Modern Arabic literature

The instance that marked the shift in the whole of Arabic literature can be attributed to the contact that took place between the Arab World and the West during the 19th and early 20th century. This contact resulted with the gradual replacement of Classical Arabic forms with the Western ones, as exemplified in plays, novels, and short stories. Although the exact date in which this reformation occurred is not known, the process is usually referred to as the Arabic nahda (revival or renaissance)

The development that Arabic Literature witnessed by the end of the 19th century was not merely in the form of reformation; both Germanos Farhat (1732) and al-Allusi in Iraq had previously attempted to inflict some development on literature in the 18th century. On the other hand, modern Arabic literature fully appeared through the interdependence between two important movements: the revival of the classical Arabic tradition and the translation of foreign literature. Advocates of the former movement began their work at the onset of the 19th century to resist the decline Arabic literature and its styles were facing. High quality traditional literary models were thus disseminated and imitated to create new literary models. Meanwhile, proponents of the translation movement, included authors such as Ibrahim al-Yaziji (1871) from the Levant, Ali Mubarak (1893) from Egypt, and Mahmoud Shukri al-Alusi (1923) from Iraq. Both Mubarak and al-Yaziji wrote the Maqamat (lengthy literary works of rhymed prose) "Alam Eddin" and "Majma' al-Bahrain" [Where Two Seas Meet] respectively, while al-Alusi wrote "Balaghat al-Arab" [The Eloquence of Arabs]. Other factors including journalism and the literature of the diaspora helped in the shaping and development of the Arabic literature.

The translation movement began on the hands of Egypt's Governor Muhammad Ali Pasha while forming his army. He fostered the movement by importing the first printer in 1828 A.D. to Egypt (the second printer was brought later to Syria). Among the most prominent translators during that time was Rif'a Rifa'a al-Tahtawi, who translated many scientific books for the army's use. Al-Tahtawi's influence is mostly recognized, however, in his "Talkhis al-Ibriz" or 'Paris's Profile', in which he documented his visit to Paris. This book, written in a rather modern style, is an account of the political and social conditions in France during that time. Al-Tahtawi was also the translator of the first literary novel into Arabic 'Tilimak' by French writer Fenelon. However, the mark al-Tahtawi left on the literary reformation was witnessed later via his different contributions.

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