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Mohammed Ali Vakil
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Sufi Comics: The Wise Fool of Baghdad Kindle Edition

by Mohammed Ali Vakil (Author), Mohammed Arif Vakil (Author), Rahil Mohsin (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 77 ratings
What can a man dressed in rags and ostensibly mad teach us about life? Everything as it turns out.

Bahlool who lived in Baghdad, circa the 8th century AD, feigned madness to escape the oppression of the ruling class, and he dispensed wisdom in strange and amusing ways.

The Wise Fool of Baghdad is a collection of these true stories, richly illustrated in the Turkish-Iranian miniature style. Every story is followed by sacred verses of the Holy Qur an and traditions, inscribed in Arabic by Muqtar Ahmed, one of India s finest Islamic calligraphers.

In the crazy times we live in, you will probably need a fool to make sense of it all.
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  1. Print length
    145 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    March 27, 2014
  5. File size
    37.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
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Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00JBKJN1W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sufi Studios
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 27, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 37.3 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 145 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

About the author

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Mohammed Ali Vakil

Mohammed Ali Vakil

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
77 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's stories universally appealing and fun to read, with one noting how they help with self-reflection. The artwork receives positive feedback for being beautifully illustrated, and customers appreciate the life lessons and educational content, with one highlighting the relevant verses from the Quran and Hadith.

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Story qualityArtworkTeachings
11 customers mention "Story quality"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in the book, finding them universally appealing and fun to read, with one customer noting that the meaning of each story resonates with anyone.

"...The book will appeal to both adults and children...." Read more

"...These stories demonstrate ethics, learnings, and spiritual guidance in a way that zen koans work, moving you out of the ordinary...." Read more

"This book is stunning! These great stories not only provide great Sufi teachings but put a smile on my face with their wit and humor...." Read more

"The stories are universally appealing and meaningful.to people of any religion or background. Great illustrations!..." Read more

9 customers mention "Artwork"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the artwork of the book, finding it beautifully illustrated, with one customer noting its full-color illustrations and another mentioning its modern presentation.

"...and Hadith (the Prophet’s (saw) life & sayings) are depicted with excellent calligraphy. The book will appeal to both adults and children...." Read more

"...The illustrations are wonderful. Great follow-up to the first volume put out by them and hopefully a taste of what comes next." Read more

"...The artwork is extraordinary making this book worth owning just to see the ornateness of the drawings...." Read more

"...Great illustrations! I especially like how the book shows a gentle side of a religion and culture that usually gets negative publicity!" Read more

9 customers mention "Teachings"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's life lessons and educational content, with one customer noting how it includes relevant verses from the Quran and Hadith.

"...The relevant verses from the Quran and Hadith (the Prophet’s (saw) life & sayings) are depicted with excellent calligraphy...." Read more

"...These stories demonstrate ethics, learnings, and spiritual guidance in a way that zen koans work, moving you out of the ordinary...." Read more

"...These great stories not only provide great Sufi teachings but put a smile on my face with their wit and humor...." Read more

"The stories are universally appealing and meaningful.to people of any religion or background. Great illustrations!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Danesh Zaki
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great messages in amazing artwork
    Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    “The Wise Fool of Baghdad” has simple messages for living related in a brilliant way. This book has a central character, Bahlool Dana - the wise fool. Bahlool feigns madness to escape punishment from the authorities and the powerful, whose corrupt practices he criticizes. He provides guidance to one and all on issues related to humanity.

    The central theme in the book is to be humble and considerate to the poor. In many stories, one is reminded of Birbal and Naseeruddin Hodja, like whom Bahlool uses his intellect to get justice for the poor.

    The Wise Fool of Baghdad has exceptional artwork and presentation. The book has illustrations in full colour and artwork in all the pages. The relevant verses from the Quran and Hadith (the Prophet’s (saw) life & sayings) are depicted with excellent calligraphy.

    The book will appeal to both adults and children. With the great artwork, it is difficult to put it down and I ended up reading the whole book in a single go!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Hussein Rashid
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I know many of these stories as Nasrudding Khwaja tales, but the principle is the same. Wisdom is not always given through schools, but through the absurd. These stories demonstrate ethics, learnings, and spiritual guidance in a way that zen koans work, moving you out of the ordinary. The illustrations are wonderful. Great follow-up to the first volume put out by them and hopefully a taste of what comes next.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Moose S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beauifully Drawn and Great Story Telling!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book is stunning!

    These great stories not only provide great Sufi teachings but put a smile on my face with their wit and humor. The artwork is extraordinary making this book worth owning just to see the ornateness of the drawings. The author clearly put a great deal of thought and effort into this work. I can't wait for the next one!
    Helpful
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  • laura messian
    5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful book
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The stories are universally appealing and meaningful.to people of any religion or background. Great illustrations! I especially like how the book shows a gentle side of a religion and culture that usually gets negative publicity!
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • arjun
    5.0 out of 5 stars a must read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Beautifully illustrated and presented. The stories help us reflect on ourselves, but are fun to read at the same time. The author does a wonderful job in using the stories to link wise verses from the Koran to everyday problems we face in the world, and specifically in India.
    Helpful
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  • Grace Rogers
    5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    all the great teachers in history have taught using stories, and the stories in here are great! they are accessable to virtually everyone (my eight year old loved it, too) and they don't really require any particular background.

    Who should read this? Anyone who is not a fool.
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  • Y. H.
    5.0 out of 5 stars great book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I really enjoyed the way each lesson was illustrated. I liked the commentary as well along with corresponding hadiths and ayaHs. I can see this as a fun book to read and discuss with my children when they are older.
    Helpful
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  • Joanna
    1.0 out of 5 stars Upsetting and Disturbing - Horrible
    Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Towards the back of the book, multiple white men teach a darker skinned young man who they refer to as "boy" a lesson about the gratitude he should have for being on the ship. They do this by tying the young man up and throwing him overboard. Many scenes of domination and of white superiority. I was truly shocked. This was going to be a gift. I am so glad I looked through it first.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love, love, love this book!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 29, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I love this book, so easy to read, the images are illustrated so nicely! Religious/moral lessons for all faiths and ages. I could Anne read it over and over again! Wonderful lessons that make you think about being a better person. The author should be very proud of this great piece of work.
    Report
  • Kavita A
    5.0 out of 5 stars Real Page Turner
    Reviewed in India on January 30, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    So much wisdom imparted in fun n easy way. This book is for children n adults alike. Amazing illustrations!! All the effort of the authors in putting together this gem is evident. I have read two of their books , on to the third one soon.
    Report
  • Farmaleh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best book
    Reviewed in Canada on May 12, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is the best Islamic graphic novel in the world. I love these stripes and how there is a moral to every one. My children read it too and they loved it as much as I did.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully illustrated pithy moral stories
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Love this book and will try to buy other stories if available
    Report
  • saeed burki
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simply fantastic!
    Reviewed in Canada on May 13, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    If only there were a few wise fools like him in our world governments today, we would be close to utopia! These stories hold lessons for all of us, and perhaps if more literary efforts like this are undertaken, more people would be passively enlightened.
    Report

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