Arabský básník Abú al-Alá al-Maarrí – Dvořák Rudolf (2024)

When I was exploring the work of Professor Rudolf Dvořák, I was pleasantly surprised by his lecture on the life and thoughts of one of the greatest Arab poets, al-Maari, who became famous not only for his poetry, vegetarianism, humanity, and celibacy but also for his views criticizing certain aspects of Islam and Arab society. In the time of al-Maari's life, it was quite bold of him to publicly question Islam at all, as it was already a time when Muslim orthodoxy had gained significant social power, punishing any challenge to Islam and what it deems Islamic with death. Al-Maari was generally pessimistic and strongly rationalistic. Here are a few of his preserved poems for illustration: 'Everyone is mistaken – Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians. Humanity is accompanied by two global sects: one, intelligent people without religion, and the other, religious people without intellect.' 'Do not think that the statements of the prophets are true; all of that is fiction. People lived comfortably until (the prophets) came and spoiled life. Sacred books are merely a collection of made-up stories that could have been written in any age, and indeed they were written.' The figure of al-Maari is controversial as well...