The Road to Mecca by Muhammad Asad
Asad lived an amazing life which he describes beautifully. Meetings with future kings of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iran before their ascension, espionage into Fascist-controlled Libya and British Iraq: Asad covered a lot of ground. He nests his recollections like the 1001 Nights, one scene inside the other, going further back in time with each one. Yet the book seemed so dated. Asad (1900-1992) was a man of the 20th century, and his Modern rationalist outlook, his Islamist politics and his extreme attachment to the House of Saud feel like relics of a previous age here in the Post-modern, Post-binLaden 21st. The Road to Mecca was a fascinating historical document but not particularly inspirational to this reader.
Forest Gump of the Muslim World. I loved the book.
LOL!!! It did make me want to see the desert. I’ve never traveled in the Arab world at all, unless you count the Abu Dhabi airport.
Have been meaning to read this. I’m planning to dig into his translation of the Quran sometime soon.
What translation do you use now? The Asad translation is super clear and straightforward, making it a good balance to Yusuf Ali. I find Yusuf Ali’s English more beautiful though.
I’ve got a couple of Yusuf Ali translations at home. I’ll have to check the other copies of the Quran I have but I suspect they’re also Yusuf Ali.