7 of The Greatest Arab Love Stories of All Time
Bazaar Arabia compiles the most culturally transformative love stories in the history of the Arab world
Who are the Romeos and Juliets of the Arab world? Which ill-fated yet tragically passionate tales of star-crossed lovers are permanently woven into the region’s cultural DNA? Once upon a time, in the very distant and not-too-distant past, a select number of iconic romances shaped Arab history as we know it – symbolising the transformative and transcendental power of love beyond all societal limitations.
Ancient love stories are forever engrained in our memory and, in the same vein, the modern Arab era’s intense stories of love and loss – whether they be in the realm of Arabic literature, poetry, or cinema – have left audiences in a feverish daze, depicting just how deeply true love runs, and just how painful the sting of heartbreak can be.
Here, Bazaar Arabia compiles seven of the most epic and culturally transformative real-life Arab love stories. It is worth noting that each of these Arab love stories is historically accurate, despite the fact that the tales might seem mystical, mythical, or folkloric due to their magically romantic nature.
7 of The Greatest Arab Love Stories of All Time
Arab Love Stories in Ancient Eras
Layla and Majnun
One of the most famous Arab tales of forbidden love is that of Layla and Majnun, dating back to the 7th-century in the Arabian Peninsula. Majnun literally translates to crazy, symbolising the Bedouin poet Qays Ibn Al-Mulawwah’s uncontrollable and obsessional love for his one and only, Layla Bint Mahdi.
Majnun was head over heels for Layla, and despite the reciprocal nature of their love; Layla’s father tragically gave her hand in marriage to another man named Ibn Salam. The intensity of Qays’ heartbreak propelled him to live in the wilderness as a madman, hence the name Majnun.
Qays went on to compose poetry in honour of his star-crossed lover, Layla, which became greatly renowned in the Arab world due to the ardor and intensity of Majnun’s love. The 12th-century Muslim poet Nizami Ganjavi immortalised Layla and Majnun’s love in his world-renowned poem, with the title Majnun and Layla, within his five-part body of work titled Khamsa.
The story of forbidden love between Majnun and Layla is one of the most iconic Arab love stories and allegories of all time, depicting the intense and obsessional power of love, and the effects of societal limitations and pressures on its fruition.
Jameel and Bouthaina
The tragic story of Jameel and Bouthaina is yet another Arabian tale of forbidden love, dating back to the late 7th century during the Umayyad period. Jameel Ibn Mamar was a Bedouin poet from the Bani Udhra tribe of Madinah, located in what is now AlUla in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Jameel fell deeply in love with Bouthaina for her rebellious character and tenacious spirit. The courageous and chivalrous equestrian ended up asking her father for Bouthaina’s hand in marriage – but alas, he was informed that she had already been promised to another man. Heartbroken to the point of madness yet still enamoured, Jameel immortalised his love for Bouthaina in his passionate works of poetry. He went on to become one of the most prominent and renowned poets in the history Arab civilisation, praised for his eloquence, his lyrical and melodious ghazal style, and his chaste approach to love in accordance with the values of that era.
The late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish would go on to honour Jameel and Bouthaina’s story of forbidden love and painful loss in his own poem, titled Jameel, Bouthaina, and I.
Antar and Abla
This tragic Arabian love story dates back to the 6th century in Najd – located in the northern portion of modern-day Saudi Arabia.
Antar was a black slave in the Bani Abs tribe, whilst Abla was the daughter of his master. Antar was a man of exceptional strength and nobility – but in an unjust era of slavery, the colour of his skin served as a permanent reminder of his servitude. One fateful day, as Antar was filling a water jug in his master’s tent, he saw Abla for the first time and instantly fell in love with her. The only way to express the intensity of his love for Abla was through poetry. Over time, Antar would become one of the top poets of Arabian Peninsula – and his work lives on even today.
