Kamal Abdel-malek

Muhammad in the Modern Egyptian Popular Ballad (Studies in Arabic Literature, Vol 19) Kamal Abdel-malek

This volume provides a study of the life of the Prophet Muhammad as depicted in the repertoire of 51 contemporary Egyptian singers. The repertoire ranges from narrative ballads, classical odes and Qur'anic chantings to melodies of the secular songs of well-known Egyptian singers. The "people's" Muhammad appears as both a commanding figure, empowered by the supernatural, and a vulnerable human being, and provides this study with material for its discussion of a subject that has not received much serious scholarly attention to date.