The Prophet

Widely acknowledged as Lebanese-American poet and writer Kahlil Gibran’s most popular and highly circulated work, ‘The Prophet’ is divided into 26 ‘essays’ or ‘sermons’ spoken by the prophet Al Mustafa. After having lived in the city of Orphalese for 12 years, Al Mustafa is waiting to board a ship that will carry him home. However, a group of people stops Al Mustafa before he can take his leave, asking him to share his wisdom and answer their questions concerning everything between birth and death. This marks the beginning of the wise old man’s discussion regarding different topics, including life and the human condition.

The book is a collection of prose poetry divided into several chapters that cover a range of topics, including love, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, death and finally, and finally, Al Mustafa’s farewell. Since it was first published in 1923, The Prophet has been translated into over 100 languages and remains a favourite among readers worldwide. Gibran’s skillful balancing of philosophy and mysticism expressed through simple prose poetry continues to make The Prophet a choice reading material through the ages.