Majallat al-Uستاذ

Majallat al-Ustadh (The Teacher Magazine) is a weekly Egyptian educational, cultural, and political periodical established in Cairo in 1310 AH (1892 CE) by the orator and journalist Abd Allah al-Nadim (1261–1314 AH / 1845–1896 CE) Mujam al-Shuara al-Arab+1.

Founding and Purpose

Following his involvement in the Urabi Revolt and a ten-year period in hiding, al-Nadim was captured in 1309 AH and briefly exiled to Jaffa Mujam al-Shuara al-Arab+1. When Khedive Abbas II assumed power, he pardoned al-Nadim and permitted him to return to Egypt, where he settled in Cairo and launched al-Ustadh Mujam al-Shuara al-Arab+1. The first issue appeared on 1 Safar 1310 AH (24 August 1892 CE), published weekly under the editorial direction of Abd Allah and his brother Abd al-Fattah al-Nadim Majallat al-Uستاذ+2.

The periodical was framed as an educational, scientific, and humorous weekly (jarida ilmiyya tahdhibiyya fukahiyya) aimed at offering counsel and reformist guidance to Egyptians and Eastern peoples Majallat al-Uستاذ+1. Its declared opening program maintained that while it would avoid partisan administrative disputes, broader political philosophy, history, morals, and civic organization fell directly within its scientific remit Majallat al-Uستاذ.

Themes and Style

Al-Ustadh covered social, moral, educational, and political questions facing late nineteenth-century Egypt Fi al-Adab al-Hadith. It addressed the vital role of education in societal progress, condemned ignorance and social vices, and urged the revival and preservation of the Arabic language Majallat al-Tankit wa al-…+1. Politically, the journal adopted an anti-colonial stance, opposing British occupation and foreign hegemony while calling on Egyptians to rally behind their domestic leadership and calling for the formation of political parties Fi al-Adab al-Hadith+1. It supported Khedive Abbas II amid his confrontations with British authorities, notably following his dismissal of Prime Minister Mustafa Fahmi Fi al-Adab al-Hadith+1.

Al-Nadim wrote in an accessible, direct prose style that moved away from the heavy rhymed prose (saj') and ornate figures common in earlier writing Fi al-Adab al-Hadith. Combining narrative and oratorical modes, he made frequent use of satire, humorous dialogues, and vernacular idioms suited to everyday life, enabling the periodical's message to reach both educated readers and the broader public Majallat al-Tankit wa al-…+1.

Reception and Closure

Al-Ustadh achieved widespread circulation and influence on Egyptian public opinion, amassing approximately 1,700 subscribers outside Cairo and Egypt proper Majallat al-Uستاذ+1. Contemporary figures praised its role; poets and scholars such as Shaykh Abd al-Aziz al-Awamiri and Shaykh Abd al-Rahim al-Qasabi penned verses honoring the publication Majallat al-Uستاذ. Rashid Rida later observed that its critical and literary posture bore similarities to Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh's journal al-Urwa al-Wuthqa al-Azhar wa Atharuhu fi a….

The journal's anti-British stance alarmed colonial officials, including British Consul-General Lord Cromer, and al-Nadim was accused of inciting unrest and fanaticism Majallat al-Tankit wa al-…+2. Consequently, authorities ordered the suppression of the periodical Fi al-Adab al-Hadith+1. In its final issue, published on 13 June 1893 CE, al-Nadim bade farewell to his readership with a valedictory address and verse, after which he was deported from Egypt once again Fi al-Adab al-Hadith+1.