Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad (, ; 28 June 1889 – 12 March 1964) was an Egyptian journalist, poet and literary critic, and member of the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo.

More precisely, because "his writings cover a broad spectrum, including poetry, criticism, Islamology, history, philosophy, politics, biography, science, and Arabic literature", he is perceived to be a polymath.

Biography

Al-Aqqad was born in Aswan, a city in Upper Egypt, in 1889. His father was a money-changer originally from the Egyptian rural city of Damietta while his mother had Kurdish roots. He received little formal education, completing only his elementary education; he later supplemented his learning by buying books and reading on his own.

Al-'Aqqad was also an outspoken political thinker, and was jailed for a time between 1930 and 1931 for criticizing the country's government. In addition to his general opposition to both fascism and communism, al-'Aqqad was also both a member of the Egyptian parliament for a time as a member of the Wafd Party, and later a member of the Chamber of Deputies.

Works

Abbās al-Aqqād was "a prolific writer, he authored over a hundred books and several thousand articles", and he is most famous for his Abqarīyat (Geniuses) series which consists of seven books that cover the life of seven of the most important Sahabah like Abu Bakr and Ali. His works include:

  • Allah (2025) translated by Arabic Virtual Translation Center, .
  • The Genius of Muhammad (2025) translated by Arabic Virtual Translation Center, .
  • The Genius of Christ (2026) translated by Arabic Virtual Translation Center, .
  • The Genius of Abu-Bakr Al-Siddiq (2026) translated by Arabic Virtual Translation Center, .
  • The genius of Christ (2001) translated F. Peter Ford, .

See also

  • Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur Attar

References

  • Biography at Philosophers of the Arabs
  • Biography at Arab World Books
  • Mahmud Abbās al-Aqqād statue in Aswan