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…:

• Chapter 1: Dr. Taha Husayn and the School of al-Jarida (al-Duktur Taha Husayn wa-Madrasat al-Jarida): Explores Taha Husayn's formative media environment, particularly his early journalism in the newspaper al-Jarida under the influence of modern reformist thought Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 2: Taha Husayn and the Journalistic Essay Environment in Egypt (Taha Husayn wa-Bi'at al-Maqal al-Sahafi fi Misr): Maps the historical phases of Egyptian press writing across the first half of the twentieth century and Husayn's interactions with various periodicals Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 3: Taha Husayn and the Rhetoric of Mass Communication (Taha Husayn wa-Balaghat al-Ittisal bi-l-Jamahir): Evaluates the stylistic synthesis between traditional Arabic eloquence and the demands of modern mass readability Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 4: Editorial Styles in Taha Husayn's Essay (Asalib al-Tahrir fi Maqal Taha Husayn): Focuses on the adaptation of literary forms for journalistic purposes, specifically the narrative, descriptive, and symbolic essay styles Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 5: Taha Husayn and the Art of the Journalistic Column (Taha Husayn wa-Fann al-Amud al-Sahafi): Traces his role in developing both general press columns and specialized cultural columns, including his series Hadith al-Arbi'a' (Wednesday Talks) Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 6: The Art of Journalistic Diaries in Taha Husayn's Literature (Fann al-Yawmiyyat al-Sahafiyya fi Adab Taha Husayn): Discusses confessional writing and serialized memoirs, such as the initial publication of chapters from al-Ayyam in al-Hilal and his autobiographical novel Adib Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 7: The Art of the Leading Editorial Article (Fann al-Maqal al-Ra'isi al-Iftitahi): Analyzes Husayn's signed lead editorials in newspapers such as al-Siyasa and Kawkab al-Sharq, contrasting them with unsigned institutional editorials Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 8: The Art of the Polemical Essay (Fann al-Maqal al-Nizali): Covers his combative and ideological public debates against intellectual and political opponents Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 9: The Art of the Caricatural Essay (Fann al-Maqal al-Karikatiri): Investigates satirical and caricatural essays used for social and political critique Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.
• Chapter 10: The Analytical Essay and Journalistic Evaluation (al-Maqal al-Tahlili wa-l-Taqwim al-Sahafi): Studies his explanatory, cultural, and political analyses that contextualized breaking news and interpreted public events for readers Fann al-Maqal al-Sahafi f…+1.