Personal Info
- Country of residence: Jordan
Information
Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Saif, known as
Mahmoud Ibrahim, (Abu Jihad; 1924 - March 2, 1999) was a writer and scholar of
Arabic literature from the Palestinian city of Tulkarm. He was the dean of the
Faculty of Arts at the University of Jordan from 1980 until 1983, and Professor
of Honor in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature. At the university,
and a member of the Jordanian Arabic Language Academy.
his biography
Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Seif was born
in 1924 in the Palestinian city of Tulkarm, the same city in which his nephew,
writer Walid Seif, was born and raised. Mahmoud obtained a bachelor's and
master's degree from the University of London, and was the first to translate
Al-Mutanabbi at the University of London in 1947. In 1965, he obtained a
doctorate in "Philosophy in Arabic Studies" from the same university.
He worked as a teacher in the
historic Fadhiliya School in the city of Tulkarm, and from 1965 until 1968 he
held the position of Assistant Undersecretary of the Jordanian Ministry of
Education, then he worked in teaching at the University of Jordan from 1968
until his death in 1999, and he also worked as a teacher in Libya.
During the seventies, he was a
member of the Jordanian Committee for Arabization, Translation and Publishing,
and he represented Jordan in the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and
Science (ALECSO) of the League of Arab States, whose aim is to preserve Arab
culture.
He worked as Dean of the Faculty of
Arts at the University of Jordan from 1980 until 1983, and was an Honorary
Professor in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the
University. He also held the position of Vice President of the University, and
he is a member of the Jordanian Arabic Language Academy, and one of the
founders of the Islamic Movement in Jordan.
In 1985, the International Islamic
Literature Association chose him as a member of the Association for his
participation in strengthening relations between Muslim writers.
of his writings
He has a number of books, including:
Florence in the Age of Dante,
translation, 1967.
The Concept of Jihad in Islam, 1969.
Echo of the Crusader Invasion in the
Poetry of Ibn al-Qaisrani, 1971.
The Muslim Girl and the Requirements
for Her Upbringing in Today's Society, 1972.
Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi in issues of
man, language and science, 1974.
The Translation Movement in the Arab
World, 1974.
"The Virtues of Jerusalem in
Old Arabic Manuscripts", 1985.
Songs of an Arab Prince, 1988.
Achievements and Awards
decorations
In the nineties of the twentieth
century, the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, awarded him the Jerusalem Medal
for Culture, Literature and Arts, in honor and appreciation for him.
his personal life
His nephew is the Palestinian writer
Walid Saif. Walid married Iman, who is the daughter of his uncle Mahmoud.
Mahmoud Ibrahim Saif was the one who
received in 1993 the Jordanian King Hussein bin Talal, who submitted a request
for the hand of Rania Al-Yassin to Prince Abdullah bin Al-Hussein at the time,
where Mahmoud spoke and answered on behalf of the Rania family.
his death
He passed away on the morning of
Tuesday, March 2, 1999, at the age of 75. A large number of Jordanian,
Palestinian, and Arab personalities, writers, and politicians mourned his
death, including the Jordanian Prime Minister at the time, Abd al-Raouf
al-Rawabdeh, the former Jordanian Prime Minister Ahmed Obeidat, the former
Jordanian Prime Minister Taher al-Masry, the former Jordanian Prime Minister
Abdul Salam al-Majali, and the Chief Justice of Jordan. Izz al-Din al-Tamimi,
and the head of the Jordanian Arabic Language Academy, Abdul Karim Khalifa, and
many others.
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