One night, the free men of Bani Abs were on duty and left the women of their tribe behind. What started off as a women’s celebration swiftly turned into terror when twenty foreign warriors ambushed the tribe, intending to capture and enslave the women. Abla desperately called for help, and when Antar identified her distinctive voice, he ragefully took down all 20 men with his bare hands – strangling the man who attempted to capture his love. Abla thanked Antar for his heroic act of bravery, and her gentle touch brought him down to his knees. She vowed to make all the men of Bani Abs aware of his nobility.
Soon, the news of Antar’s courage reached the leader of the tribe, Sheik Malik. Antar’s status in the dominance hierarchy began to mount, and the momentum led him to ask Shaddad, Abla’s uncle, to take him as his son. Thus, the famous poet Antarah Ibn Shaddad was born.
The other men of the tribe grew increasingly resentful of Antar, envious of the admiration that he constantly received. It was in those circumstances that Antar asked for his beloved Abla’s hand in marriage – and the truth was, her father was as displeaed with Antar as the rest of Bani Abs. Instead of simply refusing his proposal, Abla’s father cunningly schemed to get rid of Antar for good.
As such, Abla’s father accepted Antar’s proposal on the condition that he provide three thousand red camels as a dowry for his daughter. Red camels, of course, were a rarity – and only king Noaman of Iraq was in possession of such a mighty herd. Abla’s father precisely wanted Antar to attempt robbery and die at the hands of the king.
But in pursuit of Abla, nothing was impossible for Antar. He tirelessly travelled to reach his far destination, and upon arrival, he somehow convinced the king to provide him with all three-thousand camels, in exchange for which Antar vowed to fight in his army for a period of 2 years.
The outcome of Abla and Antar’s love story is uncertain, and we do not know whether her father ended up standing in the way of their union or even killing Antar. What is certain, however, is that Antar has gone down in history as the man who did the impossible for the love of his life. Antara Ibn Shaddad went on to create some of the most renowned works of poetry in the history of the Arab world.
Arab Love Stories in Contemporary Poetry
Kahlil Gibran and May Ziadah
Gibran Kahlil Gibran is undeniably one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, having solidified his legendary status with his highly successful book The Prophet. The Lebanese writer immigrated to the United States at the tender age of 12, acquiring dual nationality (Lebanese-American.)
May Ziadah was a Lebanese-Palestinian poet and writer in her own right – a great thinker who constantly questioned the status quo in her intellectual compositions. The pair’s shared intellect led them to form a cerebral and emotional bond over the course of 19 years – carrying on until Gibran’s death in 1931.
Still, there was one caveat to their story: The pair never met in person. Although they were fated to remain apart, Gibran and May were intellectually and spiritually bound, keeping their passionate love alive in the form of letters.
Eventually, the correspondences exchanged between Gibran and May throughout their 19-year relationship were compiled into a book titled Blue Flame: The Love Letters of Kahlil Gibran to May Ziadah.
Nizar Qabbani and Balqis
Dubbed Syria’s national poet, Nizar Qabbani is one of the most eminent contemporary figures in the Arab world. The Damascus native instantly fell in love with Balqis Al-Rawi at a poetry recital, at which point Nizar was known for serenading women with his passionate and romantic poems. Balqis was the daughter of a respected Iraqi official, and although her father strongly disapproved of their relationship, the lovers ended up trying the knot and emigrating to Beirut, where Balqis worked in the capital’s Iraqi embassy.
On a gruesome winter’s day during the Lebanese Civil War in 1981, while Balqis was on duty, the entire Iraqi embassy burst into smithereens after being bombed by an unidentified man. After his beloved wife’s passing, Nizar never quite recovered. Grief-stricken to the point of poetic paralysis, the renowned poet stopped writing about love altogether from that point onwards – and the Arab world collectively mourned.
In honour of his late wife Balqis, Nizar wrote the following words which soon constituted one of the most heartbreaking poems in the Arab world:
“Do you know my darling Balqis?
She is the most important text of the works of love,
She was a sweet mix
Of velvet and marble.
In her eyes was violet
Sleeping without sleeping.
Balqis,
Perfume in my memory!
