Arabian Literature

Arabian literature refers to the literary works and traditions that have
developed in the Arab-speaking world, which spans across the Middle East and
North Africa. It encompasses a rich and diverse body of literature, including poetry,
prose, and various forms of storytelling. Arabian literature has a long and influential
history, and it has made significant contributions to world literature and culture.

Arabian literature has a rich and diverse history spanning over a millennium. Here's a
brief timeline of key developments:

Pre-Islamic Era (Before 7th century)

Oral poetry and storytelling traditions.
Famous poets like Antarah ibn Shaddad and Imru' al-Qais.

Islamic Golden Age (7th to 13th centuries)

Emergence of Arabic as a written language.
Translation of Greek and Roman works into Arabic.
Prominent scholars like Al-Ma'arri and Al-Mutanabbi.
The Quran as a literary masterpiece.

Abbasid Caliphate (8th to 13th centuries)

Flourishing of Arabic poetry, philosophy, and prose.
The "One Thousand and One Nights" collection.
Works of philosophers like Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina (Avicenna).

Andalusian Period (8th to 15th centuries)

Cultural zenith in Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain).
Influential poets like Ibn Hazm and Ibn Zaydun.
Scholarly works in various fields, including medicine and astronomy.
Mamluk and Ottoman Eras (13th to 20th centuries):
Continued production of poetry and historical works.
Notable figures like Ibn Khaldun and Rumi.

Modern Period (20th century onwards)

Emergence of contemporary Arabic literature.
Prominent authors such as Naguib Mahfouz and Tayeb Salih.
Arab world's engagement with global literary movements.

Arabian literature has evolved and adapted over time, reflecting the social, cultural,
and political changes in the Arab world and beyond. It continues to be a vibrant and
dynamic literary tradition today.
Prose

 Prose in Arabian literature refers to written or spoken language that does not
follow the structured and rhythmic patterns of traditional poetry. While poetry
has a long and revered tradition in Arabian literature, prose also has its own
significant place.
Here are some key aspects of prose in Arabian literature:
1. Historical and Religious Texts: Arabian literature includes a wealth of
historical and religious prose texts. The Quran, the holy book of Islam, is
considered the most important piece of prose in Arabian literature. It serves
as a guide for Muslims and is written in a highly eloquent and poetic style of
Arabic prose. Additionally, there are historical chronicles and religious
commentaries written in prose that have had a profound impact on Arabic
literature and culture.
2. Prose Fiction: Arabian literature has a rich tradition of prose fiction, including
the famous collection of folktales known as "One Thousand and One Nights"
or "Arabian Nights." These stories, originally compiled in Arabic, feature a mix
of adventure, fantasy, and moral tales. They have been translated into many
languages and have had a lasting influence on world literature.
3. Philosophical and Scientific Prose: Arab scholars in the medieval period
made significant contributions to philosophy, science, and other intellectual
fields. Their works were often written in prose and covered topics such as
mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. Prominent figures like
Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and Averroes (Ibn Rushd) wrote extensively in this genre.
4. Travelogues and Essays: Arab writers have produced a wide range of
travelogues and essays, exploring their experiences and observations of
different cultures and regions. These writings often provide valuable insights
into the historical and cultural aspects of various societies.
5. Modern and Contemporary Prose: In the modern and contemporary era,
Arabian literature has continued to flourish in prose. Authors like Naguib
Mahfouz (an Egyptian Nobel laureate), Ghassan Kanafani, and Nawal El
Saadawi have written novels, short stories, and essays that address various
social, political, and cultural issues.
 6. Autobiography and Memoir: Many Arab writers have penned
autobiographies and memoirs, offering personal narratives that shed light on
their lives, struggles, and experiences. These works contribute to a deeper
understanding of individual and collective histories in the Arab world.
7. Political and Social Commentary: Prose is often used as a platform for
discussing political and social issues in the Arab world. Writers use essays,
articles, and commentary to address contemporary challenges and advocate
for change.

