ABSTRACT
The question has been raised whether people can see in Arafa of Awlad haritna the continuation of Kamal Abd al-Jawid of the Cairotrilogy. Najib Mahfuz defined his political belief in Awlad haritna and realized that the interpretation of humanity's history offered by scientific Socialism is the right interpretation. The feeling that Awlad haritna is an expression of faith in scientific Socialism stems from the assumption that Arafa represents knowledge of science — Him, which is conceived as a current in Islamic intellectual history that has always competed with religious faith. It seems possible that when Najib Mahfuz referred to Arafa's sihr — magic — as Him — knowledge — he offered a commentary which was meant to legitimize his Awlad haritna in the eyes of a certain part of the public. In itself, this construction of the story goes against the grain not only of Awlad haritna itself, but of almost all that had earlier been written by Najib Mahfuz.
