Abu al-ʻAlaʼ al-Maʻarri

Abu al-Ala al-Maarri (973-1057) was a blind Arab poet, philosopher, and freethinker of the Abbasid era, born near Aleppo. Renowned for his mastery of language and his fearless skepticism toward religion and received wisdom, he remains among the most original and controversial voices in classical Arabic literature.