Artistic depiction in the biography of Umar Al Farooq; a comparative study on Hussein Heikal’s Al Farooq Umar and Aqqad’s Abqariyyah Umar

Abstract

This research investigates artistic depiction in modern Arabic biographies by analyzing the biography of Umar ibn al-Khattab in two distinguished biographies: “Al-Farooq Umar” by Muhammad Hussein Heikal, and “Abqariyyah Umar” by Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad. The research focuses on the content and methods used in these two biographies, with particular attention to the literary aspects of the Arabic biographies. The research provides a comprehensive comparison between these two books, pointing out the similarities and differences in the way the life of Umar ibn al-Khattab was depicted. The research also includes an analysis of eleven biographies of Umar ibn al-Khattab from various sources, both ancient or modern, which sheds light on the evolution of styles of narrating in the biographies throughout the ages. To achieve these objectives, the research addresses the key questions: 1. What are the most important books that dealt with the biography of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, and what are their advantages? 2. What are the characteristics of the biographies of Muhammad Hussein Haikal? 3. How is Heikal distinguished from other writers in dealing with the biography of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab in "Al-Farooq Umar"? 4. What are the features of Abbas Mahmud Al-Aqqad's "Abqariyyah Umar"? 5. How is Al-Aqqad distinguished from other writers in dealing with the biography of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab in "Abqariyyah Umar"? 6. What are the elements of Artistic Depiction used in the book 'Al-Farooq Umar'? 7. What are the elements of artistic Depiction used in the book "Abqariyyah Umar"? 8. What are the similarities and differences between "Al Farooq Umar" and "Abqariyyah Umar"? This research consists of four chapters and fifteen sub chapters, and each chapter discusses specific area regarding the topic. The first chapter, entitled “Biography in Arabic Literature,” reviews the concept of biography and the development of its art in Arabic literature, with a focus on the elements of literature in biography and its objectives and its conditions. The second chapter deals with the analysis of the book “Al-Farooq Umar” by Muhammad Hussein Heikal, the initial section of this chapter focuses on Heikal's life and personality. Subsequently, the second section scrutinizes Heikal's Islamic biographies, while the third section provides an in depth analysis of the book "Al-Farooq Umar" itself. here the focus is on the new aspects brought by the author. The third chapter relates to the analysis of the book “Abqariyyah Umar” by Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad, In the initial section of this chapter, attention is directed towards Al-Aqqad's life and personality. Subsequently, the second section delves into the examination of the "Abqariyyath" series, while the third section provides an in-depth analysis of the book "Abqariyyah Umar" itself, with a focus on the novel contributions introduced by the author. Finally, the fourth chapter deals with the artistic Depiction in “Al-Farooq Umar” and “Abqariyyah Umar”, It consists of two sub chapters that individually review the artistic depiction in each book, and a chapter that compares the artistic depiction in the two biographies. Through an integrated methodology, the research provides an accurate vision of artistic depiction in the biographies, calling for the attention of the biographers to this artistic aspect that greatly attracts the attention of readers.