Comparative study has been the best device put to use by the scholars. This tool has created miracles when made the most of it by employing to explore the abyss of misconceptions and notions irrational. Moulana Mohammad Saeed Dalhvi in his novel Isabella has employed this tool to let a Christian girl, a daughter of a Christian priest to peep down the very spine of her earlier faith to know the truth. The novel starts with an overhear two friends Muslim Umer Lahmi and Maaz by Isabela who are deliberating upon Saint Paul’s letter mentioning that religious law is a curse and Jesus Christ came to relieve from the curse. After failing to get a convincing respond from her father, she decided to take refuge in the wisdom of Michael, the teacher of Isabella. The inquisitiveness in Isabella to deal with such objections raised by Muslim men has forced her to write a letter to invite them for a discussion on conditions that if they were convinced they will convert to Christianity. The challenge is accepted by Umer and Maaz and the discussion starts between Peter and Umer crowded by other Christian missionaries in the Church in Spain, where Peter tries to indulge the attention of Muslim friends to the Divinity of Lord Jesus and atonement. After the talks fail to convince the two Muslim friends the date of second meeting is being fixed.
In the second meeting too, the debate seems endless. Umer continued to raise questions with references from Holy Quran to which priests only label him ‘disbeliever’. The recitation of ‘Sura Furkan’ showed clear signs on the face of Isabella and later when Umer Lahmi recited few verses of ‘Sura Maryum’, it was Isabella alone listening with interest contrary to other Christians. Umer Lahmi’s questions about Bibles being written by Disciples turned the gathering in the Church hostile to the extent that the head priest pronounced his declaration which was countered by a courageous priest who convinced the head priest to answer the Muslim scholars, to which he fixed another meeting at his house next day morning. The scene clearly brings at light the turmoil of Isabella who was accused of being influenced by being a ‘disbeliever’ who is being influenced by Islam. She posed a question to Umer Lahmi about the divinity of Prophet Muhammad who according to her had initiated bloodshed in the world. Umer boldly responded that her knowledge about Prophet Muhammad SAW is based on Christian propaganda. Isabella’s unrest to know the truth has opened a window to let her inhale the scent of Islam.
Failure of the third round of talks for the first time has driven Isabella out of the shells of her faith which she openly declared as no way better than the spider’s web. Her understanding of Holy Quran brought her in the closest proximity of Ziad Bin Umer and other Muslim men of learning in Cardova. Umer Lahmi after learning her perturbations, he secretly enriched her with the verses of Holy Quran which enshrined in her the unseen power to tackle the future challenges. It was the time when Muslims had started to build mosques and school all over Spain. Isabella’s conversation with Ziad Bin Umer, a highly learned traditionalist, philosopher and the interpreter of the Holy Quran exposed the process of inquisition besides dropped the news that the daughter of her teacher Mirano too has developed liking for Islam. The author has used Isabella as a mouthpiece to underscore the falsification of Christianity and the creed of atonement which according to Isabella has taken the fear of sins for one confidently confesses before the priest all kinds of sins that too without maintained privacy, thus humiliation in the disguise of confession has worsened the ethics of Christianity. Isabella exposes the ugly face and uncovered the plight of nuns and monks who have been reduced to maintenance of sexual needs of so called religious heads. As the news of her conversion has reached to her mother Helena, she was banged by Head priest and Peter, but Isabella managed to handle them and wrote a letter to her friend informing her about the coming events. Meanwhile Isabella receives a message from Michael where she was again made to explain her faith and this time Isabella spared none of their notions and openly challenged their faith by referring to Bible and puzzled them all when she declared that she believes God as God not any man as God. She has reached to that fine line where she has experienced that Bible neither proves Christ to be God nor any basis of atonement. She argues that these are the inventions of Christians.
As promised Isabella brought her two friends Mertha and Hanana besides Mirano to Ziad Bin Umer where she formally embraced Islam and introduced her friends to the Master. Isabella as a protagonist emerges like a dynamic character, ready to face the consequences of her conversion. He seeks refuge from Allah and has ascended above all human uncertainties. By a trick she was imprisoned and maltreated by priests and monks in the underground chamber where craniums and human bones in abundance hardly had any impetus to shake her faith, she stood like a rock to bear the lumber of merciless currents. Meanwhile the girls informed Zaid Bin Umer about Isabella’s imprisonment who suggested his followers to be patient for according to him this will strengthen her faith. The three girls made a plan to free Isabella. After seeking permission from the Head priest, girls were allowed to visit monastery where they talked to Isabella in such that their plan must not go waste. They sought the refuge of the most pious nun namely Arkia who once was a Princess of France and gave up her riches and government for the sake of Virgin Mary.
The author has shifted the focus of reader from Isabella to monastery for two purposes, one that to expose the intricacies of falsification of modern Christianity and the second to glue Isabella’s faith with more severity. The girls managed the escape when Mirano feigned as if she saw The Holy Ghost and revealed two secrets that guided Arkia and the Monk to sacred Church in the southern part of Cordova, where the girls tied them both and freed Isabelle but not before breaking the very narrow and faint faith of Arkia. Isabella and girls were received warmly by Ziad Bin Umer.
The secret meeting that was called forth by Head priest to ensure restriction Muslim into it also failed to resolve Isabella’s case as the letter that was handed by a man at the gate to be handed over to the Head priest turned to be open invitation by Isabella to his father and the rest of the Christian to embrace Islam which not only disturbed the Head priest but also topsy-turvyed the mission. All the three girls embraced Islam. Mirano who discoursed with Umer was persuaded when Umer pointed out countless mistakes in the Bibles of the Eastern Church and the Bibles of the Western Church. Later on a Christian woman of Tledon challenged Isabella but failed miserably to let Isabella down. Isabella became Mohaddisa in Cordova and served Islam at her fullest. The last speech of Isabella wherein she confirmed the ‘Perfect Man’ as the strongest attribute of Prophet Muhammad SAW silenced all even the Christian lady and guided her to embrace Islam. Isabella lived up to the age of eighty, all the Spain mourned her death and millions followed her funeral prayer.
Moulana Syed Mohammad has not used a conventional mode of novel writing but has put on record that dramatic influence through continuous dialogue forms can be put to use to bring at fore the best result. In the conventional novels, the narrative and imageries leave a strong visual impact on reader’s mind, but in this novel, the author has successfully impressed the impetus of retort created after a constant discourse on such a sensitive issue to leave every sensitive reader to praise the format. Isabella’s character has been skillfully woven, developed and designed to meet the requirements of the novel in terms of its structure.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Mushtaq B.Barq is a Columnist, Poet and Fiction Writer. He is the author of “Feeble prisoner, “ Wings of Love” and many translation works are credited to the author like “ Verses Of Wahab Khar” and “ Songs Of Sochkral”
