Book Review: ‘It’s the thought of Makkah that keeps me alive’

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After spending the night in the valley of Mina, the pilgrims reach Arafat, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Makkah. Bottom: Around 4,500 scouts are taking part in different activities to facilitate pilgrims during Hajj this year. (SPA photo)
Updated 21 August 2018
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Book Review: ‘It’s the thought of Makkah that keeps me alive’

  • Paulo Coelho’s novel highlights merchant’s powerful narrative about the pilgrimage
  • Coelho has a Guinness World Record for the most translated book by any living author

JEDDAH: One of the famous books that refers to the Islamic pillar of Hajj is “The Alchemist,” a novel by the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho that has been translated into more than 80 languages and sold more than 30 million copies.

The novel highlights the Hajj dream when a young shepherd, Santiago, working for a crystal shop owner tells his employer about his desire to visit the pyramids, which leaves the latter asking why the young boy was so determined about to see the pyramids.

“You’ve never had dreams of travel,” the shepherd boy tells the shop owner in Tangier, the Moroccan city that used to be a part of Al-Andalus until 1062.

The crystal merchant had never thought of traveling, except for Hajj — traveling to Makkah had long been his dream and only thought.

However, the merchant explains to the boy that he lives by the book of Qur’an, and that Islam has five pillars which are mandatory for Muslims to fulfill.

After explaining the first four pillars, the merchant suddenly stops with tears in his eyes. So the boy asks him about the fifth obligation.

The merchant answers: “Two days ago, you said that I had never dreamed of travel. The fifth obligation of every Muslim is a pilgrimage. We are obligated at least once in our lives to visit the holy city of Makkah.

“When I was young, all I wanted to do was to put together enough money to start this shop. I thought someday I’d be rich, and could visit Makkah.”

The merchant refers to those who pass by his shop on their way to Makkah, and to those pilgrims who have performed Hajj and are proudly showing that off on their house doors.

However, when Santiago asks the merchant why he never made the trip and fulfilled his dream, he answers that if he did, he would no longer have anything to live for.

“Because it’s the thought of Makkah that keeps me alive.

“I’ve already imagined a thousand times crossing the desert, arriving at the Plaza of the Sacred Stone, the seventh time I walk around it before allowing myself to touch it. I’ve already imagined the people who would be at my side, and those in front of me.”

Meanwhile, the merchant’s business grows after he agrees to Santiago’s suggestion to sell tea. The tea becomes popular in the town and the merchant hires more staff.

As a result of the shop’s success, Santiago also becomes rich and decides that it is time for him to leave.

One day he wakes early and tells the merchant about his decision to leave and buy a large flock of sheep.

Santiago encourages the merchant to travel to Makkah. However, the merchant believes that he will not go to Makkah because it is “maktub,” which means “it is written,” as his destiny.

Coelho has a Guinness World Record for the most translated book by any living author.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘India’ by Audrey Truschke

Updated 22 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘India’ by Audrey Truschke

Much of world history is Indian history. Home today to one in four people, the subcontinent has long been densely populated and deeply connected to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas through migration and trade.

In this magisterial history, Audrey Truschke tells the fascinating story of the region historically known as India—which includes today’s India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan—and the people who have lived there. A sweeping account of five millennia, from the dawn of the Indus Valley Civilization to the 21st century.


What We Are Reading Today: The Cultural House in Riyadh

Updated 22 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: The Cultural House in Riyadh

  • The library itself is designed with comfort in mind, offering various zones, including a tech space, a kids’ area, flexible workspaces, and a cafe on the ground floor

I recently visited the newly opened Culture House public library, an initiative by the Libraries Commission and Riyadh municipality.

The library is part of the King Salman Science Oasis project in Al-Ta’awun neighborhood, and it exceeded my expectations.

Before visiting, I was aware that I needed to book a time for my preferred section. This is an important detail to note, as you must have a reservation to access any area of the library.

Upon arrival, I easily scanned a QR code, filled in my name and phone number, and waited just 10 minutes for my tour.

The staff at the library were exceptional; the representative who guided me was friendly and informative and made the experience more enjoyable.

The library itself is designed with comfort in mind, offering various zones, including a tech space, a kids’ area, flexible workspaces, and a cafe on the ground floor.

The first floor features the main library with ample seating for both group and solo activities, as well as an outdoor space. It was great to see workstations equipped with computers, printers, and scanners that facilitate scanning colored books.

I particularly enjoyed the outdoor area, which includes a playground and relaxing spots near the water, as well as food trucks. It’s a great place for families and friends to gather.

While I was unable to explore the middle or main section fully, I am eager to return.

A couple of guidelines to consider: The library’s washroom closes at midnight and while cycling on the grounds is not permitted, skateboards are allowed. Additionally, sitting on the grass is not allowed, though sitting on the floor is.

I highly recommend a visit to the library. The clean, quiet environment, combined with friendly staff and great amenities, makes it a standout space in Riyadh.

For a city of its size, I hope to see more libraries like this across the Kingdom’s capital and beyond.

 


What We Are Reading Today: Narcoland

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Updated 21 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Narcoland

  • The book explains in detail how Mexico became a base for the mega cartels of Latin America and one of the most violent places on the planet

Author: Anabel Hernandez

This book is a product of years of investigative reporting, and is considered a publishing and political sensation in Mexico.
The book offers a definitive history and anatomy of the drug cartels and the “war on drugs” that has cost thousands of lives in the country, according to a review on goodreads.com.

The book explains in detail how Mexico became a base for the mega cartels of Latin America and one of the most violent places on the planet. The previous books of the writer have focused on political corruption in the country.

 


What We Are Reading Today: Cold War Civil Rights

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Updated 20 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Cold War Civil Rights

  • Soon after World War II, American racism became a major concern of US allies, a chief Soviet propaganda theme, and an obstacle to American Cold War goals throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Author: Mary L. Dudziak

In 1958, an African American handyman named Jimmy Wilson was sentenced to die in Alabama for stealing less than two dollars. Shocking as this sentence was, it was overturned only after intense international attention and the interference of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles.

Soon after World War II, American racism became a major concern of US allies, a chief Soviet propaganda theme, and an obstacle to American Cold War goals throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Racial segregation undermined the American image, harming foreign relations in every administration from Truman to Johnson. Mary Dudziak shows how the Cold War helped to facilitate desegregation and other key social reforms at home as the US sought to polish its image abroad, yet how a focus on appearances over substance limited the nature and extent of progress.


What We Are Reading Today: Top Ten Ideas of Physics by Anthony Zee

Updated 18 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Top Ten Ideas of Physics by Anthony Zee

Could any discovery be more unexpected and shocking than the realization that the reality we were born into is but an approximation of an underlying quantum world that is barely within our grasp? This is just one of the foundational pillars of theoretical physics that A. Zee discusses in this book. Join him as he presents his Top Ten List of the biggest, most breathtaking ideas in physics—the ones that have fundamentally transformed our understanding of the universe.

“Top Ten Ideas of Physics” tells a story that will keep readers enthralled, along the way explaining the meaning of each idea and how it came about. Leading the list are the notions that the physical world is comprehensible and that the laws of physics are the same here, there, and everywhere. 

As the story unfolds, the apparently solid world dissolves into an intertwining web of dancing fields, exhibiting greater symmetries as we examine them at deeper and deeper levels.