The prophet by "Kahlil Gibran is a praiseworthy book in which he compares his spiritual life with real life in a magical way. The novel comprises of nice characters: Al-Mustafa, the prophet and people of Orphalese who belongs to various aspects of life. Story begins with a dream which is the imaginary world of writer. He imagines to be in a place where people from different fields of life seeks information about their respected jobs. The writer is a great wizard in finding out the causes of many phenomenon of our everyday life. He uses some of his best qualities in explaining them.
Work vs Love
He tells that basis of work is love, hence, love makes you committed and determined to work. In this regard, we can easily quote the example of Doshrat Mahnji. He carved a path of 110 m long, 9.1 m wide and 7.6 m deep through a hillock using only a hammer and a chisel for the love of his villagers and for the love of his beloved wife who slipped from the hill and got injured which eventually led to her death.
Buying and selling
He explains beautifully that buying and selling occur when someone feels abundance or satisfaction of something. He says that there should be justice in exchange to avoid greed in one side and hunger on the other side. People usually consider no exchange between audience and dancers or players rather they think it is a waste of time and money both to listen or watch a dancer or a player. Writer clarifies that dancers or players give food for our soul. As we work a lot, we feel tired but listening to them makes us relaxed, then we can work smartly.
Sorrow vs Joy
Anyhow, He had a great skill of comparison. He compares someone with a scale when talking about sorrow and joy. He explains that if someone is empty, he is balanced and standstill like the scale, however, when shopkeeper wants to weigh his materials, his sorrows or joys either arise or falls.
Passion
Similarly, He has the quality of finding out the interrelationships between things. He relates the passion with reasons telling that passion must be followed by some reasons, then they can govern someone's life wonderfully.
Writer implements his thoughts and opinions regarding many other features of life as well.
Talking
It is our general observation that when someone continuously talks, he/she will commit mistakes. Writer derives a fact from the above observation that When people are talking, their half thoughts are dead. This fact is applicable in everyday life.
Time
Writer sets out vital role of time in governing someone's life. Time limit the conduct and activities and gives a disciplined life.
People vs law
He describes two kinds of people with respect to law. One of the kinds make laws with enjoyment and the other breaks them with much happiness. However, writer considers them fail. On the other hand, another kind hold the laws as chisels to shape their lives and they are successful in this world.
Friendship
He considers friendship a platform for sharing joys and laughter and he tells a fact that "a friend can fill someone's need but he cannot fill his emptiness."
Moreover, he gives outlines for giving, cloth, house, crime and punishment, law, freedom, pain, self-knowledge, good and evil, prayer, pleasure and beauty. Ultimately the book is very much philosophical but it discusses general life features of a community under his great power of imagination, he makes people understood about them. Anyone can seek awareness about their traits in this book that is why I consider it important for reading.
By Azmatullah Aziz
Balochistan Pakistan
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