Gibran Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese poet and writer and is considered one of the most prominent diaspora poets. He was also the dean of the Pen League, which he founded with a few of the most famous diaspora authors in Northern America.

Gibran’s articles and books echoed greatly among readers in the Arab world at the beginning of the 20th century due to the way he addressed the problems and issues Eastern societies were suffering from. Gibran was distinctive for the revolutionary tendency that appeared in his books. The studies that have been written about Gibran have multiplied and varied, with studies having been written about his life, literature, ideas, and philosophy. Still, no independent study has yet occurred of Gibran’s revolutionary tendency. Some studies have certainly examined Gibran’s revolutionary issues in brief, such as Hanna Fakhoury’s book Compendium of Arabic Literature and Its History, but he did not expand on this. Likewise, references are found to this phenomenon in Gibran in Mikhail Naima’s book Khalil Gibran: A Biography. Therefore, this research studies the revolutionary phenomenon and revolutionary thought of Khalil Gibran, according to the descriptive and analytical methods. The study describes and analyzes this phenomenon in order to identify the factors and reasons that led to its emergence and development, as well as to learn, study, and analyze the most important revolutionary issues that Gibran dealt with. The study has found that the revolutionary phenomenon with respect to Gibran was not a mutation but actually had several factors that contributed to its emergence, including his upbringing and formation, the difficult and turbulent life he lived in his prime, the instability of his family, and the ongoing disputes between his parents that led to his mother departing with him and his siblings to Boston in America. Signs of rebellion appeared in Gibran starting with his elementary schooling. Gibran did not commit to his lessons at school but rather rebelled against his teachers and likely quarreled with his peers. Although Gibran did not commit to his lessons, he was intelligent, daring, and inclined toward art and drawing.

One of the factors that contributed to Gibran’s revolutionary tendency was the harsh conditions of his diasporic exile, as his mother, sister, and brother died shortly after travelling to Boston. Gibran also suffered from poverty in the first period of his life abroad, and this led to him being disturbed and resentful toward life and what it involves.

One of the factors behind Gibran’s revolutionary tendency was the negative reality of his country, Lebanon. Lebanon and its environs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries underwent difficult political and economic situations. Although Gibran was living far from his homeland, he witnessed Lebanon’s bad situation when he was 15 and so, he returned to Beirut in 1898, settling there for four years to study the Arabic language at the Collège de la Sagesse [School of Wisdom]. Later on when he returned to America, he began writing articles that mentioned the social problems that had spread in Eastern societies, criticizing the economic, political, and religious conditions prevailing there and urging people to change and revolt against those conditions.

Among the factors affecting Gibran’s revolutionary tendency was the influence on Gibran’s thought from the German philosopher Nietzsche, who is also well known for his revolutionary thought and his severe criticism of Western values, sanctities, and philosophies.

After examining the factors that contributed to the emergence of revolutionary thought in Gibran, the study goes on to discuss the most important issues and cases that Gibran dealt with in his articles and revolted against. Gibran revolted against religious tyranny and criticized the improper practices of the clergy, as some clerics used their power to achieve their personal interests. Gibran also revolted against corrupt rulers and judges who oppressed the poor and plundered their country’s goods. He also criticized the feudal lords who owned large areas of land, exploited people’s need to work for them, enslaved these people, and did not give them their rights. Gibran warned of the abhorrent alliance among the clergy, the rulers, and the feudal men, an alliance that increased people’s suffering and misery. Gibran blamed the oppressed peoples for being largely responsible for the miserable situation they had reached and indicated this to have been due to their weakness, humiliation, and consent to being humiliated and underestimated. As such, he called on them to join the revolution and break these restrictions that had been imposed upon them. Gibran spoke about the social problems and corrupt customs that had spread in some Eastern societies like Lebanon. He also spoke of the injustice that befell vulnerable groups of women and children in some environments, as well as those who exploited their poverty, which lead them to a path of vice.

After presenting the most important revolutionary issues, the research then addresses Gibran’s revolution against himself during the period in which he was influenced by the thoughts of the German philosopher Nietzsche. At that time, Gibran had turned into a violent storm resenting people after he had provided them with advice and nice words. This occurred in addition to him denying his past and his ideas that he had believed in.

The research concludes with several results and recommendations as follows. Gibran was loyal to his country; he cared about his countries’ issues and the problems it suffered. Also, his revolutionary tendency was not a breakthrough but something that had appeared since his early childhood, with the circumstances he experienced then continuing to develop it. Stories were Gibran’s favorite method for addressing the issues he revolted against. Therefore, this study recommends that researchers study Gibran’s story in terms of form, content, and employment. The study also recommends that researchers devote a critical study to the principles and values to which Gibran adhered.