Quote by Al-Maarri: “Blind adherence to tradition leads astray; reason alone guides to truth.”

Al-Ma'arri champions individual reason over unquestioning conformity. He argues that relying solely on inherited customs without critical thought prevents genuine understanding, asserting that only independent rational inquiry can illuminate the path to truth and knowledge.

During an era often marked by rigid social and religious conventions, Al-Ma'arri's insistence on rational inquiry and skepticism was revolutionary. He frequently criticized the intellectual stagnation he perceived in contemporary society.

Syrian poet and philosopher born in 973 CE in Ma'arra al-Nu'man, considered one of the greatest and most controversial Arab poets, whose work challenged religious authority and conventional morality with biting scepticism. His collection Luzum ma la yalzam (The Necessity of What Is Unnecessary) is a landmark of Arabic literary pessimism.