(Sharif Al-Jann) by Yemeni Author Abdulkarem Al-Shahari: A Novel Unveiling the Profound Depths of Human Conflicts

Yemenat

Written by Alwan Mahdi Al-Jilani
Translated by Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi

(Sharif Al-Jann) is the fifth novel by Yemeni author Abdulkarim Al-Shahari, following his previous works: (Shifting Sands), (A Modern Life), (My Philosopher Friend), and (Rafella). It stands as one of his works through which he expresses his determination to carve out a unique narrative footprint in the world of storytelling.

The events of (Sharif Al-Jann) unfold in a remote Yemeni village, built around a central theme: the fusion of myth and reality, or legend and truth. The pivotal character in the novel is Murad Hamdan, a man living with his family in the (Valley of Sharif Al-Jann), a place shrouded in legends. It is one of those isolated, enigmatic locations, not to mention being the abode of a massive black serpent named Sharif Al-Jann.

The novel begins with Murad Hamdan, who suffers from recurring nightmares in which the black serpent appears, each time tempting him with Solomon’s treasure in exchange for sacrificing his family. Thus, Murad is torn by an internal conflict between his desire for wealth and power and his love for his family. This conflict can be considered the primary driver of events, particularly in the first part of the novel.

The plot progresses to reveal that Murad Hamdan lives in exile in that mysterious valley, a punishment for marrying Safiya, the daughter of the tribal Sheikh Ja’dan, who strongly opposed and rejected the marriage. As for Ja’dan, Safiya’s father, he consistently appears as a domineering and malicious character. He possesses a heart as hard as stone, or even harder—a heart that never softened for a moment as he orchestrated the exile of Murad and Safiya to that perilous place.

The tension escalates with the appearance of new characters, such as Jamran and his niece Zamrudah, who come to the valley in search of rare medicinal plants. Their presence arouses Murad Hamdan’s suspicions, especially since Jamran seems to have a mysterious connection with the black serpent known as “Sharif Al-Jann.”

Then, the events of the first part of the novel reach their climax when Murad Hamdan decides to confront Sharif Al-Jann to obtain the treasure. It is then that he discovers that the facets of the conflict are far broader than merely the treasure; it is an eternal, existential theme related to the primordial struggle as old as existence itself—the struggle between good and evil, symbolized by the two mythical serpents: the black one known as “Sharif Al-Jann,” and the red one known as “Kharab Shihab.”

In the second part of the novel, the conflict shifts from the valley to the village, where Murad Hamdan and his friends strive to expose the conspiracies of Ja’dan, Jamran, and Sharif Al-Jann, who seek to control the village and spread evil. Those who join Murad Hamdan in confronting these malevolent forces are a diverse group of allies, including animals such as the monkey Jabir, the monitor lizard Maher, the falcon Amir, and the fox Mudhish, as well as humans like his childhood friends Suhaim and Rafi’.

In the course of the confrontation, Marjanah, Zamrudah’s mother, plays a pivotal role in unveiling secrets. She possesses special abilities to communicate with the spirit world, being a Muwarradah (a spiritual medium). Through her, new dimensions of the conflict are revealed, uncovering a long history of deception and conspiracies spanning three generations. The novel culminates in a decisive confrontation between the forces of good and evil, as Murad Hamdan and his allies fight to liberate the village from the control of Ja’dan and Sharif Al-Jann, ultimately achieving their goal of restoring balance to the entire realm.

The novel (Sharif Al-Jann) employs diverse narrative techniques, granting it multiple dimensions of suspense. Among these techniques is the omniscient narration, where a narrator who knows everything about the characters—including their thoughts, feelings, and hidden motives—undertakes the storytelling.

This type of narration allows the author to present a comprehensive vision of the events and grants him the ability to reveal the complex relationships between the characters.

For instance, the narrator knows the details of the internal conflict tormenting Murad Hamdan, is aware of the intricacies of the plots by Ja’dan and Jamran, and knows the secrets concealed by Marjanah.

Another narrative technique in the novel is linear narration. Generally, the novel follows a sequential timeline, with events starting from a specific point and then developing logically.

However, this is not always the case, as there are glimpses of non-linear narration found in the use of flashbacks in certain instances. These include characters remembering past events, such as Murad Hamdan’s recollections of his childhood and his grandmother’s legends, or the revelations by Marjanah about the history of the conflict between the families.

Where Al-Shahari truly excels is in his detailed descriptions, which he employs skillfully and masterfully to create the worlds of the novel, whether natural or psychological. He describes the Valley of Sharif Al-Jann in a way that imprints itself on the mind and does not leave it:

“It was a valley stretching downward in twists and turns over vast distances of the surrounding mountains, widening slightly at its end, and extending between a towering, continuous mountain range. While Murad lived on one of the peaks in the middle of the range, his grandmother, Khawlah, resided at the top of the range, where the only known entrance to the valley from the south was located, and no human could enter the depths of the valley without passing through there”(p. 7).

In the same manner, he describes the village and the characters, and depicts scenes, as he did in his description of the attempt by the cleric Jamran to harm Suhailah (p. 106). It is important to note that the detailed description helps the reader visualize the events and immerses them in the atmosphere of the novel. We can cite another example of this:

the description of the nightmares haunting Murad Hamdan. This description creates an atmosphere of horror and mystery that serves the overall narrative scene of the entire novel (see, for example, p. 9).

Personally, I was filled with a compounded and peculiar feeling while reading the description of Murad Hamdan’s horror upon waking from the thought of his terrifying nightmare serpent.

I recalled, with empathy, the author’s own phobia and dread, evident where snakes are mentioned in our conversations and cultural discourses. I could imagine his suffering as he meticulously crafts the portrayal of his protagonist’s terrifying nightmares.

