Majallat al-Risala
- Author died
- 1388 AH
- Editions
- Majallat al-Risala
Majallat al-Risala (The Message Magazine) was a prominent weekly Arabic literary and cultural periodical founded and edited by the Egyptian man of letters Ahmad Hasan al-Zayyat (1302–1388 AH / 1885–1968 CE) . Published in Cairo, it served for two decades as one of the primary platforms for modern Arabic literature, criticism, and intellectual discourse .
Founding and Scope
The first issue of the magazine was published on 15 January 1933 . In its inaugural editorial, al-Zayyat articulated the magazine’s mission as an endeavor to elevate Arabic literary journalism above the dominance of partisan politics and commercialized writing, aiming to refine public taste and clarify intellectual pathways . Alongside the magazine, al-Zayyat also published a companion narrative periodical titled al-Riwaya (The Novel) .
The journal adopted an editorial approach that sought to harmonize classical Arabic literary heritage with modern thought and Western literary influences without compromising the integrity and elegance of the Arabic language .
Contributors and Content
The magazine brought together many of the leading figures of twentieth-century Arabic literature and intellectual thought. Its regular contributors and polemicists included Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i, Abbas Mahmud al-Aqqad, Zaki Mubarak, Mahmud Muhammad Shakir, and Sayyid Qutb . Syrian scholar and essayist Ali al-Tantawi contributed to it throughout its run and temporarily took over its editorial supervision for several months in 1947 .
Its pages hosted significant literary debates, articles on linguistics, poetry, social critique, and discussions on educational and religious reform, notably concerning al-Azhar . Al-Zayyat's own weekly opening essays were later compiled and published as a multi-volume book titled Wahy al-Risala (The Inspiration of al-Risala) .
Reception and Cessation
The periodical achieved broad distribution and acclaim across the Arab world, functioning as a pan-Arab forum that connected writers in Egypt with their peers across other Arab countries . Contemporary newspapers, such as al-Balagh and Rose al-Yusuf, praised it as a faithful reflection of the intellectual and cultural ideals of its generation .
After running for twenty-one years and publishing 1,025 issues, the magazine ceased publication on 23 February 1953 due to financial and operational constraints . Al-Zayyat briefly revived it in 1963, but it failed to regain its original standing and was permanently discontinued .
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