What greater joy can a book lover experience than get his hands on a literary masterpiece and enjoy every word of it. It’s a rare moment that one gets across a literary work that captivates both intellect and the soul.
Born as Leopold Weiss in Austrian Jew family he died as Muhammad Assad a well known name in Islamic world in 20th century. His famous book road to Mecca is story of his spiritual journey from Judaism to Islam which describes in detail the political events of early 20th century Muslim world.
Muhammad Assad started his physical journey to Arabia as a journalist, thus begin his encounter with the Muslim world, which later turned out to be an exploration for his spiritual odyssey. The book describes his travelogue through the Arabian peninsula. From Libiyan deserts to snow covered Pamirs, between the Bosporus and Arabian sea, he traveled to every country and city Culminating his journey to Mecca in 1932, which he describes fascinatingly as “ Mecca has always been my goal ,it called to me long before my mind became aware of it”
Having spent the early days of his life in Vienna and other European cities he had studied the history of art and listened to learned discussions on history, society, morality and psychoanalysis. The moral decay in west, disillusionment among youth and abondonment of religion by masses and the love for materialism compelled him to confront the spiritual emptiness at the heart of Western life. His main critique of Western civilization being that Western man has not been able to strike a harmonious balance between his bodily and social needs and his spiritual cravings. His journey in Muslim world gave him 1st hand experience to learn the Muslim world, their culture and faith.
It’s a story of his adventures across the Bedouin lands and the masterly portrayal of Beduions brought them to life. His contact with Arabs changed his outlook and caused him to instinctively search in the new culture for what he couldn’t find in his own.
Assad transports the readers through deserts, oasis, villages and bustling bazars of Arabia and masterfully gives the description of each event. Yet this is nor merely a travelogue but authors much sought after spiritual evolution and discovery of faith. Throughout the journey author offers an intersection of external world with internal quest for meaning. The narrative flows with such an effortless flow that reading this book feels akin to the passage of time in the desert, where one becomes wholly absorbed, losing all sense of self and place.
This book offers more than just a compelling account of one man’s journey to Islam; it also serves as a fascinating exploration of modern Islamic history and the nations that shape the Muslim world. Along the way, the author shares vivid stories of influential figures such as King Abdullah of Jordan, Mustafa Kemal of Turkey, and King Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud, who becomes a close companion. These individuals, central to the narrative, played pivotal roles in the transformation of Arab world a legacy that continues to shape the region and resonate in our world today.
The author is worried about the intellectual sterility from which whole Muslim world was suffering & its old impetus almost extinguished. It was Islam that indeed carried the early Muslims to tremendous cultural heights but ignorance of later Muslims gave way to insolence, sterility and cultural decay.
The book touches the depth of readers soul. It’s linguistic artistry and reverting content immerses the reader deep into the realm of imagination. This not only is an extraordinary life narrative but invites the reader to reflect on his own beliefs and values. The book is also an invitation to journey within.
The Reviewer Ishfaq Jamal can be reached at drishfaqjamal@gmail.com
