Faith in Literature
Books and literature have always flourished in Muslim countries. Written texts became widely available after paper was introduced from China in 751
Islamic Poetry
Prior to Islam, the Arab people were known to be articulate and moving storytellers and poets. The art of verbal expression was very popular; people would gather to hear folktales, recite humor and proverbs, and share oral history. In pre-Islamic Mecca, poetry contests and storytelling were the main attraction at annual fairs. Arabic is a naturally poetic language with a wealth of expressive power, and even today those who master the art of fine poetry are often highly regarded.
Arabic Proverbs
Early Arab and Muslim orators would recite or write traditional proverbs, poetic sayings, and similes. These clever expressions are used in all cultures to impart some wisdom or human truth in a witty and clever way. While many are expressed similarly in all cultures, some are unique:
An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.
All sunshine makes a desert.
When your son is young, discipline him; when he grows older, be a brother to him.
Live together as brothers, and do business as strangers.
The eye cannot go any higher than the brow.
If your friend is like honey, then don't lick all of it. (Don't take advantage of it).
One hand doesn't clap.
Omar Al-Khayyam
It is rare for a person to excel in science as well as in poetry. Omar Al-Khayyam (1044–1123
In one of his poems, Al-Khayyam wrote, “When events unfold with calm and ease; When the winds that blow are merely breeze; Learn from nature, from birds and bees; Live your life in love, and let joy not cease.”
Omar Al-Khayyam was also a philosopher and poet. His best known poetic work, the Rubaiyat, is an extensive collection of four-line stanzas. Edward Fitzgerald translated this work into English in 1859.
Mahmoud Darwish
In more modern times, one of the best-known Muslim poets comes from the Arab world. Mahmoud Darwish, a native of Palestine, later lived in Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Paris. He returned to the West Bank in 1996 and became known as a leading contemporary poet of the region. His poems generally express the plight of his people, a search for identity, and lamentations of loss.
Mahmoud Darwish's poetry has filled more than two dozen books, and has won several international writing awards: the Lotus Prize (1969), the Ibn Sina Prize (1982), the Lenin Peace Prize (1983), and the Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom (2001). His work has been translated into more than twenty languages and is gaining popularity in the English-speaking world.
Mahmoud Darwish's twenty books of poetry include The Adam of Two Edens, Diwan, A Bed for the Stranger, and Eleven Planets. Another book, Memory for Forgetfulness, is a collection of prose poems recounting the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
