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مرمدوك بكثال: مسلم بريطاني
هذه السيرة رحلة ممتعة، كما كانت القصة الواقعية لبطلها؛ الأديب والكاتب الإنجليزي مرمدوك بكثال. منحنا هذه المتعة المؤلف السيد بيتر كلارك، وهو مغرم بصاحب السيرة، ويشاركه -رغم فارق الزمان- بعض وجوهها، فكلاهما إنكليزي عاش في الشرق وتعلق به، وكلاهما منغمس في الأدب وخاصة الرواية والسرد عن هذا العالم، وكانت حياة بكثال وثقافته ومغامراته غنية ومغرية بالدراسة والتتبع.
تمتع بكثال بعمق ووعي وانفتاح لقلب حيّ خلي من العقد، فأعطاه هذا الشرق أحسن ما فيه، مما ساعده أن يشارك في إدراك كثير من قضايا عصره، ويندمج بنضوج في شؤون العالم الإسلامي وثقافته ويصبح صاحب رؤية وتأثير في عصره، وقد واجه بشجاعة توجهات قومه السياسية والثقافية المتحيزة.
لم يعلم هذا الشاب الذي وقع في سحر كتاب “ألف ليلة وليلة” أن تلك البداية ستجره إلى القرآن ليبلغ الانفعال به تمامه، فيؤمن به، ويترجمه، ويدافع عن أمته، وبعد وفاته كانت زوجته ترتب أوراقه فإذا آخرُ سطر كتبه -كما هو منقوش على شاهد قبره- قوله تعالى: “بَلَى مَنْ أَسلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبه وَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِم وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ” البقرة،122.
تمتع بكثال بعمق ووعي وانفتاح لقلب حيّ خلي من العقد، فأعطاه هذا الشرق أحسن ما فيه، مما ساعده أن يشارك في إدراك كثير من قضايا عصره، ويندمج بنضوج في شؤون العالم الإسلامي وثقافته ويصبح صاحب رؤية وتأثير في عصره، وقد واجه بشجاعة توجهات قومه السياسية والثقافية المتحيزة.
لم يعلم هذا الشاب الذي وقع في سحر كتاب “ألف ليلة وليلة” أن تلك البداية ستجره إلى القرآن ليبلغ الانفعال به تمامه، فيؤمن به، ويترجمه، ويدافع عن أمته، وبعد وفاته كانت زوجته ترتب أوراقه فإذا آخرُ سطر كتبه -كما هو منقوش على شاهد قبره- قوله تعالى: “بَلَى مَنْ أَسلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبه وَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِم وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ” البقرة،122.
254 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1986
1 person is currently reading
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About the author
Peter Clark
27 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Dr Peter Clark, OBE is a writer and translator with degrees from Keele and Leicester universities. He has written books on Istanbul, on various British writers and has translated nine books from Arabic.
Peter worked for over 30 years in seven Arab countries for the British Council, designed the International Prize for Arabic Literature and has been a Contributing Editor of Banipal, the Magazine of Arab Literature since 1998. He has translated fiction, history, drama and poetry from Arabic since 1980.
Peter is married, has three grown up sons and a step-daughter and lives in Somerset. His hobbies are opera and marathon walking.
Dr Peter Clark, OBE is a writer and translator with degrees from Keele and Leicester universities. He has written books on Istanbul, on various British writers and has translated nine books from Arabic.
Peter worked for over 30 years in seven Arab countries for the British Council, designed the International Prize for Arabic Literature and has been a Contributing Editor of Banipal, the Magazine of Arab Literature since 1998. He has translated fiction, history, drama and poetry from Arabic since 1980.
Peter is married, has three grown up sons and a step-daughter and lives in Somerset. His hobbies are opera and marathon walking.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 9, 2018
This is a revision of my original review. British Muslim's latest edition is put out by Beacon Books at http://beaconbooks.net/books/. Most people know Pickthall as a translator the Qur'an unless they have stumbled upon a collection of his essays called Cultural Side of Islam or sometimes, Islamic Culture. (He also wrote a wonderful novel called Said the Fisherman.)
In British Muslim, Peter Clark confesses becoming obsessed with Pickthall, who became an "invisible presence" in his home for three years. That seems like an amazingly short period of time to write a research book like this, but when one comes to one's subject with an opinion to push, then it is understandable.
Clark's sources were mainly out of print periodicals as well as personal letters. I wish I could say that Peter Clark shows understanding of Marmaduke Pickthall, but I do not feel that is the case. I think Peter Clark views Pickthall the same way as the British authorities did during the time of WWI and right afterwards. Clark shows by his wording and observations that he finds Pickthall's love of Islam as unsavory and regrettable as the British government did.
Pickthall wrote extensively as a journalist, and Clark had to locate old editions of Islamic Culture, once published in Hyderbad, and the periodical Islamic Review from Woking, England, as well as New Age of London.