Poetry

 Poetry holds a significant and revered place in Arabian literature and culture.
Arabic poetry has a rich and diverse tradition that spans centuries, with its
origins dating back to the pre-Islamic era. Poetry in Arabian literature is
characterized by its lyrical and rhythmic qualities, often using intricate rhyme
schemes and meters.
Here are some key aspects of poetry in Arabian literature:
1. Pre-Islamic Poetry: Arabian poetry existed long before the advent of Islam.
Pre-Islamic poets, known as "jahiliyya poets," composed verses that
celebrated tribal pride, love, nature, and life in the Arabian desert. These
poets included famous figures like Imru' al-Qais, Antara ibn Shaddad, and
Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma.
2. Islamic Poetry: With the arrival of Islam in the 7th century, Arabic poetry took
on new themes and forms. Islamic poetry often celebrated the Prophet
Muhammad, praised Allah, and explored religious and moral themes.
Renowned poets like Hassan ibn Thabit and Ali ibn Abi Talib contributed to
this genre.
3. Classical Arabic Poetry: Classical Arabic poetry is known for its strict
adherence to meter and rhyme. The most famous form of classical Arabic
poetry is the "qasida," a long ode with a specific rhyme scheme and structure.
Poets like Al-Mutanabbi and Al-Ma'arri are celebrated for their contributions to
this genre.
4. Sufi Poetry: Sufism, a mystical Islamic tradition, has produced a significant
body of poetry in the Arabic-speaking world. Sufi poets, such as Rumi and Ibn
Arabi, wrote verses that explored spirituality, love, and the quest for union with
the Divine.
5. Modern and Contemporary Poetry: Arabic poetry has continued to evolve in
the modern and contemporary era. Poets like Nizar Qabbani, Mahmoud
Darwish, and Adonis have explored a wide range of themes, including love,
politics, identity, and social justice.
6. Influence on Literature and Culture: Arabic poetry has had a profound
influence on Arabic literature, music, and culture. It has also influenced poets
and writers in other languages and has been translated into numerous
languages.
7. Oral Tradition: Traditionally, Arabic poetry was often recited and transmitted
orally, making memorization and oral performance important aspects of the
poetic tradition. This oral tradition continues to be valued in many Arab
societies.
Suggested Literary Pieces

The Thousand and One Nights

“The Thousand and One Nights," also known as "Arabian Nights," is a

collection of Middle Eastern folktales and stories that has captivated readers for
centuries. The work is framed by the narrative of Scheherazade, a clever and
resourceful young woman who tells stories to her husband, King Shahryar, in order
to save her own life and the lives of other women in the kingdom.”

Once upon a time, there was a great king, who had his reign from Persia to
Arabia. The king had two sons named Shahryar and Shah Zaman. After the death of
the king, Shahryar the elder son ascended on the throne of Baghdad. Whereas the
younger son, Shah Zaman ruled over Samarkand. Both the brothers ruled their
respective kingdoms with wisdom and justice. They were loved and respected by
their subjects. Thoroughly busy with their administrative responsibilities, the two
brothers could not meet each other for twenty long years. Shahryar had a long crave
to see his beloved brother. One day, he sent his Wazir with a letter and numerous
splendid gifts to his younger brother Shah Zaman. In his letter to his brother,
Shahryar expressed his earnest desire to see him.
After days of long journey through the deserts, the Wazir reached the court of
Samarkand. He presented the letter and gifts to the king. The warmth of the letter
sent by his beloved brother Shahryar, made him jubilant. He became nostalgic
remembering his elder brother. Shah Zaman at once accepted the invitation. He
decided to go to Baghdad to see his brother. Shah Zaman requested the Wazir to
stay in Samarkand as a royal guest for three days. Meanwhile, Shah Zaman
collected a good number of rich gifts for his brother and asked his officers to make
the necessary preparation for the long journey. Shah Zaman was ecstatic at the
thought of meeting his brother.
On the fourth day, he had to leave for Baghdad. However just before leaving
for Baghdad, Shah Zaman chanced to witness the unfaithfulness of his wife. Shah
Zaman saw his wife expressing her love to one of her slaves. Raged and shocked by
the unimaginable sight, Shah Zaman took out his sword and chopped off his wife’s
head at once. Shah Zaman loved his wife very much. The incident had shattered
him. Immediately after the incident, he set out for Baghdad. But all his happiness had
