Iqbal Taha Al-Abdul Jalil
Basra mourns loss of Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab’s widow
BASRA — Iqbal Taha Al-Abdul Jalil, affectionately known as “Umm Ghailan” and widow of the renowned Iraqi poet Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab, died today after a prolonged illness.
The mourning assembly for the late Iqbal will be held at Al-Kawaz Mosque over the next three days.
Born in 1937, Iqbal was a teacher at several schools in Basra until 1980, including Al-Thagr School in the Maqal area and Al-Ashbal School in Old Basra.
She married Al-Sayyab – a leading figure in Iraqi poetry considered one of the most influential Arab poets of all time – in 1955 and was a muse for many of his later poems, notably in his work “Wasiyya” (Will).
They had three children: Ghaida, Ghailan, and Alaa.