British Muslim describes an erudite, personable and self-thinking man not cowed by popular opinion--but again, as I said, if I am going to be honest, I do not think Clark admires Pickthall. I thinks Clark finds it appalling that he was pro-Ottoman, pro-separate peace and pro-Islam.
According to Clark, if not for his political ideas deemed dangerous in official circles, Pickthall's "talents as a linguist and as an authority on Syria, Palestine, and Egypt could have been used." Clark says he had a reputation for being a "rabid Turkophile" and therefore he was not offered the job with the Arab Bureau in Cairo, then under British rule, that subsequently went to T.E. Lawrence. Thus are world events swayed. In fact, Clark calls Pickthall "unemployable."
The greatest work of his life, for which so many English speaking Muslims are indebted to him, was not without turmoil. The translation of the "meaning" of the Qur'an (a distinction he always insisted upon) began around 1927 although as early as 1919 when he was acting imam in London, he used to translate passages, piecemeal, for the sake of Friday sermons. His was the first translation of the Qur'an made by a Muslim! At the time he began, Pickthall was teaching in the Nizamate of Hyderbad, an offshoot of the Moghal Empire which had "evaded absorption in the British Empire." The Nizam gave Pickthall special leave of absence on full pay for two years in order to complete the translation. Pickthall decided he should also procure approval from the ulama of al-Azhar in Cairo. he spent three months in Egypt, from November of 1929. and met some leading Egyptian writers, among whom was Taha Hussein, a blind professor of Arabic at the secular university of Cairo.
Hussein seemed to derive delight in annoying Pickthall and throwing obstacles in his way.Pickthall quickly saw through his opponent and later would write about " a certain scholar with a mania for the last Paris models in the way of thought. . . and whose taste for foreign ideas includes half-baked or wholly unbaked theories concerning the Arabic language, history and Islam."
The Egyptian trip was a failure. King Fuad, who was then toying with the idea of becoming the Caliph, did not support the notion of Pickthall's translation and the 'ulama were thrown in a flutter when it came out. They finally pronounced Pickthall's translation "unfit to be authorized." Ha. Pickthall's translation is still with us today, pronounced by some native Arabic speakers as the closest translation of any. May God bless him.
I have always been glad there has been at least one biography about Pickthall, but readers may feel dismay that the author does not feel the same love for his subject that they do.
In British Muslim, Peter Clark confesses becoming obsessed with Pickthall, who became an "invisible presence" in his home for three years. That seems like an amazingly short period of time to write a research book like this, but when one comes to one's subject with an opinion to push, then it is understandable.
Clark's sources were mainly out of print periodicals as well as personal letters. I wish I could say that Peter Clark shows understanding of Marmaduke Pickthall, but I do not feel that is the case. I think Peter Clark views Pickthall the same way as the British authorities did during the time of WWI and right afterwards. Clark shows by his wording and observations that he finds Pickthall's love of Islam as unsavory and regrettable as the British government did.
Pickthall wrote extensively as a journalist, and Clark had to locate old editions of Islamic Culture, once published in Hyderbad, and the periodical Islamic Review from Woking, England, as well as New Age of London.
British Muslim describes an erudite, personable and self-thinking man not cowed by popular opinion--but again, as I said, if I am going to be honest, I do not think Clark admires Pickthall. I thinks Clark finds it appalling that he was pro-Ottoman, pro-separate peace and pro-Islam.
According to Clark, if not for his political ideas deemed dangerous in official circles, Pickthall's "talents as a linguist and as an authority on Syria, Palestine, and Egypt could have been used." Clark says he had a reputation for being a "rabid Turkophile" and therefore he was not offered the job with the Arab Bureau in Cairo, then under British rule, that subsequently went to T.E. Lawrence. Thus are world events swayed. In fact, Clark calls Pickthall "unemployable."
The greatest work of his life, for which so many English speaking Muslims are indebted to him, was not without turmoil. The translation of the "meaning" of the Qur'an (a distinction he always insisted upon) began around 1927 although as early as 1919 when he was acting imam in London, he used to translate passages, piecemeal, for the sake of Friday sermons. His was the first translation of the Qur'an made by a Muslim! At the time he began, Pickthall was teaching in the Nizamate of Hyderbad, an offshoot of the Moghal Empire which had "evaded absorption in the British Empire." The Nizam gave Pickthall special leave of absence on full pay for two years in order to complete the translation. Pickthall decided he should also procure approval from the ulama of al-Azhar in Cairo. he spent three months in Egypt, from November of 1929. and met some leading Egyptian writers, among whom was Taha Hussein, a blind professor of Arabic at the secular university of Cairo.
