This is a new kind of research on the history of Arabic poetry, unprecedented in our region. I am almost certain that many will receive it with displeasure, while others will turn away from it. Yet, despite their disapproval, I wish to publish this research. I have already presented it to my students at the university; it is no secret when shared with more than two hundred people.

On Pre-Islamic Poetry is a book by the Egyptian writer Taha Hussein, published in 1926. After receiving criticism, he republished it under a new title, 'Pre-Islamic Literature', removing the four chapters that sparked public debate.

In the book, Taha Hussein discusses the state of Arabic literature in the last fifty years.