First published in 1932, The Prophet comprises 26 prose poetry essays, each dealing with a different yet vital aspect of life. The language and narrative style Gibran has used very closely resembles that used in Holy Scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran, two very strong influencers of Gibran’s ideology of life. The story begins with the experiences and teachings of Almustafa (or The Chosen One), just before he is about to board a ship to make a return journey to his homeland after spending 12 years in exile in the city of Orphalese .
During his time there, he has come to be regarded as a very wise and spiritual man by the people, who try convincing him to not leave. Upon his refusal, they request him to preach to them for a one last time about what is the ideal and most rewarding way to live in this world, and prepare for the life that comes after.
Many of Gibran’s works, be it his paintings or his literary creations, were strongly influenced by his Christian and Islamic background. While he had emigrated to the U.S. as a child when he was only 12, he returned to his native Lebanon a few years later to study. It was during this time that he witnessed how the Lebanese people endured suffering at the hands of the Ottoman rulers and this is what prompted him to begin writing to encourage people to find their independence, bring an end to oppression and cruelty and create a better life and world for themselves. This remained one of Gibran’s most enduring messages throughout his writings, and particularly in The Prophet.
The selection of the name Almustafa for the protagonist was to establish an instant parallel between the character and Islam’s last apostle, Prophet Mohommad Mustufa. In fact, just as Prophet Mohommad delivered his final teachings before his death to his followers after performing the last pilgrimage, so does Almustafa, before he embarks on his journey home.
The character of Almitra is introduced to the readers at this point . It was Almitra who had been one of the very first people to accept Almustafa when he had arrived in Orphalese, and is the person responsible for convincing Almustafa to deliver a final sermon about how the people of the city should approach and deal with the challenges they face when it comes to life itself, love, friendship, marriage, children, religion and spirituality, charity, dealing with adversity, pain and failure, and particularly the qualities that define a great leader.
The story continues in the form of a question and answer session suggested by Almitra, when people question and seek guidance from Almustafa about matters that are the closest to their hearts. Gibran emphasizes the fact that the responses that ‘the prophet’ gives to the people are not entirely of his own wisdom and morality. His words, "the guardian of the night shall fill [my lantern] with oil and he shall light it also", followed by "all that has been shown [him] of that which is between birth and death" clearly establish that he is sharing the enlightenment that was bestowed on him by his God.
He is asked twenty six questions, and each response is a separate essay dedicated by Gibran to one aspect of his teachings.
Almustafa starts out by speaking of the importance of love in our lives . This is the most often repeated word and theme throughout the book. Almustafa emphasizes that it is only through experiencing love that a person can truly live an enriching life and while the journey of love is often fraught with obstacles and challenges that need to be overcome, any pain that love brings is negligible when compared to the sense of happiness and fulfillment it brings along with it. He is also quick to point out that being in love is not just a pursuit of seeking physical pleasure, but the essence of real love is finding companionship through understanding another soul, without giving up your won individuality .
The following two quotes highlight how Almustafa wanted people to view love: “Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation”, and “And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course” .
He goes on to address the subject of marriage as well and the nature of the relationship between spouses. Going completely against the prevalent belief at the time that a marriage entailed the coming together of two people who become one, Gibran’s Almustafa insists that true love and a real marriage is about facing challenges, celebrating and grieving together, yet without giving up individual goals and pursuits . He compares this relationship with that of an oak and cypress tree and adds that the trees cannot flourish if they are planted so close together that they do not get the sunlight needed to grow. Propagating equality in a marriage at a time when it was the norm for the wife to be treated as a lesser individual, was not the only social taboo Gibran criticized.
Despite the parallels that can be drawn between Islam’s last prophet and Almustafa, The Prophet is not an Islamic book. Almustafa’s words, “I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit”, clearly establish that his message for the people of the city is not tied in with one particular religion, but rather how people can attempt to find and connect with the Creator that they believe in. The message here is that instead of praying only when we are in need or facing troubles will never allow people to really understand who or what their Creator is .
In fact, according to Almustafa, people become closer to their God when they search for and see His divine touch in the most menial and ordinary of tasks. Citing the example of people who after having determined their career/profession, educate themselves and then apply that knowledge to the work they perform, Gibran establishes that honest and dedicated hard work is the shortest route to finding inner peace and coming close to God: “And all knowledge is vain save when there is work, and all work is empty save when there is love; and when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.” In a way this is also Gibran’s way of explaining to his readers that earning money, while important, should not be the determining force in how people pursue their careers; monetary rewards and progression should be secondary motives and the desire to excel and make a difference in other people’s lives through the work that you do are more important .
Having once established that earning a fortune should not be the driving force in life, Almustafa goes on to explain that sharing your fortune with those less privileged and in need of help, while a commendable act, is not sufficient to bring about long-lasting change in society. He advises the people that investing your own self in terms of personal time, interest and effort to help others is the really meaningful charity. “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give”
A subtle hint here is that people must be aware that all worldly possessions are transient in nature and the benefits they offer are also temporary. Therefore, it is short-sighted to assign too much importance to objects that will cease to exist one day. Almustafa warns the people against becoming too attached to materialistic objects such as property because worldly possession will not be a source of protection but rather what will destroy people . The analogy Gibran is making here is that people get so caught in becoming rich, that they end up sacrificing their ethics and values and go down the path of sin from where there is no turning back.
Works Cited
Gibran, Kahlil. The Prophet. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1923. Print.