Hussein seemed to derive delight in annoying Pickthall and throwing obstacles in his way.Pickthall quickly saw through his opponent and later would write about " a certain scholar with a mania for the last Paris models in the way of thought. . . and whose taste for foreign ideas includes half-baked or wholly unbaked theories concerning the Arabic language, history and Islam."
The Egyptian trip was a failure. King Fuad, who was then toying with the idea of becoming the Caliph, did not support the notion of Pickthall's translation and the 'ulama were thrown in a flutter when it came out. They finally pronounced Pickthall's translation "unfit to be authorized." Ha. Pickthall's translation is still with us today, pronounced by some native Arabic speakers as the closest translation of any. May God bless him.
I have always been glad there has been at least one biography about Pickthall, but readers may feel dismay that the author does not feel the same love for his subject that they do.
June 30, 2017
كتاب (ليس سيرة ذاتية) يتحدث عن بكثال، أو مترجم لتفسير القرآن للإنجليزية من شخص مسلم لغته الأم الإنجليزية
تحدث الفصل الأول عن حياته بشكل عام، ثم عن موقفه من تركيا، ثم عن إسلامه، ثم عن فترة عيشه في الهند وتأليف القرآن ، ثم روايته عن الشرق، ثم رواياته وقصصه عن أوروبا
أكثر ما أعجبني الجزء الذي تحدثت فيه عن بدايات الإسلام في بريطانيا،، فقد ذكرت أول مسجد أنشأ هناك، أول الإنجليز المسلمين، و ما فعلوا ،، وهو أمر أحسبه ثمنياً جداً ،،
تحدث الفصل الأول عن حياته بشكل عام، ثم عن موقفه من تركيا، ثم عن إسلامه، ثم عن فترة عيشه في الهند وتأليف القرآن ، ثم روايته عن الشرق، ثم رواياته وقصصه عن أوروبا
أكثر ما أعجبني الجزء الذي تحدثت فيه عن بدايات الإسلام في بريطانيا،، فقد ذكرت أول مسجد أنشأ هناك، أول الإنجليز المسلمين، و ما فعلوا ،، وهو أمر أحسبه ثمنياً جداً ،،
November 22, 2020
سيرة ذاتية تتقاطع مع العابر عليها بشكل كبير، تنوع ثقافي وجغرافي قصة ثرية جدا بالأحداث والمحاولات والاجتهادات الجادة، سيرة تستحق القراءة
January 24, 2017
سيرة ذاتيه للكاتب مرمدوك بكثال يكتبها بيتر كلارك
السيرة لا تتحدث بشكل مفصل عن حياته والجزء الأخير من الكتاب يتحدث عن مؤلفات بكثال (يختصر القصة ومن ثم يتحدث عن وجهة النظر عنها)
بكثال مرتبط بأحداث كثيرة في عالمنا العربي
مواقفه من الإستعمار البريطاني
و أحداث فلسطين مصر تركيا
وحتى الهند وغاندي
الكتاب ممتلأ بالأحداث المؤرخة ممايجعله أقرب لكتاب تاريخ لا يوجد تفاصيل كافية عن حياة بكثال مثل حياته قبل الإسلام وبعده كيف أثر هذا على حياته وجوانب أخرى
جعل الكتاب أشبه بسرد وثائق عن حياته السياسية
قام بترجمة القرآن ويذكر الصعوبات التي واجهته في مصر لأجل هذا الترجمة
(بعد وفاته كانت زوجته ترتب أوراقه فإذا آخر سطر كتبه-كما هو منقوش على شاهد قبره قوله تعالى
{بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ} [البقرة : 112])
السيرة لا تتحدث بشكل مفصل عن حياته والجزء الأخير من الكتاب يتحدث عن مؤلفات بكثال (يختصر القصة ومن ثم يتحدث عن وجهة النظر عنها)
بكثال مرتبط بأحداث كثيرة في عالمنا العربي
مواقفه من الإستعمار البريطاني
و أحداث فلسطين مصر تركيا
وحتى الهند وغاندي
الكتاب ممتلأ بالأحداث المؤرخة ممايجعله أقرب لكتاب تاريخ لا يوجد تفاصيل كافية عن حياة بكثال مثل حياته قبل الإسلام وبعده كيف أثر هذا على حياته وجوانب أخرى
جعل الكتاب أشبه بسرد وثائق عن حياته السياسية
قام بترجمة القرآن ويذكر الصعوبات التي واجهته في مصر لأجل هذا الترجمة
(بعد وفاته كانت زوجته ترتب أوراقه فإذا آخر سطر كتبه-كما هو منقوش على شاهد قبره قوله تعالى
{بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ} [البقرة : 112])
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September 10, 2025مع أنني لست من أنصار الرجل ولدي كثير من التساؤلات حوله وحول ترجمته لكن هذا الكتاب مشحون بنظرة ايديولوجية استعمارية غير نزيهة وعدائية إزاء الرجل.
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