His presence coincided with a historical phase that was apprehensive of everything new and suspicious of every different creative phenomenon, so he was deprived of the doctorate that would have adorned him, under a pretext that was not convincing at the time, which later proved to be baseless. Al-Surayhi Said left life, and this is an inevitable matter, leaving behind an impressive intellectual legacy just as his constant presence was impressive and striking. In his book (Al-Ruwis), he talks about the beginning of his awareness and says: (We fell between a dying primitiveness and a civilization that has not yet been born, between a primitiveness we no longer recognize and a civilization that has not acknowledged us). This contradiction – in my opinion – is what shaped his intellectual personality; for "things are distinguished by their opposites." He was a modernist, ever-renewing, and at the same time an authentic traditionalist; sometimes popular and at other times elitist; rural and Bedouin at times, and urban and civilized at other times. This multiplicity gave his intellectual and cognitive experience a special flavor – may Allah have mercy on him. The modernist trend emerged in the 1980s, and Al-Surayhi was one of its symbols. In contrast, a conservative trend – or revivalist, in reference to a phase in which revivalism dominated society and held the reins of the alleged truth – claimed to monopolize the truth, excommunicating and declaring heresy on the grounds that modernity was a departure from constants. Al-Surayhi was one of the victims of that phase, suffering exclusion and being deprived of the doctorate he deserved. Fate had it that he joined Okaz newspaper to immerse himself in journalistic and cultural work; this experience granted him a realistic perspective on life and society, and he was a creative addition to journalism and media. Abu Iqbal's body has departed, but his thought and creativity remain alive and eternal, as is the case with great creators who leave, yet their traces remain. Al-Surayhi left us fourteen books on various topics, the common denominator among them being creativity, enlightened thought, and a pure Arabic language that exudes enchanting eloquence and demonstrates his brilliance and high level of knowledge and thought. May Allah have mercy on you, Abu Iqbal, with vast mercy. * Former Director of Police in Taif
