Using Mysticism to Teach "Zaabalawi"

Naguib Mahfouz's famous short story, "Zaabalawi," concerns an unnamed narrator s search for Zaabalawi, a mystic, or a holy person, or a healer, who can supposedly cure the narrator s incurable disease The text outlines the narrator s search through the streets, alleys, and offices of Cairo, until the narrator and Zaabalawi encounter one another in a dingy bar This highly allegorical text can be used to illustrate significant commonalities in two religious traditions, the mystical strands evident in Islam and Christianity With this text we can show students the common threads of these traditions, thereby illustrating the fundamental concept behind why we study this literature: it unveils and addresses common human experiences that cross cultures and can be understood by all.