Tawfik Al Hakim – توفيق الحكيم

Tawfiq al-Hakim was born in Alexandria on October 9, 1901, into a middle-class family. His father was a police officer, and his mother was of Turkish origin. From an early age, he showed a strong passion for reading and spent long hours immersed in books.

Al-Hakim studied law at the Faculty of Law in Cairo, fulfilling his father’s wish. After graduation, he traveled to France in the 1920s to continue his legal studies. In Paris, he was exposed to French life, theater, arts, and philosophy. This period shaped his literary vision, which blended Eastern heritage with Western civilization.

Tawfiq al-Hakim became one of the pioneers of Arabic literature and theater. His plays combined philosophical depth with dramatic art. Among his most famous works are The People of the Cave (1933), A Bullet in the Heart, Scheherazade, and Pygmalion. In the field of the novel, his masterpiece A Bird from the East (1938) reflected his Parisian experience and the conflict between East and West, offering deep criticism of Western civilization and a search for identity.

He was nicknamed the “Pioneer of Intellectual Theater” because of his ability to merge philosophical ideas with artistic creativity. Generations of writers and thinkers were influenced by him, and his works are still studied in Arab and Western universities alike. Al-Hakim is regarded as a cultural bridge between East and West, presenting a universal human vision in his literature.

For over half a century, Tawfiq al-Hakim remained a prominent figure in Arabic literature and thought. In 1987, he passed away, but his works continue to live on, inspiring readers and influencing world culture.

وُلِدَ تَوْفِيقُ الحَكِيمِ فِي مُدِينَةِ الإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ يَوْمَ التَّاسِعِ مِنْ أُكْتُوبَرَ سَنَةَ أَلْفٍ وَتِسْعِمِائَةٍ وَوَاحِدٍ (١٠٩١م). وَنَشَأَ فِي أُسْرَةٍ مُتَوَسِّطَةِ الدَّخْلِ، كَانَ وَالِدُهُ ضَابِطًا فِي الشُّرْطَةِ، أَمَّا وَالِدَتُهُ فَكَانَتْ مِنْ أُصُولٍ تُرْكِيَّةٍ. أَظْهَرَ مُنْذُ صِغَرِهِ مَيْلًا كَبِيرًا إِلَى القِرَاءَةِ وَحُبِّ الاِطِّلاَعِ، وَكَانَ يَقْضِي سَاعَاتٍ طَوِيلَةً فِي مُطَالَعَةِ الكُتُبِ.

الْتَحَقَ تَوْفِيقُ الحَكِيمُ بِكُلِّيَّةِ الحُقُوقِ تَحْتَ إِصْرَارِ وَالِدِهِ، وَبَعْدَ تَخَرُّجِهِ سَافَرَ إِلَى فَرَنْسَا فِي العِشْرِينَاتِ لِمُتَابَعَةِ دِرَاسَاتِهِ فِي القَانُونِ. وَفِي بَارِيسَ انْفَتَحَ عَلَى الحَيَاةِ الفَرَنْسِيَّةِ وَتَعَرَّفَ إِلَى عَالَمِ المَسْرَحِ وَالفُنُونِ وَالفَلْسَفَةِ. كَانَتْ هَذِهِ الفَتْرَةُ مَفْصَلِيَّةً فِي حَيَاتِهِ، إِذْ تَشَكَّلَتْ فِيهَا رُؤْيَتُهُ الأَدَبِيَّةُ الَّتِي مَزَجَتْ بَيْنَ التُّرَاثِ الشَّرْقِيِّ وَالمَدَنِيَّةِ الغَرْبِيَّةِ.

أَصْبَحَ تَوْفِيقُ الحَكِيمِ رَائِدًا مِنْ رُوَّادِ الأَدَبِ وَالمَسْرَحِ العَرَبِيِّ. قَدَّمَ أَعْمَالًا خَالِدَةً جَمَعَتْ بَيْنَ البُعْدِ الفَلْسَفِيِّ وَالفَنِّ الدِّرَامِيِّ، وَمِنْ أَشْهَرِ مَسْرَحِيَّاتِهِ: «أَهْلُ الكَهْفِ» (٣٣٩١م)، وَ«رِصَاصَةٌ فِي القَلْبِ»، وَ«شَهْرُزَاد»، وَ«بَجْمَات». أَمَّا فِي الرِّوَايَةِ فَقَدْ كَتَبَ عِدَّةَ أَعْمَالٍ بَارِزَةٍ، مِنْ أَهَمِّهَا رِوَايَةُ «عُصْفُورٌ مِنَ الشَّرْقِ» الَّتِي أَصْدَرَهَا عَامَ ٨٣٩١م، وَفِيهَا صَوَّرَ تَجْرِبَتَهُ فِي بَارِيسَ وَصِرَاعَ الشَّرْقِ وَالغَرْبِ، وَقَدَّمَ مِنْ خِلَالِهَا نَقْدًا عَمِيقًا لِلحَضَارَةِ الغَرْبِيَّةِ وَبَحْثًا عَنْ الهُوِيَّةِ.

لُقِّبَ تَوْفِيقُ الحَكِيمِ بِـ رَائِدِ المَسْرَحِ الذِّهْنِيِّ؛ لأَنَّهُ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الأَفْكَارِ الفَلْسَفِيَّةِ وَالقَضَايَا الإِنْسَانِيَّةِ فِي أُطُرٍ فَنِّيَّةٍ مُبْدِعَةٍ. تَأَثَّرَتْ بِهِ أَجْيَالٌ كَامِلَةٌ مِنَ الكُتَّابِ وَالمُفَكِّرِينَ، وَمَا زَالَتْ أَعْمَالُهُ تُدَرَّسُ فِي الجَامِعَاتِ العَرَبِيَّةِ وَالغَرْبِيَّةِ عَلَى حَدٍّ سَوَاءٍ. وَيُعَدُّ الحَكِيمُ جِسْرًا حَضَارِيًّا بَيْنَ الشَّرْقِ وَالغَرْبِ، إِذْ قَدَّمَ فِي أَدَبِهِ رُؤْيَةً إِنْسَانِيَّةً شَامِلَةً.

بَقِيَ تَوْفِيقُ الحَكِيمِ عَلَى مَدَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ نِصْفِ قَرْنٍ عَلَمًا بَارِزًا فِي الأَدَبِ وَالفِكْرِ العَرَبِيِّ. وَفِي سَنَةِ أَلْفٍ وَتِسْعِمِائَةٍ وَسِتٍ وَثَمَانِينَ (٧٨٩١م) أُسْدِلَ السِّتَارُ عَلَى حَيَاتِهِ، لَكِنَّ أَعْمَالَهُ مَا زَالَتْ حَيَّةً تُلْهِمُ القُرَّاءَ وَتُؤَثِّرُ فِي الثَّقَافَةِ العَالَمِيَّةِ.