The Reflections

<p style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:0cm;font-size:15px;font-family:Calibrisans-serif;'><span style='font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Romanserif;'>This book offers a faithful English translation of <em>An-Nazarat</em> ('The Reflections') by Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfaluti a distinguished essayist from the era of the Nahda or the Modern Arabic Literary Renaissance in Egypt. Al-Manfaluti's magnum opus first published in 1910 is a rich collection of short stories essays and a few adapted translations originally featured in Egypt's al-Mu'ayyad newspaper.</span></p><p style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:0cm;font-size:15px;font-family:Calibrisans-serif;'><span style='font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Romanserif;'>With a sharp reflective eye al-Manfaluti captures the vibrant tapestry of life inviting readers to explore the intricate interplay of cultural identity and the dynamic evolution of society. His works which John A. Haywood describes as spanning the 'whole gamut of current ethical and social problems' offer a glimpse into the early 20th-century Egyptian zeitgeist touching on themes of political nationalism pan-Islamic aspirations and religious reform.</span></p><p style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:0cm;font-size:15px;font-family:Calibrisans-serif;'><span style='font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Romanserif;'>Al-Manfaluti's unique almost highbrow style with its distinct lustre sets his writings apart. Abdul-Sattar Jawad compares him to the Romantic essayist Lamb noting al-Manfaluti's use of personal reminiscences stories interest in the natural past and prose poems often reinforced with verse quotations.</span></p><p style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:0cm;font-size:15px;font-family:Calibrisans-serif;'><span style='font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Romanserif;'>Hailed as a genius in the art of literary composition and prose-writing and a leader in pure stylistic diction al-Manfaluti's <span style='font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Romanserif;'><em>An-Nazarat</em></span> remains a seminal work for those interested in the Middle East and the Nahda period a melting pot of social and literary significance.</span></p>