Ali Ahmad Bakathir

He was born on December 21, 1910, in Surabaya, Indonesia to urban parents from Hadramaut. When he reached the age of 10, his father took him to Hadramaut, where he grew up in an Arab-Islamic environment with his siblings. He arrived in the city of Sayyoun, Hadramaut on April 5, 1920, and there he was educated at the Al-Nahda Scientific School. He studied Arabic and Sharia sciences at the hands of highly respected sheikhs, including his uncle, Poet, Linguist and Judge Mohammed bin Mohammad Bakathir. He was taught religious sciences by Faqih Mohammed bin Hadi Al-Saqqaf. And he was one of Faqih and Linguist Mohammed Abdullah Al-Saqqaf's peers. Growing up, Bakathir acquired many talents, at 13 years old, he had started composing poetry, and under the age of 20, he had become a teacher and an administrator at Al-Nahda Scientific School. == Marriage ==

Bakathir married early in 1927, but he was heartbroken by the death of his wife, who was very young, so he left Hadramaut around 1931 and went to Aden then Somalia and Ethiopia and finally settled in Hejaz for some time. == Egypt ==

He arrived in Egypt in 1934 and attended King Fuad I University (currently known as Cairo University), where he received a Bachelor of Arts from the English Department in 1939. Bakathir taught for 14 years, ten of which were spent in Mansoura, the rest in Cairo. In 1955, he moved to work for the Ministry of Culture in the department of literature, then moved to the Antiquities Authority and continued working in the Ministry until his death. == Second marriage and Egyptian citizenship ==

He married an Egyptian woman who had a daughter from a previous marriage in 1943, the daughter grew up under the wing of Bakathir, who never had children of his own. In August 1951, he was granted Egyptian citizenship by royal decree. == Languages ==

He was fluent in English, French and Malay as well as Arabic. == Epic of Omar and Napoleon's invasion of Egypt ==

Bakathir was granted a two-year sabbatical (1961-1963), in which he completed the Islamic epic of caliph Omar ibn Al-Khattab, which consisted of 19 parts. It is considered the second longest drama in the world. Bakathir was the first writer to be granted this leave in Egypt. He was also granted another sabbatical, during which he completed the Napoleon's invasion of Egypt trilogy, The Worm and The Snake (original: al-Dūdah wa-al-thuʻbān), Napoleon's Dreams (original: Aḥlām Nābuliyūn), and Zainab's Tragedy (original: Maʼsāt Zaynab). The first one was printed in his lifetime, while the latter two after his death. == Works ==

Bakathir's works consisted of a wide variety of literary works. He is known for his novels, Oh Islam! (original: Wa Islamah) and The Red Revolutionary (original: ''Ath-thaa'er Al-Ahmar''). It includes the poems Bakathir wrote in 1932 and 1933, the time he spent in Aden after his departure from Hadramaut. Plays • The Chain of Sin and Forgiveness (original: al-Silsilah wa-al-Ghufran) • The Lost Bible (original: at-Tawrāh al-dāʼiʻah) • Empire for Auction (original: Imbiraturiyya fi al-Mazad) • Zainab's Tragedy (original: Maʼsāt Zaynab) • The Secret of al-Hakim bi Amrilla (original: Sirr al-Hakim bi Amrilla) • The Lord of Israel (original: Ilah Isra’il) • Basus War (original: Ḥarb al-basūs) • Epic of Omar (original: Malhamat Omar) • The Biography of the Brave (original: Sīrat shujāʻ) • Oh Islam! (original: Wa Islamah) • The Handsome Warrior (original: al-faris al-jamīl) • The Night of the River (original: Laylat al-nahr) • Sallāmah of the Devout (original: Salāmat al-Qiss) == Travels ==

He visited many countries including France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and Romania, as well as many Arab countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Kuwait where Epic of Omar was printed. He also visited Turkey, where he intended to write an epic theatre play about the siege of Constantinople but passed away before starting it. In April 1968, he visited Hadramaut a year before his death. == Death ==

Bakathir died of a severe heart attack in Egypt in Ramadan of November 1969 and was buried in the burial chamber of his Egyptian wife's family. == Achievements ==

He participated in many literary and cultural conferences and was selected as a member of the poetry and story committee of The Supreme Council for Arts and Literature. He was also a member of the story club. He was also granted a sabbatical to write a historical epic about Omar ibn Al-Khattab. == References ==