Labbayk Hajj al-Fuqara
- Author died
- 1393 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al-Fikr Afaq Ma'rifa Mutajaddida
Labbayk Hajj al-Fuqara (Labbayk: Pilgrimage of the Poor) is a French-language novel by the Algerian thinker Malik Bennabi (1323–1393 AH / 1905–1973 CE), depicting the social realities and spiritual awakening of simple Algerians undertaking the Hajj during the French colonial era.
Composition and publication
Bennabi composed the novel in 1947, one year after publishing his study al-Zahirah al-Qur'aniyyah (The Quranic Phenomenon, 1946). In a letter sent to his publisher, Bennabi explained that he wrote the narrative in haste over roughly a month in a hotel room between two closely spaced journeys. It was published in French that same year by Dar al-Nahdah in Algiers. The author included an opening dedication to his wife, his sister al-Hajjah Latifah Bennabi, and a Mr. Béllar.
Setting and plot
The narrative is set in the Algerian coastal city of Annaba (known during the colonial era as Bône), capturing the daily life of ordinary Algerians living under the pervasive influence of European colonial society. The central plot follows Ibrahim, a coal vendor and habitual drunkard, who embodies the disorientation of an Algerian generation torn between its Islamic upbringing and colonial Western lifestyle; he undergoes a moral and spiritual recovery that culminates in performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Other central figures include Ibrahim's wife, Zahra; Uncle Muhammad, who represents the rooted cultural authenticity of the Algerian community; and a young boy named Hadi. The story also integrates the real-life episode of a Tunisian pilgrim barred from completing the pilgrimage, which had been reported in the contemporary Tunisian press. The story portrays the emotional farewells and journeys of pilgrim caravans traveling across Algeria to the port of Annaba to board ships bound for the Hijaz.
Themes and Arabic translation
The work reflects Bennabi's early literary engagement with Algerian identity, civilizational renewal, and the resilience of the Algerian populace under colonial rule. Bennabi presented the poor and their spontaneous response to the divine call of the pilgrimage as an enduring source of spiritual vitality and human connection.
An Arabic translation by Zidane Khoulif, prefaced with a foreword by Omar Meskawi, was published by Dar al-Fikr in Damascus in 1430 AH / 2009 CE in 156 pages.
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