O tomb, travelling in the clouds!
They killed you in Beirut, like just any gazelle,
After killing speech itself.
Balqis,
This is not an elegy,
But to the Arabs, a farewell,
Balqis,
We miss you… we miss you… we miss you…”
A Poem for Balqis (1982)
Arab Love Stories in Egyptian Cinema
Fareed Al Atrash and Samia Gamal
Fareed Al Atrash is, without a doubt, one of the greatest Arab musicians of all time. Dubbed the King of Oud, Fareed helped democratise the traditional Arabic instrument with his stellar musical performances on and off screen. The Syrian-Egyptian icon’s acting breakthrough occurred when he starred in Intisar Al-Shabab (1941).
Fareed subsequently starred in some of the most iconic movies in Arab cinema, most notably alongside renowned actress and belly dancer Samia Gamal. The pair namely starred side by side in Habib El-Omr (1947), Ahebbak Enta (1949), Ma Takulshi La Hada (1952), and Little Miss Devil (1949) among other iconic Egyptian films.
Fareed and Samia’s love story is one of the most renowned romances in the history of Egyptian Cinema. Sadly, the star-crossed lovers went their separate ways due to Fareed’s unwillingness to marry. According to Arab News, on the topic of marriage as an actor, Fareed expressed, “What woman would be able to stand a husband that stays out all night and comes home early in the morning, sleeps all morning then goes for interviews and for work? Our life is unstable and unorganized.” Although the couple was not meant to be, audiences cannot seem to forget their profound love, undeniable chemistry, and charming repartee both on and off screen.
Omar Sharif and Faten Hamama
Bazaar Arabia‘s final epic romance follows the story of two iconic Egyptian actors, Omar Sharif and Faten Hamama. It is the most long-lasting love story of our list, making its unfortunate dissolution all the more tragic. The Egyptian cinema legends shared a love so deep, so intense, that it represented the transcendental power of love, beyond all religious and societal limitations, in the Arab world.
In 1953, during the Golden Age of Egyptian cinema, 23-year-old Faten was already a huge movie star, dubbed The Lady of the Arab Screen. She would agree to share her first on-screen kiss in Siraa Fil Wadi (1954), with a less famous yet incredibly handsome and charming actor named Michel Shalhoub. Michel would fall madly in love with Faten, eventually converting to Islam and changing his name to Omar Sharif in order to marry her.
Upon meeting the delicate and graceful Faten for the first time, whilst auditioning for a role alongside the mega-star, Omar (then Michel) was so nervous that he bizarrely began to recite a speech from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (“To be or not to be…”) Although she spoke not a word of English at the time, Faten was impressed and Omar consequently landed the role.
The couple wed in 1955, entering into a magical 20-year long relationship that defied all religious and societal odds. After starring alongside one another in a multitude of iconic Arabic movies, and sharing their son, Tarek, the pair ended up separating in 1974. What caused their divorce?
Omar’s elite acting skills and unparalleled charm soon caught the eyes of Hollywood producers, and he ended up landing a role in the iconic British film Lawrence of Arabia (1963). This required the actor to travel away from his family for extended periods of time, a reality which did not subside when Omar secured a role in the iconic Funny Girl (1968) alongside the sensational Barbara Streisand. In short, Omar became a big Hollywood star — and the price he had to pay for his newfound global notoriety was his sense of belonging to his wife, family, and homeland at large.
In an emotional interview, Omar vulnerably expressed, “Faten and I lived together for 15 years. I wasn’t always ecstatic all the time, but when I realised that I was unable to live with any other woman, I realized just how deeply I loved her.”
Following their painful divorce in 1974, Faten went on to remarry an Egyptian doctor and continued starring in culturally transformative films. Omar, on the other hand, was overcome with loneliness and heartbreak, never to remarry again.
The couple permanently went their separate ways, and in 2015, the iconic Lady of The Arab Screen passed away. Omar followed her just six months later.
Lead image courtesy of @mimisorayaghali