Zaabalawi

How are Sheikh Gad and Sheikh Qamar’s respective receptions of the narrator different? What does this difference suggest about their respective relationships to Zaabalawi?

Sheikh Gad describes Zaabalawi as “the epitome of all things musical [...] you have only to hear him to want to burst into song and to be inspired to creativity” (9). If Zaabalawi is an allegory for spiritual awakening, what is Mahfouz saying about music’s role in spirituality? Where else is music used in “Zaabalawi”?

Sheikh Gad the composer, Hassanein the calligrapher, and Hagg Wanas the drunk are the three citizens of Cairo who seem to know Zaabalawi best. What do the men have in common? How do they differ? How do they make meaning of Zaabalawi?

What is the nature of the narrator’s ailment? What could the composer Sheikh Gad mean when he says, “[S]uch suffering is part of the cure” (7)?

The story’s ending appears unresolved, with the trail for Zaabalawi going cold. Has the narrator truly failed to meet Zaabalawi, or has he only failed in his perception? If he has failed, what mistake did he make?

At one point, Sheikh Gad suggests that Zaabalawi is wanted by the police, and has been framed for a crime he did not commit. This subplot is never resolved. Given Zaabalawi’s symbolism, what is Mahfouz’s intent in including this aside?

As he searches Cairo, the narrator meets people practicing law, commerce, politics, calligraphy, and music; each professional brings him closer to Zaabalawi. What social point is Mahfouz making by staging the narrator’s spiritual journey this way?

When the narrator arrives at Negma Bar, he finds Hagg Wanas gazing at his reflection while consuming copious amounts of wine. Both alcohol and mirrors are prohibited for practicing Muslims, but the scene is the narrator’s closest brush with spirituality. What point is Mahfouz making by depicting these items as portals to awakening?