Hamzah Shehatta
Encyclopedia
Hamza Shehata was a philosopher, poet and civic leader from the Hejaz
in the western part of modern Saudi Arabia
. The eccentric Hejazi genius was born in Mecca
and raised in Jeddah
. He studied at the Al-Falah School (established in 1905), then moved to India
where he worked at the Zainal trading house for a number of years. Upon his return, he joined the Jeddah Council of Commerce.
Shehata is regarded as a Saudi pioneer, a leading poet and thinker, and an influential figure in the cultural modernism movement that occurred in the Hejaz in the early 20th century. Along with another Hejazi poet Mohammed Hassan Awwad, he was among the first to compose and publish Arabic poems in modern format, starting in the 1920s.
He is also well known for his writings on ethical issues and social philosophy. In 1938 he gave a famous speech in Mecca addressing complex ethical concerns and advocating social and religious reform. His bold ideas led to his exile, with other Hejazi leaders, in Al-Massmak fort in Riyadh
, sent there by King Abdul Aziz. Just after he was pardoned, he left Hejaz for Cairo
, opposing the way things were run in his country.
He was influenced by key social and political leaders in the Hejaz such as Qassim Zainal and Mohammed Suroor Sabban
. His literary work was influenced by, among others, Khalil Gibran
, Iliyya Abu Madi and Mikha'il Na'ima
.
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
in the western part of modern Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. The eccentric Hejazi genius was born in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and raised in Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
. He studied at the Al-Falah School (established in 1905), then moved to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where he worked at the Zainal trading house for a number of years. Upon his return, he joined the Jeddah Council of Commerce.
Shehata is regarded as a Saudi pioneer, a leading poet and thinker, and an influential figure in the cultural modernism movement that occurred in the Hejaz in the early 20th century. Along with another Hejazi poet Mohammed Hassan Awwad, he was among the first to compose and publish Arabic poems in modern format, starting in the 1920s.
He is also well known for his writings on ethical issues and social philosophy. In 1938 he gave a famous speech in Mecca addressing complex ethical concerns and advocating social and religious reform. His bold ideas led to his exile, with other Hejazi leaders, in Al-Massmak fort in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, sent there by King Abdul Aziz. Just after he was pardoned, he left Hejaz for Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, opposing the way things were run in his country.
He was influenced by key social and political leaders in the Hejaz such as Qassim Zainal and Mohammed Suroor Sabban
Mohammed Suroor Sabban
Mohammed Suroor Sabban was a prominent civil and state leader, politician, economist, publisher, and poet from Hejaz . He was born in Qunfodah, and raised in Mecca...
. His literary work was influenced by, among others, Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran Jubrān Khalīl Jubrān,Jibrān Khalīl Jibrān, or Jibrān Xalīl Jibrān; Arabic , January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer...
, Iliyya Abu Madi and Mikha'il Na'ima
Mikha'il Na'ima
Mikha'il Na'ima was a Lebanese author and poet of the New York Pen League.-Biography:...
.
Notable works
- Al-Rojollah 'Imad Al-Kholoqu Al-Fadil (speech on ethics)
- Rifat Akkl (work on ethics)
- Himar Hamzah Shihatta (work on ethics, religion and social reform)
- Diwan Hamzah Shihatta (complete poems)
- Ghadat Bulaqu (poetry)
- Eila Ibbnaty Sheiren (romantic literature; letters to his daughter in Jeddah)