Prophet of Qadian
A prophet predicted his Hindu rival's death. Four years later the rival was stabbed. The killer was never found. The archive does not convict him. It simply fails to clear him.
Prophet of Qadian is at its heart a character study of a man who began as a defender and reformer of Islam and ended up proclaiming himself the Mahdi, the Promised Messiah, and an avatar of Vishnu — putting him into direct conflict with the rising Hindu consciousness and Muslim reformers of his era.
One of his prophecies of death culminated in the murder of his Hindu rival within the predicted timeframe. Another — that he would marry a twelve-year-old girl by divine decree — did not come true. Today his community of followers claims tens of millions and faces persecution throughout the Muslim world.
The novel is also a love story between a Hindu woman and a follower from this community. The story spans one hundred and fifty years — from the Sikh kingdom of Punjab through British colonial rule, the upheaval of Partition, and into the present.
The book may be a difficult read for the faithful. It is historically as accurate as the available archives allow.
Tropes: character study, historical mystery, forbidden love, diaspora identity, colonial history, religious persecution, cross-cultural romance, archive as narrative
Trigger Warnings: Religious persecution, communal violence, colonial era violence, historical murder, child marriage (unfulfilled prophecy)