Path to Spirituality
November 17, 2010 by nsingh
The narrator has an illness for which the doctors have been unable to cure. The narrator then goes on a search for the great saint by the name of Sheikh Zaabalawi, who is known for having healing powers. On his journey, the narrator comes in contact with other people such as: layer, book seller, a calligrapher, and a musician. Unfortunately, every time he asks them for the location of Zaabalawi, he is unable to get a concrete answer. At some point he starts questioning the existence of Zaabalawi, stating: “my visit has been vain.” When the narrator is at the bar, he gets drunk and falls asleep. Upon sleeping, the narrator is in a peaceful trance. Imagining himself in a garden the narrator is “in a state of deep contentedness , of ecstatic serenity. There was an extraordinary sense of harmony between [the narrator] and [his] inner self, and between the two [of them] and the world, everything being in its rightful place, without discord or distortion.” When the narrator wakes up, he is informed that Zaalawabi was sitting right next to him for a while. Upset at losing the moment to meet with Zaalawabi, the narrator doesn’t give up; he continues his search for Zaalawabi. He knows for certain that Zaalawabi exists.
Throughout the story, the narrator is in search of a spiritual fulfillment. He looks in the nooks and corners of streets asking for the saint, so he may be cured of the illness. It is never stated what the narrator suffers from. I imagine, he is tired of living in a materialistic society and is therefore in search of inner/spiritual happiness. It is evident that he gets a sample of this happiness that he yearns in his dream when he is drunk and asleep at the bar. In hopes of meeting Zaalawabi, since he missed his chance for he was asleep, the narrator offers to give any amount of money in order to meet the saint. However, money can’t buy everything, especially happiness. This is quite obvious when Wanas answers to the narrator:
“The strange thing is that he is not open to such temptations, yet he will cure you if you meet him. Merely on sensing
that you love him.”
As we see, the power of love is surmountable to money.
The narrator’s search for the saint reminds me of how when I lose something I’m always searching for it with no luck. However, only when I don’t look for it that the object appears. This is similar to the narrator situation for he is hard at work looking for Zaalawabi but can’t find him. Only when he is in a sedative trance (asleep) and in a blissful and harmonious state that he indirectly meets Zaalawabi.
In addition I also think about how when one is faced with a severe problem, one tends to seek towards their spiritual side to get the solution. Why is it when we are faced with difficulties we reflect upon the spiritual (God) for help? Why don’t we think of Him when everything is going good?