vanished. He was thoroughly grief stricken. The sorrow and bitterness turned Shah
Zaman pale and weak. When Shah Zaman reached Baghdad, Shahryar gave him a
warm and splendid welcome. The brothers hugged each other passionately.
However, the grief-stricken pale look of Shah Zaman worried the elder brother
Shahryar. When the two brothers sat all alone, Shahryar asked, “Dear brother! Your
pale and grieved look is worrying me. What’s ailing you?” Shah Zaman hid his
distress and made an excuse. He said, “Dear brother, I’m not at all worried. The long
and tiring journey is the culprit. I’m quite hale and hearty.” However, Shahryar was
not convinced with the reply. So he called the royal physician and asked him to treat
his brother. The physician tried various medicines one after another. However, all the
medicines and other treatments went in vain. Shah Zaman’s condition did not
improve. Most of the time, he would live quietly in the palace and refuse to enjoy
different flavors of the life.
One day, Shahryar chalked out a plan for hunting and invited his brother to
accompany him. But Shah Zaman showed his unwillingness and chose to stay
home. In the absence of his brother, Shah Zaman witnessed the similar sight. which
had shattered him. His brother’s wife was also unfaithful and wicked. She too was
involved with one of her slaves and desired to marry him. This shocking incident
proved wonder remedy for Shah Zaman. He overcame from his sorrow. He thought,
“I’m not the only one who has unfaithful wife. There are many others like me.” The
incident strengthened his belief that women are evil, wicked and unfaithful. The fact
that he was not the only unlucky man who was cheated by his wife, but was one
among many unfortunates, helped him in recovering fast. When Shahryar returned
from his hunting trip, he found his brother hale and hearty. Shahryar was very happy
to see his brother cheerful.
Later on, Shah Zaman disclosed to Shahryar what he had witnessed in his
absence. Shah Zaman also unearthed the ugly secret behind his pale and shattered
condition. Mad out of anger, Shahryar at once rushed to his wife and chopped off her
head. The angry Shahryar then took a wild oath, “Everyday I’ll marry a maiden for a
night. Next day, early in the morning, she will be killed. This way, I will never provide
any opportunity to my wife to betray me.” After few days, Shah Zaman returned to
his kingdom. Shahryar remained adamant on his insane oath. He called his Wazir
and apprised him about his oath. Shahryar said, “You have to bring one young
maiden everyday and make her my bride for the evening. Make sure that she will be
killed in the morning.” The king’s cruel and crazy oath astonished everyone. People
were frightened but what they could do. The cruel practice started. Each morning a
young beautiful maiden was hacked to death. It went like this for years. Parents of
the young girls started fleeing from the kingdom. Soon the kingdom was totally bereft
of young girls.
One day, the Wazir returned home anxious. The Wazir had two beautiful
daughters named Shahrazad and Dinarazad. Shahrazad, the elder daughter was
exceptionally wise, humble and soft spoken. Besides this, she was a voracious
reader and a learned person. When Shahrazad noticed her father’s tensed and
perturbed face, she asked, “Father, you are looking unusually disturbed. What’s the
reason for your worry?” The Wazir said, “Dear daughter, the king has ordered me to
bring a bride for tonight. However, not a single young girl is left there in our kingdom
now. Shaken by the possible death, all the parents of the young girls had left the
kingdom with their daughters. Now if I go to the king without any bride, he will chop
off my head for not obeying his order.” Shahrazad said, “Father, please don’t worry!
Take me to the king as his bride.” Astonished to hear this, the Wazir exclaimed,
“How can I do this? Don’t you know what end do the king’s brides meet?” Shahrazad
said calmly, “I’m fully aware of what fate the brides meet, my dear father! Even then,
I emphasize you to produce me as the king’s bride. I am confident that my wisdom,
will force the king to change his thought regarding women. In case I fail to do so, I’ll
have a satisfaction of dying for a good cause.” However, the argument laid by
Shahrazad was not at all acceptable to the Wazir. He was not ready to send his
daughter to meet such a cruel fate. He said angrily, “If you will not obey me, you will
have to face the same misfortune, which was faced by the farm owner, the master of
the bull and the donkey.” Shahrazad asked, “O father, what’s the tale of the farm
owner?” The Wazir began the tale.
 The Tale of Sinuhe

