Hamza Shehata (1910/11-1971/72) was a philosopher, poet and civic leader from the Hejaz in the western part of modern

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

. The eccentric Hejazi genius was born in

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...

and raised in Jeddah.Biographical details in ''The Literature of Modern Arabia'' (ed. S.K. Jayyusi), Kegan Paul International, 1988 He studied at the Al-Falah School (established in 1905), then moved to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

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 1940 he gave a famous speech in Mecca addressing complex ethical concerns and advocating social and religious reform. His bold ideas and political activism led to his exile in 1931, along with other Hejazi leaders and youth, in Al-Massmak fort in

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...

, sent there by

King Abdul Aziz Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...

. Just after he was pardoned, he left Hejaz for

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

, 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 Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...

, Iliyya Abu Madi and

Mikha'il Na'ima Mikha'il Nu'ayma ( ar, ميخائيل نعيمة, ; US legal name: Michael Joseph Naimy), better known in English by his pen name Mikhail Naimy (October 17, 1889 – February 28, 1988), was a Lebanese poet, novelist, and philosopher, famous for ...

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)

Hamza Shehata in film

In 2013, filmmaker Mahmoud Sabbagh created, produced and directed a documentary on Hamza Shahata, titled: "Memories of Old Mecca; Hamza Shahata's Story".

References

People from Jeddah 20th-century Saudi Arabian poets Saudi Arabian writers 1910s births 1972 deaths Recipients of Saudi Arabian royal pardons {{SaudiArabia-bio-stub