You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. – Naguib Mahfouz
The Arab world also won the Nobel with me. I believe that international doors have opened, and that from now on, literate people will consider Arab literature also. We deserve that recognition. – Naguib Mahfouz
I didn’t make any money from my writing until much later. I published about 80 stories for nothing. I spent on literature. – Naguib Mahfouz
My countrymen have the right to shake my hand and talk to me if they so wish. Don’t forget that their support and their reading of my works is what brought me the Nobel prize. – Naguib Mahfouz
History is full of people who went to prison or were burned at the stake for proclaiming their ideas. Society has always defended itself. – Naguib Mahfouz
In Egypt today most people are concerned with getting bread to eat. Only some of the educated understand how democracy works. – Naguib Mahfouz
An allegory is not meant to be taken literally. There is a great lack of comprehension on the part of some readers. – Naguib Mahfouz
I reject any path which rejects life, but I can’t help loving Sufism because it sounds so beautiful. It gives relief in the midst of battle. – Naguib Mahfouz
I accepted the interviews and encounters that had to be held with the media, but I would have preferred to work in peace. – Naguib Mahfouz
The writer interweaves a story with his own doubts, questions, and values. That is art. – Naguib Mahfouz
If you want to move people, you look for a point of sensitivity, and in Egypt nothing moves people as much as religion. – Naguib Mahfouz
I started writing while I was a little boy. Maybe it’s because I was reading a lot of books I admired, and thought that I would like to write something like that someday. Also, my love for good writing pushed me. – Naguib Mahfouz
I wake up early in the morning and walk for an hour. If I have something to write, I prefer to write in the morning until midday, and in the afternoon, I eat. – Naguib Mahfouz
It’s clearly more important to treat one’s fellow man well than to be always praying and fasting and touching one’s head to a prayer mat. – Naguib Mahfouz
I defend both the freedom of expression and society’s right to counter it. I must pay the price for differing. It is the natural way of things. – Naguib Mahfouz
The Koran and the laws of all civilized nations legislate against the vilification of religions. – Naguib Mahfouz
I was reading a lot of books I admired, and thought that I would like to write something like that someday. – Naguib Mahfouz
I love Sufism as I love beautiful poetry, but it is not the answer. Sufism is like a mirage in the desert. It says to you, come and sit, relax and enjoy yourself for a while. – Naguib Mahfouz
According to Islamic principles, when a man is accused of heresy, he is given the choice between repentance and punishment. – Naguib Mahfouz
