WithWhat s ibn Hishm Told Us, the Library of Arabic Literature brings readers an acknowledged masterpiece of early twentieth-century Arabic prose. Penned by the Egyptian journalist Muammad al-Muwayli, this exceptional title was first introduced in serialized form in his familys pioneering newspaperMib al-Sharq(Light of the East), on which this edition is based, and later published in book form in 1907. Widely hailed for its erudition and its mordant wit,What s ibn Hishm Told Us was embraced by Egypts burgeoning reading public and soon became required reading for generations of Egyptian school students.

Bridging classical genres and the emerging tradition of modern Arabic fiction,What s ibn Hishm Told Us is divided into two parts, the second of which was only added to the text with the fourth edition of 1927. Sarcastic in tone and critical in outlook, the book relates the excursions of its narrator s ibn Hishm
and his companion, the Pasha, through a rapidly Westernized Cairo at the height of British occupation, providing vivid commentary of a society negotiatinghowever imperfectlythe clash of imported cultural values and traditional norms of conduct, law, and education. The Second Journey takes the narrator to Paris to visit the Exposition Universelle of 1900, where al-Muwayli casts the same relentlessly critical eye on European society, modernity, and the role of Western imperialism as it ripples across the globe.

Paving the way for the modern Arabic novel,What s ibn Hishm Told Us is invaluable both for its sociological insight into colonial Egypt and its pioneering role in Arabic literary history.

A bilingual Arabic-English edition.

Muhammad al-Muwaylihi (Author)
Muammad al-Muwayli(1274-1348/1858-1930) was an Egyptian writer and political journalist, a career that he shared with his prominent father, Ibrhm al-Muwayli, with whom he also published the reputable and incisive newspaper Mib al-Sharq(Light of the East). Other notable works includeCritique of Shawqs Collected PoemsandCure for the Soul.

Roger Allen (Edited and Translated by)
Roger Allenretired in 2011 from his position as the Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he served for forty-three years as Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature. He is the author and translator of numerous publications on Arabic literature, modern fiction and drama, and language pedagogy.