Professor Nasir Al-Din Al-Asad
King Faisal Prize in Arabic Language and Literature 1982 Laureate
Topic: "Studies on Ancient Arabic Literature from the Pre-Islamic Era to the End of the 1st Century A.H."
Language is the most crucial entity of every nation’s culture
Nasir Al-Din Al-Asad obtained his BA and Ph.D. degrees in Arabic Language from Fuad Al-Awal University in Cairo in 1955. Then, he lectured at the Arab University and Institute for Research and Studies in Cairo before returning to his country to assist in establishing the Jordanian University. He was a Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, the Dean of the College of Arts and twice the President of the same University. He is also the President of Ahlia (Private) University in Jordan.
Professor Al-Asad is a distinguished intellectual, with significant contributions to the study of Arabic literature during pre-Islamic and early Islamic eras. This is best illustrated by his book The Sources of Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry and their Historical Importance (in Arabic). He has also written extensively on modern literary arts in Jordan and Palestine and on various aspects of Arabic language, history and Islamic studies. In addition, he edited five books and translated Antonius’s The Arab Awakening jointly with Ihsan Abbas.
Aside from his diverse cultural and intellectual pursuits, Professor Al-Asad held several prestigious offices in the Jordanian Government including his appointment as President of the Royal Jordanian Academy for Research on the Islamic Civilization, Jordan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Minister of Higher Education.
Professor Al-Asad is an Honorary Professor at the Jordanian University. He has also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Israa University and AbdAl-Hamid Shuman Prize. In addition to the King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Literature, he received numerous awards, national decorations and memberships of learned institutions including the Arabic Language academies in Cairo, Amman, Damascus and Morocco, the Aligarh Islamic Academy in India.
This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.
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- He occupied many positions including:
- Member of the Moroccan Academy in 1988.
- Member of the International Council for Al-Furqan Company in London in 1991.
- Member of the Royal Committee for Al-Bait University for Arts and Sciences in 1992.
- President of the Amman Private University 1991-1993.
- Member of the Royal Committee for Al-Quds Matters in 1994.
- Honorary Member of the Chinese-Arabic Languages Academy in 1994.
- He received many awards including:
- Sultan Al-Owais Cultural Prize in Critical and Literary Studies in 1995.
- The Egyptian State Prize in Literature in 2003.
- Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 2011.
- He authored many books including:
- He occupied many positions including:
- Tasaworat Islamyyah Fi Al-Ta’aleem Al-Jamiea Wa Al-Baheth Al-Elmi (Maktabat Rawaea Majdalawie), (1996).
- Nahn Wa Al-Aakhr Sera’a Wa Hiwar (Al-Muasasah Al-Arabiyah Li Al-dirasat Wa Al-Nasher), (1997).
- Al-Shear Al-Hadeeth Fi Palestine and Jordan Hatta Sanat 1950 (Dar Al-Fateh), (2009).
- Alfath Min Al-Quran Al-Kareem (Dar Al-Fateh), (2009).
- Professor Nasir Al-Din Al-Asad passed away in Amman on 21/5/2015.