▁of ▁Egypt ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁to ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century . ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁C airo ▁even ▁though ▁his ▁family ▁was ▁from ▁the ▁Lev ant ▁countries . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁Kh ada w ia ▁school ▁of ▁law ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 . ▁He ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁in ▁C airo ▁but ▁moved ▁to ▁Alexand ria ▁for ▁high ▁school . im medi ately ▁after ▁his ▁gradu ation ▁he ▁pract iced ▁law ▁for ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁month ▁until ▁Moh amm ad ▁Far id ▁ ▁( a ▁prominent ▁lawyer ▁and ▁historian ) ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁Major ▁General ▁Al - San ▁newspaper ▁ ▁and ▁this ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁step ▁in ▁his ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁historian ▁and ▁a ▁politician . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Egypt ian ▁national ▁party ▁that ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁Most af a ▁Kam el ▁P asha ▁ ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁journalist ▁and ▁a ▁political ▁figure . ▁At ▁that ▁point ▁al - R af ai ▁started ▁to ▁become ▁concerned ▁with ▁the ▁relationship ▁of ▁national ▁history ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁national ▁aw aren ess , ▁and ▁the ▁emer gence ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁nation - state . ▁ ▁Cont ribution s ▁ ▁Al - R af ai ▁started ▁writing ▁at ▁an ▁early ▁age . ▁His ▁first ▁book ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁The ▁People ' s ▁Rights ▁