|
Title:
A Boy from Makkah
Author: Dr. Muhammad Abdo Yamani
Publisher: Iqra International Educational Foundation,
150 pp.
Price: $12.99 @ Amazon.com
|
|
|
A Boy From Makkah is the latest effort in Islamic fiction, a field in need of growth
|
Islamic
literary fiction in the English language is virtually nonexistent,
with only a few original works in the genre having been written. Up
until a few decades ago, even Islamic educational material in
English was sparsely available. This began to change as Muslim
minority populations gradually grew in the West and as the
acceptance of English as a universal language became more
widespread.
In
the United States, the Chicago-based Iqra International Educational
Foundation has been at the forefront of producing high quality
Islamic literature, including a comprehensive Islamic studies
curriculum. Its latest offering, A Boy from Makkah, is the
story of a young boy who overcomes adversity to emerge as a
successful man.
Ahmad,
a boy from a small village, is sent to Makkah (the Muslim holy city
in Saudi Arabia) to work as a household servant in order to help
support his impoverished family. His hard work and honesty impress
Ahmad's wealthy employer, Sheikh Abdul Hamid, who treats him as his
own son. Ahmad also takes to liking Aziza, the daughter of his
master. In this, Ahmad doesn’t cross the lines of modesty and
decency put down by Islam and keeps his feelings to himself.
Meanwhile,
Ahmad finishes high school, which he has been attending at his
master’s insistence, with flying colors. After winning a
scholarship he is sent off to Egypt with the full blessing and
support of his employer, to study medicine as there were no medical
schools in the pre-oil boom Saudi Arabia.
Once
there he immerses himself in his studies and only occasionally
contacts his benefactor and Aziza. Back in Makkah, Sheikh Abdul
Hamid and his wife die one after another and Aziza is bedridden out
of emotional distress. These incidents are not relayed to Ahmad so
as not to disturb his studies. When he finally learns of these
events Ahmad sees his whole world crumbling around him. Ahmad, with
his noble qualities of patience and perseverance, however, rises
once again from the gloom and eventually succeeds in obtaining his
livelihood and an enduring love.
Written
primarily for teenagers and young adults, A Boy from Makkah
offers a glimpse into Saudi Arabian culture and society and adds to
the inter-cultural dialogue that is much needed in today’s world.
The author of the book, Dr. Mohammed Abdo Yamani, is a former Saudi
Minister of Information and has written several short stories and
four novels in Arabic. A Boy from Makkah is his first novel
in English.
|
