Master of the Jinn (Book review)

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

I, Ishaq, named the scribe, am commanded by my Master to set forth the tale of the journey, from which, by the Mercy of God, I alone of my companions have returned.  

Ali and Rami are no more. I saw them enter the fire. And Jasus also, that diviner of hearts, leaped into the flames. What became of the Hebrew sage and his daughter, or of the great Captain, I do not know. They would not leave when I bid them go.  But of this I am certain: The demon waits there still. 

Baalzeboul—Lord of the Jinn.

  

This is the prologue of Master of the Jinn, A Sufi Novel by Irving Karchmar. Ishaq, the scribe is the narrator of the mystic tale that involves a journey out of time, space and physical sphere of three Jews, three Sufi dervishes and a mysterious faqir in search of King Solomon’s ring.  

Every page of the novel contains hidden meanings and presents precious messages and words of wisdom. Each chapter begins with apt quotations from Sufi poets, verses from the Holy Quran and Psalms of David that offer clues to the main subject of the chapter. The entire novel indirectly explains in detail the spirit of Sufism. Several chapters focus on how dervishes are initiated into Sufism, how they live and behave in khaniqahs, and even how much they indulge in good food! The characters are of pure heart and deeply human; they eat, drink tea, cry with joy and in repentance, laugh and make jokes, dance, sing and play the ney.   

The great Sufi master of the novel is a sage; a wise and compassionate man who speaks in language full of hidden meanings and is a true reflection of the author of the book, Irving Karchmar for he is what Karchmar wants him to be. Karchmar spent twelve years writing his masterpiece which interweaves theological references from two beautiful religions – Judaism and Islam. The book is a modern Sufi novel that focuses on mysticism, repentance, gratitude, and God’s love.   

Master of the Jinn is not a book that you can read only once. It has to be read many times before one can begin to understand the deep layers of meanings. Each time you read the novel, I assure you, you will find something new to wonder. 

Official website of the novel: http://www.masterofthejinn.com/ 

Karchmar’s blog: http://darvish.wordpress.com/ 

You can order the book on amazon.com or even secure an E-copy by writing to Karchmar.    

My favourite quote from the book:  

The Master’s eyes caught mine as if he read my thought. “Write this also, young scholar,” he said. “Man and Jinn have no part in repentance, because repentance is from God to His creatures, not from them to God. It is a Divine gift, and may all here be worthy of it, for it is given when He wills, and to whom He wills, as the two thieves in our company will bear witness.”