Synopsis
Walid was a model prince: handsome, intelligent, skilled in the arts of warfare and poetry. But the kingdom boasted one greater poet than he, and out of jealousy Walid cursed the man to create an impossible work of art: a carpet showing the history of the entire human race. The poet died weaving it. Men went mad seeing it. And when it is stolen, Walid discovers his life's quest: to recover the carpet and earn forgiveness for his mistakes.- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- The jinn are a creation of Allah, free-willed and made from air and smokeless fire. Some disobeyed God and followed Satan, others followed the Prophets and Messengers. Some humans can communicate with jinn (e.g. Prophet Sulayman, peace be upon him), but most do not see or talk to them. The jinn are generally considered to be part of the unseen world. We believe in their existence, but many times authors will use them in place of fictional spirits, magical spirits, etc. Allah ﷻ knows best their true nature.
Mindful Muslim Review
In this haunting story of redemption, a prince finds himself unable to come to terms with the consequences of his diseased heart. Prince Walid has all the riches in the world—position, status, stature—but his arrogance combined with his insatiable desire to earn the distinction of ‘greatest poet’ clouds his judgment, leaving him deaf, dumb and blind to the jealousy that begins to consume him. Blinded by his endless pursuit of worldly ambition, he no longer sees the toxicity of the company he keeps or the consequences of his actions which ultimately leads to the death of an innocent man. Riddled with guilt and self-loathing, he ceases to find interest in anything, completely losing his ability to run the kingdom after his father dies—leaving both himself and his kingdom in shambles.
Driven by his guilt, Walid embarks on a path to redemption leaving his life of luxury to a life of thievery, goat herding and eventually servitude. With each humbling experience, Walid finds himself unable to escape the consequences of his actions, choosing instead the harder path of accepting responsibility for his actions and seeking forgiveness.
We learn that the path to salvation is always open, earning this book our Gold Star. Inspired by the life of a real king, this would be an excellent fictional read to accompany the study of pre-Islamic Arabia.