"The Tale of Sinuhe" with an Arabian perspective. However, "The Tale of Sinuhe" is
one of the most famous and important pieces of ancient Egyptian literature, dating
back to the Middle Kingdom period (around 1900-1800 BCE). It is written in the form
of a literary text and provides valuable insights into the culture and society of ancient
Egypt.

The fictional account of the royal courtier's life begins with Sinuhe recalling the
day King Sehetepibre, ruler of Egypt, dies. Sinuhe is away from the palace in Egypt,
having accompanied the prince, Senwosret, and the prince's children on an
expedition to conquer areas in Libya. When Sinuhe overhears a messenger telling
the royal children about the king's death, he is overcome with panic. He hides
between two bushes until the messenger has gone away. Then Sinuhe sets out into
the desert, abandoning his comfortable life in Egypt without apparent reason.
After traveling on foot for a couple of days, Sinuhe is dehydrated and believes
the dryness in his throat is "the taste of death." However, he meets a Syrian sheik
who recognizes him from Egypt. The man brings Sinuhe back to health and Sinuhe
stays with his people for six months. Sinuhe then meets Amunenshi, a Palestinian
prince who invites Sinuhe to live with him in Retjenu (the Ancient Egyptian name for
Canaan and Syria). During a dialogue with Amunenshi, Sinuhe delivers a eulogy to
the deceased king and offers glowing praise of the man's son, the new King
Senwosret. Amunenshi, seemingly pleased by the display of loyalty, sets up Sinuhe
with a comfortable life in Retjenu, marrying Sinuhe to his daughter and putting him in
charge of an area called Iaa.
Over decades, Sinuhe establishes himself as a hero in Retjenu, where he
lives a life of abundance and gains respect. Eventually, a fellow tribe leader
challenges Sinuhe to a fight. Sinuhe easily dodges the man's many arrows and
javelins and then shoots a single arrow into the man's neck. After Sinuhe finishes the
man off with a blow from the man's own axe, the people watching rejoice. Sinuhe
consolidates his power and cements his reputation as a great warrior.
Despite the good life Sinuhe has lucked into in Retjenu, he longs to live out
his final days in Egypt, believing it only right that he die in the place he was born. He
addresses his wishes to God, who seems to answer through a formal invitation from
King Senwosret. Like Sinuhe, the king believes it is time Sinuhe returned to Egypt.
After giving over his possessions and power to his son, Sinuhe travels to
Egypt. Before the king's throne, he is overcome with a dissociative feeling, not quite
conscious of himself while in the king's godlike presence. The king harbors no
animosity toward Sinuhe for fleeing so many years earlier, and promises to honor
Sinuhe's reputation with a new house, new clothes, and a burial pyramid befitting a
royal.
Sinuhe lives out his last days living close to the palace, watching men
construct his tomb. The story ends with Sinuhe recognizing how lucky he is, as a
lowly man, to receive such luxuries from the king.
 The Quran/Koran
The Qur’an (in Anglicized form: Koran) is certainly the greatest literary work in
classical Arabic and for all Muslims stands as the definitive word of God (in
Arabic: Allah) spoken to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. When reading
the Qur’an, you should realize that, for all Muslims, the text you are reading is quite
literally the voice of God; because the Qur’an is the direct speech of God in Arabic,
translation of the work is seen as blasphemy, as an unforgivable tampering with
God’s own speech. Nevertheless, the Qur’an has been translated into Turkish and
Farsi (the language of Iran) in this century and is recited in these languages in
religious services in Turkey and Iran. The Muslim community tolerates this but just
barely. For all practical purposes, to be Muslim, then, means almost universally to be
able to read and understand classical Arabic, despite what one’s native language is
[Ed. a Muslim reader noted that many Muslims do not understand the language, but
they must only read or say the words correctly].
The recitation began one night in the year 610 A.D. Muhammad was sitting alone in
the wilderness near Mecca when the Angel Gabriel appeared to him. The Angel
called out to him with the command, “Recite! Recite! Recite!” Muhammad
responded, “I am not a reader.” The angel recited three verses to him and when he
awoke, he had these verses, as he said, inscribed in his heart. These revelations
continued for 10 days. Islamic scholars believe that the first revelation occurred on
the night of the 27th day of Ramadan. This night is called the Laylat-al-Qadr (Night of
Power). And according to the Quran, this is when God determines the course of the
world for the following year.1
The Prophet
From that point on, Muhammad believed himself to be a prophet and messenger of
God, the last in a line of seven prophets (beginning with Abraham and ending with
Jesus Christ, who was prophet number six) and responsible for inscribing the last
and most important of God’s direct messages to the world, the Arabic Recitation,
which is the full name of the work. The people of God, that is, the Jews and the
Christians, were going astray; the purpose of the Arabic Recitation was to restore
God’s faithful to the proper path. At different times in Muhammed’s life the recitations
would come to him; he would then repeat what he had heard, and these would be
memorized by certain people trained in remembering verses; some of these verses
were written down on whatever was at hand. All these writings were collected in the
caliphate of ‘Uthman and the canonical text was established around 650 A.D. The
writings were collected into a group of surah’s and ordered according to length (each
surah is meant to be a single recitation), though all Muslims also know the
chronological order of the recitations.
The Qur’an is organized into separate chapters called surahs. The order of the
surahs, however, does not reflect the chronological order of the Quranic verses, nor
does the surah structure reflect the nature of the original Quranic revelation. During
his lifetime, Muhammad would have individual verses revealed to him; these
revelations occurred unexpectedly and in surprising places. Typically, revelation
would put Muhammad in a trance-like state. He, and others, would memorize the
revealed verses and, under the guidance of Gabriel, Muhammad organized these
verses into the existing surahs. The intervention of Gabriel in ordering the various
verses in Islamic history is meant to guarantee not only the sanctity of the individual
verses, but the religious validity of the organization of these verses in the Qur’an.
The Qur’an was an oral text throughout the lifetime of Muhammad; it was also a fluid
text. The complete text resided only in the memories of Muhammad and his
followers. As he added verses and reorganized the text, his followers would
rememorize the text in the light of the additions or edits. This means that
the Qur’an was a living text during the lifetime of Muhammad.
The “Satanic Verses”
According to a narrative by Muhammad ibn Ka’b, certain verses revealed to
Muhammad were later repudiated by him as “satanic” verses revealed not by Gabriel
but by Satan. These verses were expunged from the text that so many had
memorized. Some secular academics accept the account; however, devout Muslims
and modern Muslim scholars do not believe these “Satanic Verses” ever existed.
From Oral to Written Tradition
After the death of Muhammad, the text of the Qur’an was written down in the
caliphate of Abu Bakr. Until ‘Uthman, one and only one written text existed. For more
than a decade after the death of Muhammad, the Qur’an remained primarily an oral
text in the memories of the faithful. In Islamic accounts of the history of
the Qur’an, this oral text was entirely faithful to the original verses — this is entirely
possible, but Western historians generally agree that some corruptions must have
produced slight variations throughout the Islamic world. Nevertheless, the military
expansion of Islam led to two direct consequences concerning the integrity of the
Quranic text. First, large numbers of the faithful were dying out in the various military
expeditions. Each time someone died who had the Quranic text memorized, that
meant that one copy of the Qur’an disappeared forever. Second, the expansion of
Islam swelled the ranks of the faithful. Many of these new converts spoke other
languages and the original Arabic of the Qur’an began to corrupt. Faced with these
two threats to the integrity of the Qur’an, ‘Uthman ordered a recension of the text to
be made and to serve as the definitive written version of the text. A recension is a
version of a text that is assembled from all the variant versions of that text. ‘Uthman,
however, relied on two sources: the written text that had been ordered by Abu Bakr
and that still existed, and the various oral texts of Muslims who memorized it during
the lifetime of Muhammad. In Islamic history, there is no variation between these two
sources, so the Uthmanic “recension” is largely a codifying of a single version of a
text. This version, the ‘Uthmanic recension, is the version of the Qur’an that has
remained, unchanged, the central holy text of Islam.
The Qur’an has one overriding theme, endlessly repeated and elaborated
throughout the text: complete submission (in Arabic: Islam; Muslim means “one who
submits”) to the word and the will of God, who is one God and the only God. The
God of Islam is both a stern judge and endlessly forgiving; obedience to God wipes
away all transgression. This submission, however, must be fully and rationally
given; faith (iman) is a rational consent to the truth of the word of God. Therefore,
much of the Qur’an concerns the word of God and how it is received and believed,
or not received and believed.

