WRITER

Al-Maʿarri

973 - 1057

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Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri, Arabic: أبو العلاء المعري,(December 973 – May 1057), also known by his Latin name Abulola Moarrensis; was an Arab philosopher, poet, and writer from Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, Syria. Because of his irreligious worldview, he is known as one of the "foremost atheists" of his time. Born in the city of al-Ma'arra (present-day Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, Syria) during the later Abbasid era, he became blind at a young age from smallpox but nonetheless studied in nearby Aleppo, then in Tripoli and Antioch. Producing popular poems in Baghdad, he refused to sell his texts. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Al-Maʿarri is the 692nd most popular writer (down from 434th in 2019), the 31st most popular biography from Syria (down from 18th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular Syrian Writer.

Al-Maʿarri was a poet and philosopher from Syria who wrote in Arabic. He is most famous for his work "The Epistle of Forgiveness," which was a response to the "Epistle of Forgiveness" by Al-Ghazali.

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Among WRITERS

Among writers, Al-Maʿarri ranks 692 out of 7,302. Before him are Walter Raleigh, Frano Selak, Gregory of Narek, Vittoria Colonna, Maurice Blanchot, and Tyrtaeus. After him are Sidonius Apollinaris, Ismail Gaspirali, Muriel Spark, Maurice Denis, Antonio Tabucchi, and Tatian.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 973, Al-Maʿarri ranks 4. Before him are Al-Biruni, Murasaki Shikibu, and Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor.  Among people deceased in 1057, Al-Maʿarri ranks 3. Before him are Macbeth, King of Scotland, and Pope Victor II. After him are Reginald I, Count of Burgundy, Edward the Exile, Otto III, Duke of Swabia, and Leofric, Earl of Mercia.

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In Syria

Among people born in Syria, Al-Maʿarri ranks 31 out of 210. Before him are Antiochus II Theos (-286), Avidius Cassius (130), Zimri-Lim (-1800), Michel Aflaq (1910), Ibn al-Nafis (1212), and Abdul Halim Khaddam (1932). After him are Bassel al-Assad (1962), Amin al-Hafiz (1921), Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292), Yazid II (687), Al-Walid II (706), and Odaenathus (220).

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Among WRITERS In Syria

Among writers born in Syria, Al-Maʿarri ranks 2. Before him are Khaled al-Asaad (1932). After him are Heliodorus of Emesa (250), Nizar Qabbani (1923), Adunis (1930), Andrew of Crete (660), Herodian (170), Abu Tammam (788), Cassius Longinus (213), Usama ibn Munqidh (1095), Jurji Zaydan (1861), and Ahmad ibn Arabshah (1389).

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