Jamharat Maqalat Mahmud Shakir
- Author died
- 1418 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat Al-Khanji
Jamharat Maqalat Mahmud Shakir (The Collection of Articles by Mahmud Shakir) is a two-volume compilation of the essays, journalistic writings, and critical treatises of the Egyptian philologist and scholar Mahmud Muhammad Shakir (1327–1418 AH / 1909–1997 CE) .
Compilation and Background
The collection was gathered, reviewed, and introduced by Dr. Adil Sulayman Jamal . Jamal first met Shakir in 1958 as a university student and regularly frequented his home, reading through Shakir's dispersed articles in various periodicals . During his lifetime, Shakir disliked republishing writings that had already appeared in print, which led to his articles remaining scattered in journals for decades . Following Shakir's death, Jamal brought together these writings so that researchers and students could access his intellectual and literary output . Jamal signed the work's introduction in Dubai in Sha'ban 1423 AH (October 2002 CE) .
Scope and Contents
The work gathers dozens of articles written by Shakir across several decades, originally published in major Arabic cultural and intellectual journals, prominently Ahmad Hasan al-Zayyat's al-Risalah and al-Muqtataf, as well as other newspapers and magazines . It also incorporates previously unpublished material in Shakir's handwriting, such as his lecture on British colonialism in Egypt .
The collected pieces address a wide range of subjects:
- Religious and Literary Critiques: Critiques of contemporary literary representations of early Islamic history, prophetic biography, and scriptural interpretation, including rebuttals to misattributed poems and unorthodox views .
- Cultural and Civilizational Thought: Discussions on modern European civilization, its philosophical foundations, the intellectual heritage of the East, and the cultural independence of the Arab-Islamic world .
- Political and Social Commentary: Essays on contemporary political affairs, including the Palestinian cause and the Egyptian-Sudanese question, alongside reflections on war and society .
- Scholarly Polemics and Debates: Critical exchanges and letters addressed to prominent contemporary figures and intellectuals, such as Ali al-Tantawi .
Publication
The work was published in Cairo by Maktabat al-Khanji in two volumes in 2003 CE (1424 AH) .
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