.
 The Arabian Nights
by Tahir Shah

For a thousand nights, ruthless King Shahriyar weds a new bride at dusk, only to
have her executed the following dawn. Fearing for their lives, the kingdom’s young
women are in hiding, or have already fled.

A request arrives for Scheherazade, the wise and beautiful daughter of the chief
vizier, to be married to the cruel and cold-blooded king. But rather than flee, she
accepts the invitation.

Having received instructions from the friendly Blue Witch, Scheherazade is wed to
the king. In the royal apartment, an hourglass is turned, the falling grains of sand
marking the last hours of her life. Rather than resigning herself to fate,
Scheherazade does something none of the other brides dared to do…

She begins to tell a story.

Casting a pinch of magic dust into the brazier, the tale she spins comes to life in the
fire’s flames. At first, all is well, and the king is amused. But, suddenly, the story goes
awry – thrown off-kilter by a spell cast by King Shahriyar’s own magician.

Scheherazade finds herself magically transported to a distant desert caravanserai,

where she is joined by three others – Sindbad the Sailor, Aladdin, and Ali Baba. The
lives of all four depend on getting the story back on track. And the only way to do
that is to locate the story’s seed – the seed of The Thousand and One Nights.

A fabulous tale of mystery, magic, and a daring quest, The Arabian Nights
Adventures throws together the main protagonists from the greatest and most
important collection of stories ever assembled.

An award-winning writer, storyteller, and expert in The Thousand and One Nights,
Tahir Shah brings the ancient treasury of tales to life in a vibrant new way,
recalibrating it for the time in which we live.
 The Lady and Her Five Suitors

