The Arab Institute for Research and Publication has issued a new edition of an old book. The book, entitled ‘Autobiography of a Traveler: The journey of an Al-Azhar Sheikh to Europe,’ was written by Sheikh Mustapha Abdul Razzaq. It deals with his trip to Paris and other European cities in the years 1909-1914.
On June 22, 1909, Sheikh Mustapha went from Cairo to Port Said. From there he sailed to Marseille and then went by train to Paris. On this trip, Mr. Ahmad Lutfi Al-Sayed, the editor of a popular newspaper, accompanied him. Sheikh Mustapha spent three years in France and did not return to Egypt until July, 1912.
One of the sheikh’s friends wrote, “Sheikh Mustapha went to Paris in 1909 where he learned French and studied social science, literature and history. In 1911, he traveled to Lyon to study Islamic Shariah. He later taught Arabic at a college in Lyon.”
In 1912, he returned to Egypt where his mother was very sick. After her death, the family agreed that he should return to France and that his brother, Ali, should go to England. They arrived in Marseille on Oct. 14; from there they went to Lyon and then continued on to Paris. They stayed in Paris until Oct. 24 when Ali went to London. The two brothers stayed in contact by letter. Sheikh Mustapha remained in France until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Many Egyptian families urged their relatives who were in Europe to return to Egypt before they were stranded. Sheikh Mustapha was lucky enough to find a place on one of the ships sailing to Egypt and he arrived there at the end of 1914.
‘Autobiography of a Traveler’ was the title Sheikh Mustapha chose before he started to write about his journey. He wanted the reader to read about the differences in the two worlds; he compared literature, economics, art and politics in illustrating the differences.
He compares East and West in terms of food, drink and even in the behavior of the police. There is no doubt that he loved Paris; he said it was the capital of the world.
