Resumo de The Days (al-ayyam) Volume 1 - An Egyptian Childhood

Al-Ayyam v.I (An Egyptian Childhood)

s a work of literature, the plaudits for the first volume of Taha Husayn?s autobiography al-Ayy?m are abundant. Gibb, three years after its serialisation in al-Hilal, suggested that it ?has a good claim to be regarded as the finest work of art yet produced in modern Egyptian literature?, while the Encyclopaedia of Islam describes it as ?the first modern Arabic literary work to receive international recognition, being translated into a number of foreign languages?. Perhaps the first clue to the inspiration of al-Ayy?m lies in factors not to be found within the work itself. The year of its publication was 1926, and this was a time full of incident in the author?s life. However, it was while teaching at Cairo University that he wrote f? ?l-shi?r al-j?hil? (On Pre-Islamic Poetry), within which he suggested that a large part of the corpus of pre-Islamic poetry might not be authentic. This led to a great deal of religious upset, and the scandal which the book caused led to its withdrawal, with the author himself having been charged with heresy (although he was not convicted). What Husayn wrote in 1926 may well have served as a form of riposte ? after all, Pierre Cachia writes that Husayn?s stories ?represent simply his desire for self-expression?.

So, on some level, it may be possible to look upon al-Ayy?m as a response to the external pressures in the author?s life. Perhaps, then, al-Ayy?m is an attempt to define himself at this somewhat turbulent stage in his career; an elucidation of the past to clarify what has brought him to this current situation. In a preface to the 1954 edition of the autobiography for the blind, ?the author admits that he made the first draft of the text for himself, as personal memories, during a difficult time?.

Delving now into the contents of the autobiography, there is evidence to support the idea of this underlying stimulus behind his work. For one thing, throughout the piece, ?our friend? is depicted as something of a hero. Certainly, the protagonist is shown overcoming adversity and the multifarious problems that emerge as a consequence of his blindness. A poor man rising to prominence out of harsh conditions is a hugely popular literary motif, even if it is on this occasion sat within the genre of autobiography, which was something of a rarity in Arabic literature. ?Our friend? displays an appetite for education, through memorisation of the Qur?an and later the Alfiyya of Ibn Malik, and his desire to prove his worth when he reaches the Azhar. Husayn at times affirms through Al-Ayyam to those critics he had attracted in 1926 that he did indeed possess a level of religious knowledge and upbringing, which was significant in terms of the controversy raging over his book.

Another factor that one should always bear in mind in a consideration of al-Ayy?m is Taha Husayn?s background in French education, and therefore the existence of an influence outside that of Upper Egypt and even Cairo where he had spent the rest of his life and the combined influence of both Egypt and France is central to both his ethos and his compositions. Not only is the French factor a considerable one, but this is tied to the unique educational passage through which Husayn progressed. Having advanced to the Azhar, the point at which al-Ayy?m comes to its conclusion, Husayn had virtually completed his studies there when he transferred across to the University of Cairo, his eventual employer. Educated in a religious and a secular environment gave the author an unusual perspective that he applied to his work, and al-Ayy?m is again a testament to this background of his.

However, for all the external factors concerning his public life, there remains one inspiration for al-Ayy?m which seems to have its root in Husayn?s personal life. For nineteen chapters, the autobiography is written predominantly in the third person. Husayn is the narrator, occasionally revealing himself in linnes such ass, ?You might say that the motive that moved people to fortify themselves against the Khamsin (winds) was that of magic and Sufism, but I can only tell you what the lad remembers of the days which preceded Sham al-Nasim?. This relationship between narrator and hero is maintained until the very last chapter. Though we have previously seen the author say that he wrote what would become the first volume of al-Ayy?m for himself, it certainly seems apparent that he has in his mind for his child to read it, writing, ?I will not tell you anything about your father at that stage until you are a little older, and can read, understand and judge for yourself. Then you will be able to realise that your father really loved you and really did his best for your happiness?. It is perhaps only natural that Husayn?s attention turns to his daughter at the end of this volume ? after all, the majority of the events herein refer to Husayn as being around eight years old, comparable in age to his daughter as she is now.

In the one autobiographical work, Husayn attempts to tell the story of his shaping years, and thereby satisfy the current and future questions of both his close family and his critics.

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