The Journey of Ibn Fattouma

the perplexed soul. It traverses them stage by stage, tak-

ing signs and hints from things, groping about in the sea

of darkness, clinging stubbornly to a hope that smilingly

and mysteriously renews itself. ( Ibn Fattouma 1 )

Fattouma's journey guides him from place to place in search of the land of Gebel: a legendary paradise, “a closed secret” that all speaks of, but none have ever found (Ibn Fattouma 6). Fattouma is fascinated, “his yearnings aroused to the bursting point”, with this world that his teacher, Sheikh Maghada al-Gibeili, often talks of, putting images in his head about how it should be. (Ibn Fattouma 5) “He spoke so liberally that I lived in my imagination the vast lands of the Muslims, and my own homeland seemed to me like a star in a sky crammed with stars” (Ibn Fattouma 5). Fattouma says that he wants what is best for his country, but in reality he wants what is best for him, “I want to learn and to return to my ailing homeland with a remedy to heal her” (Ibn Fattouma 15). So begins the journey for knowledge, divine wisdom, and enlightenment, all in an effort to find that perfect place.

Ibn Fattouma’s journey all begins when he gi

It is not clear from the ending of his journal whether he ever reaches his elusive dream, leaving us to wonder forever whether Fattouma found what he was looking for. I feel what he was looking for had already been found. He had been through good and he had been through bad. Life is just that. This ending makes one think of the futility of a search for that perfect place that we are looking for in our lives. Maybe the perfect place is what you make of it and how you hold on to your beliefs, no matter who slaps you down or tries to convey and oppose their ideas onto you. One would think that if you have enlightenment you have the ability to reach your god. I feel that through all his troubles and hardships he did reach enlightenment and achieved a greater understanding of his god. The test that his god gave to him would either bring Fattouma closer to his god or push his god away and in turn Fattouma did journey as far as he could to his god.

When entering Ghuroub, there are no guards there to protect the city. This city is a suggestively Buddhist-like land, where Fattouma meets a holy man who tries to prepare him for the journey to Gebel. He learns all that he can and is very grateful. This land symbolizes enlightenment. This stage is the closest you can be to god and prepare for his wisdom. He learns that he needs to have patience and only then will he be ready to enter the enlightened world and city of Gebel. Another looming war forces him to press on prematurely, but he has a choice to make: Should he go to the land of Gebel? His mind has had some training but was not completely and sufficiently trained as it should be. He continues on in his quest but the caravan only goes so far, so he must make another decision. He decides to continue on again.

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