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Abdul-Quddus Al-Ansari: Pioneer of the Saudi Novel and Founder of the Most Famous Magazine and Prominent Encyclopedia

Abdul-Quddus Al-Ansari: Pioneer of the Saudi Novel and Founder of the Most Famous Magazine and Prominent Encyclopedia

Ahwal Al-Ma'rifa – Special

One of the leading pioneers of the cultural and media renaissance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, his name became associated with the world of fiction and with the establishment of one of the most famous and prominent cultural magazines, Al-Manhal. He was the pioneering writer Abdulquddus Al-Ansari, who made a significant contribution to establishing a distinctive cultural foundation in the Kingdom. He began his cultural career by publishing a fictional work that scholars consider to have laid the foundation for the emergence of Saudi fiction.

Abdulquddus Al-Ansari (1324 AH / 1906 AD – 1403 AH / 1983 AD) was born in Medina and lived as an orphan of both parents. He was raised by his uncle, the renowned scholar Sheikh Muhammad Al-Tayyib Al-Ansari. He received his early education and memorized the Holy Qur’an at the Prophet’s Mosque. He then enrolled in the School of Religious Sciences in Medina and obtained its certificate.

In 1346 AH, the school had been established by Sayyid Ahmad Al-Fayd Abadi to facilitate religious and Arabic education. Sheikh Muhammad Al-Tayyib Al-Ansari was subsequently appointed head of its teachers, and Abdulquddus Al-Ansari enrolled there and graduated in 1346 AH. He then joined the Emirate of Medina as a junior employee. This took place on the first day of Ramadan in 1346 AH. After graduating from the School of Religious Sciences, Sayyid Ahmad Al-Fayd Abadi, the founder and owner of the school, asked him to become a teacher of Arabic literature there. Al-Ansari agreed and remained a teacher there for more than twelve years. Al-Ansari continued to advance through various positions in the Royal Court until 1359 AH, when he was transferred to Mecca to serve as editor-in-chief of the newspaper Umm Al-Qura. This was carried out by an order from King Abdulaziz addressed to the Emirate of Medina. He remained in this position until 1361 AH, when His Highness Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz, then Crown Prince, ordered that Al-Ansari be transferred to work in his office in Jeddah. He remained there until 1386 AH, after which he devoted himself completely to his magazine, Al-Manhal, which he established in 1355 AH, corresponding to 1937 AD, and continued to publish regularly. He also paid considerable attention to material antiquities and historical evidence alongside transmitted accounts. He authored his enduring encyclopedic work, "The History of Jeddah," in addition to his research on the history and antiquities of Medina and the Hijaz.

Pioneering Contributions to Fiction and Culture:

Abdulquddus Al-Ansari’s literary pioneering role was established by the fact that he was the first to publish a novel in Saudi narrative literature: "The Twins," which was published in 1349 AH / 1930 AD. This novel appears in various books and critical and academic studies dealing with the beginnings of Saudi fiction. Some critics even regard it as the first novel in the Arabian Peninsula. It was printed at Al-Taraqqi Press in Damascus, and on its title page the author described it as "the first novel in the Hijaz."

Critics described "The Twins" as a social reform novel. Its story revolves around the idea of the harmful influence of foreign education, the social and educational differences between local national schools and foreign schools, and the extent to which these two forms of education influenced the personalities of the two brothers in the novel.

Critic Dr. Hassan Al-Numai points out that the development of the Saudi novel passed through four main chronological stages. These stages are connected to the growth and development of society and its transition from simplicity and traditional patterns of thought and lifestyle to more complex and developed stages socially and culturally. He places "The Twins" within the first stage. It was followed by "Fikra" by Ahmad Al-Sibai, published in 1948, and "Al-Ba'th" by Muhammad Ali Maghribi in the same year. This stage concludes with "Natural Revenge" in 1954 by Muhammad Noor Joharji.

"The Twins" is weak in its artistic construction in terms of plot, events, description of time and place, characterization, analysis of the characters’ inner lives, depiction of conflict, dialogue, and so forth. However, it is strong in its central idea and conservative in its perspective. It reflects the sensitivity of the relationship between a cohesive Arab civilization and materialistic Western civilization. Dr. Hassan Al-Hazmi considers it the historical beginning of the Saudi novel, while Dr. Mansour Al-Hazmi regards it as the first stage in the emergence of the Saudi novel. Therefore, it is referred to as the stage of emergence and foundation.

Scope of Writing:

Abdulquddus Al-Ansari’s fields of writing were diverse, encompassing history, the antiquities of the Kingdom, travel literature, and linguistic studies in the Arabic language. Among his most prominent works in these fields are: "The Antiquities of Medina," "Reforms in the Language of Writing and Literature," "The Route of the Prophet’s Migration," "The History of Jeddah," "Palm Trees and Dates in the Lands of the Arabs," "With Ibn Jubayr on His Journey," "Investigations Concerning the Necessity of Including the Letter Jeem in Jeddah," and accounts of his journeys to Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Riyadh, and Al-Baha. In the field of literature, he wrote: "How Did Our Modern Literature Begin?", "With the Poet of the Arabs: Abdulmohsen Al-Kadhimi," and "King Abdulaziz in the Mirror of Poetry." He also published his poetry in a collection entitled "Al-Ansariyat."

His magazine, Al-Manhal, which he founded in 1355 AH (1937 AD), served as a major cultural platform that embraced the various manifestations of Saudi creativity across different literary genres, in addition to diverse cultural, historical, and academic studies and writings.

Thus, Abdulquddus Al-Ansari made a distinctive and influential contribution to the pioneering cultural scene in the Kingdom. He was a veteran writer and journalist, historian and archaeologist, and one of the pioneers of the cultural renaissance.

References:

Abdul-Quddus Al-Ansari: Pioneer of the Saudi Novel and Founder of the Most Famous Magazine and Prominent Encyclopedia
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