We used the Western style to express our own themes and stories. But don't forget that our heritage includes The Thousand and One Nights.

Naguib Mahfouz

Categorized in : Night Style Heritage

Visit me once each year, for it's wrong to abandon people forever... by Naguib Mahfouz

Visit me once each year, for it's wrong to abandon people forever.

forever people years

There are no heroes in most of my stories. I look at our society with a critical eye and find nothing extraordinary in the people I see.

eye hero people

Happy is he who can give himself up. by Naguib Mahfouz

Happy is he who can give himself up.

happiness giving

In the calculus of good deeds you have the most to gain. by Naguib Mahfouz

In the calculus of good deeds you have the most to gain.

good-deeds gains deeds

Art is a criticism of society and life, and I believe that if life became perfect, art would be meaningless and cease to exist.

perfect believe art

The real malady is fear of life, not of death by Naguib Mahfouz

The real malady is fear of life, not of death

malady fears-of-life real

Today's interpretations of religion are often backward and contra... by Naguib Mahfouz

Today's interpretations of religion are often backward and contradict the needs of civilization.

today civilization needs

The writer interweaves a story with his own doubts, questions, an... by Naguib Mahfouz

The writer interweaves a story with his own doubts, questions, and values. That is art.

doubt stories art

The Arab world also won the Nobel with me. I believe that international doors have opened, and that from now on, literate people will consider Arab literature also. We deserve that recognition.

doors believe people

It's clearly more important to treat one's fellow man well than to be always praying and fasting and touching one's head to a prayer mat.

touching prayer men

At my age it is unseemly to be pessimistic. by Naguib Mahfouz

At my age it is unseemly to be pessimistic.

pessimistic age birthday

Writing is for men who can think and feel, not mindless sensation seekers out of nightclubs and bars. But these are bad times. We are condemned to work with upstarts, clowns who no doubt got their training in a circus and then turned to journalism as the appropriate place to display their tricks.

writing men thinking

"Death by love is fairer by far than death by illness", said Amen... by Naguib Mahfouz

"Death by love is fairer by far than death by illness", said Amenhotep III.

illness said love-is

According to Islamic principles, when a man is accused of heresy, he is given the choice between repentance and punishment.

islamic choices men

History is full of people who went to prison or were burned at the stake for proclaiming their ideas. Society has always defended itself.

literature people ideas

I believe society has a right to defend itself, just as the individual has the right to attack that with which he disagrees.

individual i-believe believe

I started writing while I was a little boy. Maybe it's because I was reading a lot of books I admired, and thought that I would like to write something like that someday. Also, my love for good writing pushed me.

reading writing book

If the urge to write should ever leave me, I want that day to be... by Naguib Mahfouz

If the urge to write should ever leave me, I want that day to be my last.

literature want writing

I love Sufism as I love beautiful poetry, but it is not the answer. Sufism is like a mirage in the desert. It says to you, come and sit, relax and enjoy yourself for a while.

love-yourself relax beautiful

He seemed to be waiting for a miracle to save him from the depths his life had reached and take him to a land of dreams.

land waiting dream