The Notion of Acceptance and Experiencing Life: Al-Mustafa as a reformist Prophet in Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet

Abstract

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s, Arab writers began to come to America to escape the socio-political and economic hardships of their countries. They already had a strongly established literature from as early as the fifth century and brought with them valuable literary works. Their literature was borne of their views of real life, humanity, love and the beauty of nature. One of the Arab writers during this period was Gibran Khalil Gibran (1882-1931) the Lebanese writer, poet, artist and the famous Arab American philosopher. Gibran was influenced by the early Arabic writers, both intellectually and morally. The present paper will showcase how Gibran’s masterpiece “The Prophet” accepts and experiencing life through Al-Mustafa as the protagonist throughout the story. Gibran views the world as a place that lacks love and peace, and where individual’s life is depraved and corrupted. He wanted to free the world from corruption, oppression, hatred and domination and wanted to build a society based on models of stability and equilibrium.