On Pre-Islamic Poetry
the Egyptian author Taha Hussein | |
| Author | Taha Hussein |
|---|---|
| Language | Arabic |
| Genre | Literary criticism |
| Published | 1926 |
On Pre-Islamic Poetry is a book of literary criticism published in 1926 by the Egyptian author Taha Hussein. In it, Hussein argued that pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, which then was believed to date from the pre-Islamic period, was actually from later eras. Hussein also cast doubt on the authenticity of the Quran. The book's publication caused a major literary controversy in Egypt.
In the English-speaking world, the Orientalist scholar D. S. Margoliouth published similar views at about the same time in his article "The Origins of Arabic Poetry."