Essay Questions

What is the chief purpose of the stories in the book?

The primary purpose of all of the stories in the book is to show Islamic characters as brave, courageous, respected and honorable, and to show "infidels" - those who are not Muslim - as sneaky, less brave and also less successful in battle; basically, the Muslims and the infidels are positioned as the "goodies" and the "baddies".

The main reason for this was the transition that was occurring between Shamanism, which preceded Islam, and a large conversion to Islam, but there were also large communities for whom Shamanism was a central tenet to their lives and something they did not want to be converted from. Similarly, Koptic Christians still maintained a huge influence in the region. By writing stories like this, which effectively marketed Islam as the most positive religion, and the one that only the truly honorable and courageous were worthy of, the book became somewhat of a marketing tool in the mass conversion of an entire region of people. This is shown in the story of King Shokli's conversion to Islam. Shokli is a constant thorn in the side of the Islamic hero characters throughout the collection of stories, raiding an encampment, kidnapping family members and being generally lacking in moral character. His conversion to Islam heralds a new era of peace, harmony and friendship between him and his former enemies, and he is seen as a brave man who makes personal sacrifices for the good of the world.

What do the stories show us about the nature of early Islam?

The primary thing that the stories show us is that early Muslims saw the world as divided between Muslims and infidels; "them" and "us". If you are not part of the Islamic world then you are an enemy and as such need to be neutralized. There seems to be no seeking of common ground, or no agreeing to each keep to their own. The objective of the Islamic characters in the book, especially those considered to be the most heroic, is to convert, or to kill, whichever proves to be the most effective.

It is also a religion that seems to have been centered around war or battle. An example of this is the enormous concern of Kazan when his sixteen year old son has not yet participated in a battle or a war of any sort, and his inexperience prevails when the situation arises, and his lack of aptitude in battle causes injury and near loss.