TEHRAN – Iranian writer Maryam Rahi has underlined the supportive role a number of the relatives played in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (S) in her latest novel.

“Tell Amin I Love Him” has recently been released by Neyestan Publications in Tehran, and it is a novel for adult readers, she told the Persian service of IRNA on Saturday. 

Abd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the prophet of Islam, his uncles Abu Talib and Hamza, and his cousin Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, have been considered as the early supporters of the prophet in this book. 

The book gives a brief glance at Khadijah (SA), the wife of the Prophet (S), because her supportive role has widely been studied in Rahi’s previous book “Yawma” published by Neyestan in 2015.

“I’m interested in history, especially the early history of Islam, and I wrote the book based on a proposal from the publisher,” Rahi said.

She added that the subject of her book has never before been novelized for adult readers, and she said that every writer can have her/his own view of this subject.

“A novel’s duty is not to discover the truth,” Rahi noted and added, “A novel tells the story of something that has been proved to reader, and I have no plans to prove something in this novel.”

“In my novel, Abu Talib has been introduced as a true believer in Islam. Although he has to keep his belief to himself, his support and prayers show that he is a follower of the Prophet Abraham (AS), and when he becomes a follower of the Prophet Muhammad (S), none of the polytheists are aware of his belief,” Rahi stated.      

“It would be sufficiently satisfying to me if the novel can deepen people’s affection for the prophet and his household,” she noted. 

She is also the writer of the novel “I’m a Traveler Tomorrow”, which tells the story of the captivity of the household of Imam Hussein (AS) after the Ashura battle.

Photo: A combination photo shows writer Maryam Rahi and the front cover of her latest novel “Tell Amin I Love Him”.

MMS/YAW