Novel

Morocco, 1359. The people of Fes are living in deprivation under the rule of an unjust sultan. Zakaria is a young Muslim scholar trying to sustain his family while committing to a rigid moral code. To provide for his sickly daughter, he sacrifices his principles and seeks a job at the palace, where he gradually becomes entangled in a web of intrigue, his conscience tormented by serving the sultan. In the hope of fleeing from the constraints of his world, he joins the quest of Muhammad ibn Yusuf, the exiled king of Granada, and his enchanting sister, Aisha, to reclaim their throne. Together, they set out to Andalusia on a journey that will call into question all of Zakaria’s beliefs and change the history of the Iberian Peninsula for decades to come. ​​

 

Then He Sent Prophets is a story about the suffering of young idealists in a world of inevitable compromise. Throughout his journey, Zakaria faces internal struggles that are timeless and universal, strives to reconcile his faith with the world, doubts the motives behind his desire to live morally, and ends up wondering whether a life consisting of one compromise after another is one worth living.

 

Praise for Then He Sent Prophets

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"Then He Sent Prophets is a novel for our moment. Set around the political struggles of fourteenth-century Granada, it is a deeply sympathetic and passionately human look at how one might make—or fail to make—moral, decent choices when living in a violent, indecent world."

— Marcia Lynx Qualey, founding editor of ArabLit

"In Zakaria, Seif El Nasr successfully crafts a complex protagonist who is both admirable and relatable . . . Politics is no playground for the morally conscious, and yet Zakaria, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, is determined to make it work . . . The plot climaxes towards the end of the novel in a battle scene, and the ending is tremendously powerful."

— Hafsa Lodi, The New Arab

"Those seeking a book that speaks to present concerns will certainly find this novel to be just that, but it is also rooted in the past . . . What made this novel fascinating to read was the blend of the two . . . Then He Sent Prophets is a fun, enjoyable, relatable and intriguing read and an excellent work of historical fiction."

— Usman Butt, Middle East Monitor

"This novel is so much more than its richly drawn characters, evocative settings, and probing questions about morality and compromise. Then He Sent Prophets is a triumph of storytelling . . . No number of reviews could fully encapsulate its richness . . . The narrative masterfully explores how we aim to live by our philosophies and beliefs, while the realities of lived experience, political upheavals, and financial pressures inevitably shape our paths . . . Timeless and timely. It is not just Zakaria's story—it is a reflection of the human condition and the quest for meaning in an ever-changing world."

— Sherine Elbanhawy, founding editor of Rowayat Egypt