Kader Abdolah - The House of the Mosque

The story quoted at the end of the Mahiha chapter is based on a paragraph in a short story by the Iranian writer Jalal Al-e Ahmad.

The poems in the Family chapter are taken from Een karavaan uit Perzië (A Caravan from Persia), edited and translated by J.T.P. de Bruijn, Amsterdam: Bulaaq, 2002.

All the passages from the Koran have been reworked. I’ve taken them out of context, mixed the lines of one surah with lines from another and translated them freely, using a number of different source texts and consulting various interpretations.

Although The House of the Mosque is based on historical fact, all the references to real people and actual events should be read according to the conventions of fiction.

Translator’s note : The passages from the Koran are a composite of several different English translations, including an online version translated by Yusef Ali. I am particularly indebted to Tarif Khalidi, The Qur’an , London: Penguin, 2008. Its poetic elegance makes it a pleasure to read.

I wish to thank Diane Webb for her editorial advice and R.M. McGlinn for his assistance with the transliteration and translation of Farsi into English.

abaIranian-style robe

akkasphotographer

Allahu akbarGod is great

Ankahtu wa zawagtoI ask you to be my wife. (The traditional words recited by the groom during a wedding ceremony.)

astaghfirullahGod forgive me

azanthe call to prayer

Enna lellahAn expression you say when someone has died. It’s short for ‘ Enna lellah wa enna elayhi raje’un ’, which means ‘To God we belong and to Him we return.’

EqraRead. (The first surah revealed to Muhammad begins with this word.)

esfandifragrant seeds of wild rue that are burned to chase away evil spirits

hauzhexagonal pool or basin of water used for ablutions

Hayye ale as-salatHasten to the prayer

hijaban Islamic dress code for women

InshallahGod willing

La ilaha illa AllahThere is no God but Allah.

Mobarak inshallahBlessings, congratulations

mahajjabeha veiled woman, and by extension a model Islamic woman

mahihafish

QabiltoI consent. (The traditional words recited by the bride during a wedding ceremony.)

qadijudge

rakatone unit of prayer

Salla ala Mohammad wa ale MohammadBlessed be Muhammad and the House of Muhammad.

Salaam aleikumPeace be upon you. (A traditional greeting.)

Salaam bar KhomeiniGreetings to Khomeini.

siegehUnder Shiite law a man may have a maximum of four wives. In addition he’s allowed an unlimited number of temporary wives, who make a marriage contract for a period ranging anywhere from one hour to ninety-nine years. These sigeh wives have no inheritance rights and are not officially registered with the city or the mosque.

tayareha swiftly moving object, such as a bird, boat or plane

tomanIranian unit of currency

Wa-assalaamThat is all.

zamantime