A WOMAN of the daughters of the merchants was married to a man who was
a great traveler. It chanced once that he set out for a far country and was absent so
long that his wife, for pure ennui, fell in love with a handsome young man of the sons
of the merchants, and they loved each other with exceeding love. One day the youth
quarreled with another man, who lodged a complaint against him with the Chief of
Police, and he cast into prison. When the news came to the merchant's wife his
mistress, she well-nigh lost her wits. Then she arose and donning her richest
clothes, repaired to the house of the Chief of Police. She saluted him and presented
a written petition to this purport: "He thou hast clapped in jail is my brother Such-and-
such, who fell out with Such-a-one, and those who testified against him bore false
witness. He hath been wrongfully imprisoned, and I have none other to come in to
me nor to provide for my support, therefore I beseech thee of thy grace to release
him." When the magistrate had read the paper, he cast his eyes on her and fell in
love with her forthright, so he said to her: "Go into the houses till I bring him before
me. Then I will send for thee and thou shalt take him." "O my lord," replied she, "I
have none to protect me save Almighty Allah! I am a stranger and may not enter any
man's abode." Quoth the Wali, "I will not let him go except thou come to my home
and I take my will of thee." Rejoined she, "If it must be so, thou must needs come to
my lodging and sit and sleep the siesta and rest thewhole day there." "And where is
thy abode?" asked he, and she answered, "In such a place," and appointed him for
such a time. Then she went out from him, leaving his heart taken with love of her,
and she repaired to the Kazi of the city, to whom she said, "O our lord the Kazi!" He
exclaimed, "Yes!" and she continued, "Look into my case, and thy reward be with
Allah the Most High!" Quoth he, "Who hath wronged thee?" and quoth she, "O my
lord, I have a brother and I have none but that one, and it is on his account that I
come to thee, because the Wali hath imprisoned him for a criminal and men have
borne false witness against him that he is a wrongdoer, and I beseech thee to
intercede for him with the Chief of Police." When the Kazi looked on her, he fell in
love with her forthright and said to her: "Enter the house and rest awhile with my
handmaids whilst I send to the Wali to release thy brother. If I knew the money fine
which is upon him, I would pay it out of my own purse, so I may have my desire of
thee, for thou pleaseth me with thy sweet speech." Quoth she, "If thou, O my lord, do
thus, we must not blame others." Quoth he, "An thou wilt not come in, wend thy
ways." Then said she, "An thou wilt have it so, O our lord, it will be privier and better
in my place than in thine, for here are slave girls and eunuchs and goers-in and
comers-out, and indeed I am a woman who wotteth naught of this fashion, but need
compelleth." Asked the Kazi, "And where is thy house?" and she answered, "In such
a place," and appointed him for the same day and time as the Chief of Police.
Then she went out from him to the Wazir, to whom she preferred her petition
for the release from prison of her brother, who was absolutely necessary to her. But
he also required her of herself, saying, "Suffer me to have my will of thee and I will
set thy brother free." Quoth she: "An thou wilt have it so, be it in my house, for there
it will be privier both for me and for thee. It is not far distant, and thou knowest that
which behooveth us women of cleanliness and adornment." Asked he, "Where is thy
house?" "In such a place," answered she, and appointed him for the same time as
the two others.
Then she went out from him to the King of the city and told him her story and
sought of him her brother's release. "Who imprisoned him?" enquired he, and she
replied, "'Twas thy Chief of Police." When the King heard her speech, it transpierced
his heart with the arrows of love and he bade her enter the palace with him, that he
might send to the Kazi and release her brother. Quoth she: "O King, this thing is
easy to thee, whether I will or nill, and if the King will indeed have this of me, it is of
my good fortune. But if he come to my house, he will do me the more honor by
setting step therein, even as saith the poet:
"O my friends, have ye seen or have ye heard Of his visit whose virtues I hold
so high?"
Quoth the King, "We will not cross thee in this." So she appointed him for the
same time as the three others, and told him where her house was.
Then she left him, and betaking herself to man which was a carpenter, said to
him: "I would have thee make me a cabinet with four compartments one above other,
each with its door for locking up. Let me know thy hire and I will give it thee." Replied
he: "My price will be four dinars. But, O noble lady and well-protected, if thou wilt
vouchsafe me thy favors, I will ask nothing of thee. Rejoined she, "An there be no
help but that thou have it so, then make thou five compartments with their padlocks."
And she appointed him to bring it exactly on the day required. Said he, "It is well. Sit
down, O my lady, and I will make it for thee forthright, and after I will come to thee at
my leisure." So she sat down by him whilst he fell to work on the cabinet, and when
he had made an end of it, she chose to see it at once carried home and set up in the
sitting chamber. Then she took four gowns and carried them to the dyer, who dyed
them each of a different color, after which she applied herself to making ready meat
and drink, fruits, flowers, and perfumes.
Now when the appointed trysting day came, she donned her costliest dress
and adorned herself and scented herself, then spread the sitting room with various
kinds of rich carpets, and sat down to await who should come. And behold, the Kazi
was the first to appear, devancing rest, and when she saw him, she rose to her feet
and kissed the ground before him, then, taking him by the hand, made him sit down
by her on the couch and lay with him and fell to jesting and toying with him. By and
by he would have her do his desire, but she said, "O my lord, doff thy clothes and
turban and assume this yellow cassock and this headkerchief, whilst I bring thee
meat and drink, and after thou shalt win thy will." So saying, she took his clothes and
turban and clad him in the cassock and the kerchief. But hardly she done this when
lo! there came a knocking at the door. Asked he, "Who is that rapping at the door?"
and she answered, "My husband." Quoth the Kazi, "What is to be done, and where
shall I go?" Quoth she, "Fear nothing. I will hide thee in this cabinet," and he, "Do as
seemeth good to thee."
So she took him by the hand and pushing him into the lowest compartment,
locked the door upon him. Then she went to the house door, where she found the
Wali, so she bussed ground before him and taking his hand, brought him into the
saloon, where, she made him sit down and said to him: "O my lord, this house is thy
house, this place is thy place, and I am thy handmaid. Thou shalt pass all this day
with me, wherefore do thou doff thy clothes and don this red gown, for it is a sleeping
gown." So she took away his clothes and made him assume the red gown and set on
his head an old patched rag she had by her. After which she sat by him on the divan
and she sported with him while he toyed with her awhile, till he put out his hand to
her. Whereupon she said to him: "O our lord, this day is thy day and none shall share
in it with thee. But first, of thy favor and benevolence, write me an order for my
