▁high ▁school ▁Mah f ou z ▁was ▁accepted ▁at ▁Dar ▁Al - M au ale men ▁( the ▁House ▁of ▁Te ach ers ) ▁college ▁in ▁Bag hd ad ; ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁Then ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁Compar ative ▁literature ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Te h ran ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁Ira q ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁a ▁professor ▁in ▁Dar ▁Al - M au ale men ▁Al - ' A ali ▁( the ▁House ▁of ▁Te ach ers ▁for ▁higher ▁studies ) ▁and ▁an ▁inspect or ▁of ▁Arab ic ▁language ▁in ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁knowledge . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁Mah f ou z ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁USS R ▁to ▁teach ▁Arab ic ▁language ▁and ▁literature ▁at ▁L ening rad ▁State ▁University . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁he ▁established ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁Oriental ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Liter ature ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Bag hd ad . ▁ ▁Later ▁career ▁ ▁Mah f ou z ▁retired ▁from ▁teaching ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁He ▁kept ▁a ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁judge ▁of ▁Masters ▁and ▁Ph . D . ▁candidates , ▁until ▁the ▁American ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁K ad h imi ya ▁hospital ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 8 3 ▁with ▁a ▁bibli ography ▁of ▁almost ▁ 1