Leo Africanus

“I am the son of the road, my country is the caravan, my life the most unexpected of journeys.” 

The cosmopolitan theme of Hasan’s life is already made clear here. He does not identify his identity with any country. Instead, his travels have shaped his identity.

“Without lifting her eyes, she said these words, which I remember to this day: ‘For us, the women of Granada, freedom is a deceitful form of bondage, and slavery a subtle form of freedom.’” 

Salma here quotes Gaudy Sarah, whose words convey how Salma views her husband, Muhammad, and the concubine Warda’s relationship. Salma is restrained by the conservative expectations placed on her as a respectable Muslim wife. Warda is a slave, but she does not have such restrictions in her own relationship with Muhammad.

“‘It was a just punishment for the crimes of Granada,’ said my mother, repeating a well-worn maxim. ‘God desired to show us that His power has no equal, and wanted to punish the arrogance of the rulers, their corruption, injustice and depravity. He wanted to warn us about the destiny which awaited us if we continued to walk in our impious ways, with our eyes and hearts closed.’” 

Here is a common view expressed throughout the novel—a belief that even catastrophes like plagues are caused by the sins of the people. While one might take issue with such a view, moralistic campaigns by people like Astaghfirullah and the Sultan of Egypt succeed in warding off disaster.