brother's release from gaol, that my heart may be at ease." Quoth he, "Hearkening
and obedience. On my head and eyes be it!" and wrote a letter to his treasurer,
saying: "As soon as this communication shall reach thee, do thou set Such-a-one,
free, without stay or delay, neither answer the bearer a word." Then he sealed it and
she took it from him, after which she began to toy again with him on the divan when,
behold, someone knocked at the door. He asked, "Who is that?" and she answered,
"My husband." "What shall I do?" said he, and she, "Enter this cabinet, till I send him
away and return to thee." So she clapped him into the second compartment from the
bottom and padlocked the door on him, and meanwhile the Kazi heard all they said.
Then she went to the house door and opened it, whereupon lo! the Wazir
entered. She bussed the ground before him and received him with all honor and
worship, saying: "O my lord, thou exaltest us by thy coming to our house. Allah never
deprive us of the light of thy countenance!" Then she seated him on the divan and
said to him, "O my lord, doff thy heavy dress and turban and don these lighter
vestments." So he put off his clothes and turban and she clad him in a blue cassock
and a tall red bonnet, and said to him: "Erst thy garb was that of the wazirate, so
leave it to its own time and don this light gown, which is better fitted for carousing
and making merry and sleep." Thereupon she began to play with him and he with
her, and he would have done his desire of her, but she put him off, saying, "O my
lord, this shall not fail us." As they were talking there came a knocking at the door,
and the Wazir asked her, "Who is that?" to which she answered, "My husband."
Quoth he, "What is to be done?" Qhoth she, "Enter this cabinet, till I get rid of him
and come back to thee, and fear thou nothing."
So she put him in the third compartment and locked the door on after which
she went out and opened the house door when lo and behold! in came the King. As
soon as she saw him she kissed ground before him, and taking him by the hand, led
him into the saloon and seated him on the divan at the upper end. Then said she to
him, "Verily, O King, thou dost us high honor, and if we brought thee to gift the world
and all that therein is, it would not be worth a single one of thy steps usward." And
when he had taken his seat upon the divan she said, "Give me leave to speak one
word." "Say what thou wilt." answered he, and she said, "O my lord, take thine ease
and doff thy dress and turban." Now his clothes were worth a thousand dinars, and
when he put them off she clad him in a patched gown, worth at the very most ten
dirhams, and fell to talking and jesting with him, all this while the folk in the cabinet
hearing everything that passed, but not daring to say a word. Presently the King put
his hand to her neck and sought to do his design of her, when she said, "This thing
shall not fail us, but I had first promised myself to entertain thee in this sitting
chamber, and I have that which shall content thee." Now as they were speaking,
someone knocked at the door and he asked her, "Who is that?" "My husband,"
answered she, and he, "Make him go away of his own goodwill, or I will fare forth to
him and send him away perforce." Replied she, "Nay, O my lord, have patience till I
send him away by my skillful contrivance." "And I, how shall I do!" inquired the King.
Whereupon she took him by the hand and making him enter the fourth compartment
of the cabinet, locked it upon him.
Then she went out and opened the house door, when behold, the carpenter
entered and saluted her. Quoth she, "What manner of thing is this cabinet thou hast
made me?" "What aileth it, O my lady?" asked he, and she answered, "The top
compartment is too strait." Rejoined he, "Not so," and she, "Go in thyself and see. It
is not wide enough for thee." Quoth he, "It is wide enough for four." and entered the
fifth compartment, whereupon she locked the door on him. Then she took the letter
of the Chief of Police and carried it to the Treasurer, who, having read and
understood it, kissed it and delivered her lover to her. She told him all she had done
and he said, "And how shall we act now?" She answered, "We will remove hence to
another city, for after this work there is no tarrying for us here."
So the twain packed up what goods they had and, loading them on camels,
set out forthright for another city. Meanwhile, the five abode each in his compartment
of the cabinet without eating or drinking three whole days, during which time they
held their water until at last the carpenter could retain his no longer, so he staled on
the King's head, and the King urined on the Wazir's head, and the Wazir piddled on
the Wall, and the Wali pissed on the head of the Kazi. Whereupon the Judge cried
out and said: "What nastiness is this? Doth not what strait we are in suffice us, but
you must make water upon us?" The Chief of Police recognized the Kazi's voice and
answered, saying aloud, "Allah increase thy reward, O Kazi!" And when the Kazi
heard him he knew him for the Wali. Then the Chief of Police lifted up his voice and
said, "What means this nastiness?" and the Wazir answered, saying, "Allah increase
thy reward, O Wali!" whereupon he knew him to be the Minister. Then the Wazir
lifted up his voice and said, "What means this nastiness?" But when the King heard
and recognized his Minister's voice, he held his peace and concealed his affair.
 Then said the Wazir: "May Allah damn this woman for her dealing with us!
She hath brought hither all the chief officers of the state, except the King. Quoth the
King, "Hold your peace, for I was the first to fall into the toils of this lewd strumpet."
Whereat cried the carpenter: "And I, what have I done? I made her a cabinet for four
gold pieces, and when I came to seek my hire, she tricked me into entering this
compartment and locked the door on me." And they fell to talking with one another,
diverting the King and doing away his chagrin. Presently the neighbors came up to
the house and, seeing it deserted, said one to other: "But yesterday our neighbor,
the wife of Such-a-one, was in it, but now no sound is to be heard therein nor is soul
to be seen. Let us break open the doors and see how the case stands, lest it come
to the ears of the Wali or the King and we be cast into prison and regret not doing
this thing before."
So they broke open the doors and entered the saloon, where they saw a large
wooden cabinet and heard men within groaning for hunger and thirst. Then said one
of them, "Is there a Jinni in this cabinet?-and his fellow, "Let us heap fuel about it
and burn it with fire." When the Kazi heard this, he bawled out to them, "Do it not!"
And they said to one another, " Verily the Jinn make believe to be mortals and speak
with men's voices." Thereupon the Kazi repeated somewhat of the Sublime Koran
and said to the neighbors, "Draw near to the cabinet wherein we are." So they drew
near, and he said, "I am So-and-so the Kazi, and ye are Such-a-one and Such-a-
one, and we are here a company." Quoth the neighbors, "Who brought you here?"
And he told them the whole case from beginning to end. Then they fetched a
carpenter, who opened the five doors and let out Kazi, Wazir, Wali, King, and
carpenter in their queer disguises; and each, when he saw how the others were
accoutered, fell a-laughing at them. Now she had taken away all their clothes, so
every one of them sent to his people for fresh clothes and put them on and went out,
covering himself therewith from the sight of the folk. Consider, therefore, what a trick
this woman played off upon the folk!
 On Love
by Khalil Gibran

Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness
upon them. And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the
garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your
growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that
quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself
He threshes you to make your naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread
for God’s sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your
heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.

But if in your heart you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s
threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and
weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the
heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy,
directs your course.
 Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise
upon your lips.
 On Children by Kahlil Gibran

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in
your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His
might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
Authors:

Tahir Shah

 is a prolific best-selling author and film-maker. His thirty-year career has

produced more than forty highly acclaimed works of fiction and non-fiction, as
well as numerous documentaries and screenplays, and a massive body of
journalism, scholarly articles, and photography.

 Styling himself as an ‘Enthusiast and Adventurer’ Tahir has spent his

professional life searching for the hidden underbelly of lands through which he
travels. In doing so he often uncovers layers of life that most other writers
hardly even realise exist. With a world-wide following, Tahir’s work has been
translated into more than thirty languages, in hundreds of editions. His
documentaries have been screened on National Geographic TV, The History
Channel, Channel 4, and in cinemas the world over.

 The son of the writer and thinker Idries Shah, Tahir was born into a prominent
Anglo-Afghan family, and seeks to bridge East with West through his work.

 Passionate about the changing face of publishing, he established his own

media business, Secretum Mundi Ltd., which represents all his projects. For
Tahir there’s almost nothing as important as keeping control of his work, and
producing a body of material that enthuses him rather than what publishers
think they can sell.

Kahlil Gibran

 Though he considered himself to be mainly a painter, lived most of his life in

the United States, and wrote his best-known works in English, Kahlil Gibran
was the key figure in a Romantic movement that transformed Arabic literature
in the first half of the twentieth century.

 Educated in Beirut, Boston, and Paris, Gibran was influenced by the

European modernists of the late nineteenth century. His early works were
sketches, short stories, poems, and prose poems written in simple language
for Arabic newspapers in the United States. These pieces spoke to the
experiences and loneliness of Middle Eastern immigrants in the New World.
For Arab readers accustomed to the rich but difficult and rigid tradition of
Arabic poetry and literary prose, many of the forms and conventions of which
went back to pre-Islamic Bedouin poetry, Gibran’s simple and direct style was
a revelation and an inspiration. His themes of alienation, disruption, and lost
 rural beauty and security in a modernizing world also resonated with the
experiences of his readers. He quickly found admirers and imitators among
Arabic writers, and his reputation as a central figure of Arabic literary
modernism has never been challenged.

 Gibran’s reputation in the English-speaking world, on the other hand, has

been mixed. His works have been hugely popular, making him the best-selling
American poet of the twentieth century, but that enthusiasm has not been
shared by critics. His paintings and drawings of sinuous idealized nudes
belong to symbolism and art nouveau and are, thus, a survival of a tradition
rejected both by American realists and European abstractionists. His English
books—most notably, The Prophet (1923), with its earnest didactic
romanticism—found no favor with critics whose models were the cool
intellectualism of James Joyce and T. S. Eliot or the gritty realism of Ernest
Hemingway. As a result, Gibran has been dismissed as a popular
sentimentalist by American critics and historians of art and of literature. There
are signs that this situation is changing, at least on the literary side, as critics
become more sensitive to the characteristics of immigrant writing.
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