Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Saqqaf

Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Mohsin bin Saqqaf al-Saqqaf (1882-1949) was a Yemeni novelist, journalist, and poet. His 1927 novel Fatat Qarout (Ar: فتاة قاروت) is regarded by some as the first novel ever written by a Yemeni writer.[1]

Early life

Al-Saqqaf was born in 1882 in Al-Shihr, a town in the Hadhramaut region, to a family known for their learning and knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence. At age four he moved to Seiyun.[2]

Career

In 1907 he immigrated to India, and studied in Hyderabad. The following year, he moved to Indonesia, and settled in the city of Surabaya. He played a major role in journalism in the Yemeni diaspora, submitting articles to the Surabaya-based newspaper Al-Islah and founding a monthly newspaper in 1927 called The Higher Association (Ar: "الرابطة العلوية"). The newspaper focused on issues concerning the Hadhrami community in Indonesia. With other Yemeni expatriates, al-Saqqaf founded associations and schools in several Indonesian cities.[3]

Al-Saqqaf is best known for his 1927 novel Fatat Qarout (The Girl from Garut), which criticizes some of the practices of Hadhrami immigrants in the East Indies, such as their integration into local Javan society. According to Dr. Massoud Amshush, this was the first novel ever written by a Yemeni writer.[4] However, others have argued that Muhammad Ali Luqman's Saeed should be considered the first Yemeni novel, as it was published in Aden - unlike al-Saqqaf's work, which was written and published in Indonesia.[5]

His other works include Patience and Persistence (Ar: الصبر والثبات), The System of Islamic Etiquette for Girls (Ar: منظومات الأداب الإسلامية للبنات), and several collections of poetry.[6] He is said to have written a second novel in addition to Fatat Qarout, but there is little information about this.[7]

Death

Al-Saqqaf died in 1949, while en route to Yemen aboard a ship from Indonesia.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Ahmad bin Abdullah al-Saqqaf". Katara Prize for Arabic Novel. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ahmad bin Abdullah al-Saqqaf". Katara Prize for Arabic Novel. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. ↑ الحمامصي, محمد (25 February 2021). ""فتاة قاروت" رائدة الرواية اليمنية في طبعة جديدة". Middle East Online. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Ba Ghareeb, Nasir (22 April 2018). "Massoud Amshush and the Hadhrami Novel at 90 Years". Al Ayyam. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  5. ↑ الحمامصي, محمد (25 February 2021). ""فتاة قاروت" رائدة الرواية اليمنية في طبعة جديدة". Middle East Online. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Al Saqqaf, Ahmad bin Abdullah. "خدمة العشيرة بترتيب وتلخيص شمس الظهيرة". Internet Archive. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Encyclopedia of Arab Poets". Al Moajam. Abdulaziz Saud Al Babtain Cultural Foundation. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
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