Of course. Here is the translation of the provided text into literary, smooth, and consistent English that reflects the spirit and analytical depth of the original Arabic critique.

Leaving this brief digression, I return to discussing the narrative techniques in the novel, and to note the use of dialogue, which plays a significant role in character development and in revealing the intricacies of their relationships.

The dialogue within the narrative is varied; there are internal dialogues that unveil the characters’ conflicts and depict their preoccupations and psychological worlds, and there are external dialogues that propel the events forward and help stimulate the dynamics of the novel.

For example, the dialogues between Murad Hamdan and his wife, Safiya, reveal the great love that binds them, even as they expose the contrasting perspectives they hold on life.

Another crucial technique is that Sharif Al-Jann relies heavily on symbolism and myth. The black serpent (Sharif Al-Jann) symbolizes evil and hidden forces, while the red serpent (Kharab Shihab) symbolizes good. The treasure symbolizes the material temptations that can destroy human conscience and distort its purity. The use of this technique lends the novel philosophical dimensions that greatly enrich its foundation—by which I mean the novel’s origin in being inspired by a folktale.

Alongside the aforementioned, another technique in the novel’s narrative style is suspense and mystery.

Through these two elements, Al-Shahari successfully keeps the reader engrossed in the narrative across all the pages of the novel. This technique is reinforced by a complementary technique we might call the “breath-holding” technique.

Al-Shahari activates this technique by posing questions and leaving them without direct answers, compelling the reader to continue reading to discover what will happen. For instance, the mystery surrounding Jamran’s character and his relationship with Sharif Al-Jann piques the reader’s curiosity and makes them wonder about his true motives.

Sharif Al-Jann blends realism with fantastical and mythical elements. The events occur in a realistic environment (a Yemeni village), yet they incorporate supernatural elements (talking serpents, enchanted treasures, communication with spirits).

This fusion of the real and the imaginary is the hallmark of magical realism. Here, magical realism serves as a vehicle for contemplating events and attempting to discover what lies beneath them. The narrative, by blending realism with fantastical and mythical elements, creates in the reader the impression that life can have another dimension—it is the hidden meaning we search for.

At the same time, however, Sharif Al-Jann is a social novel. It addresses important social issues such as class conflict, injustice, corruption, and marginalization.

Through Murad Hamdan’s narrative, Al-Shahari highlights the suffering of marginalized groups in society and their struggle for equal rights, implying justice and dignity. These themes have, throughout the ages, been the most essential raw materials for storytelling.

Furthermore, Sharif Al-Jann is connected to the tradition of the psychological novel. The narrative plunges into the depths of the human psyche, revealing the internal conflicts of the characters.

An example is the analysis of Murad Hamdan’s character and his struggle between good and evil, and his desire for revenge—an analysis that belongs entirely to the realms of the psychological novel. In truth, these themes are dictated both by the novel’s subject matter and by the events of the reality its author inhabits.

Regarding the construction and portrayal of characters in the novel, it must be said that Al-Shahari has succeeded remarkably in outlining their features and mastering the threads of their trajectories.

Notably, he did not confine himself to sketching the external features of the characters, but rather delves into their psychological depths, uncovering their internal conflicts and hidden motives.

This focus on the psychological aspects makes the characters more human and realistic, allowing their emotions to reach the reader, who immerses themselves in their worlds and cannot help but empathize with them and understand their actions.

The development of the characters in the novel can be classified into three types. First, characters who evolve clearly through the course of the narrative.

The most prominent of these is the main protagonist, Murad Hamdan, who transforms from a self-centered individual focused on his own interests into a leader striving to achieve justice and protect the community.

However, Murad’s development does not occur through sudden, dramatic shifts, but gradually, reinforced by successive experiences and conflicts, and by his changing understanding of life and his relationships with others.

Similarly, the character of Marjanah evolves from a mysterious and isolated figure into a pivotal one who plays an active role in achieving victory over the forces of evil. She reveals her past and her connection to the ancient conflict between the two serpents, becoming a guide for Murad and his allies.

In contrast, three main characters—Safiya, Ja’dan, and Jamran—do not evolve significantly. Instead of development, they acquire traits that emerge as the novel progresses.

Safiya’s role grows with the unfolding events, and she becomes a source of support and strength for her husband in facing challenges. Ja’dan remains evil until the end, but the trait that emerges is the gradual revelation of his motives and the reasons for his hatred of Murad Hamdan.

As for Jamran, the narrative events uncover his past and his relationship with Ja’dan, through which we understand many of his actions.

The development of secondary characters like Zamrudah, Rafi’, and Suhaim plays an important role in building the novel’s cohesion.

Zamrudah sheds her weakness, fragility, and superficiality to become a mature young woman with a strong character; she discovers the truth about her father and his relationship with Sharif Al-Jann, and rebels against the reality she found herself in.

While Rafi’ and Suhaim are less developed than Zamrudah, they play important roles within the events. Even the animals see their roles evolve and contribute effectively to driving the events and determining the outcomes.

Overall, the character development in the novel is largely logical and convincing. Each character evolves based on the experiences they undergo, and in their evolution, they appear governed by the constraints of their reality, such as their relationships with others and the consequences of decisions they sometimes make.

Moreover, the diversity of the novel’s characters and the contrast in their traits and stances create a dynamic of effective contrasts that amplifies the narrative and intensifies its dynamics. There are good characters and evil ones, strong and weak, realistic and fantastical. All of this makes the novel richer and more engaging.

In this manner, we find ourselves reading a layered narrative—a story whose layers are laden with much imagination and illusion, yet which speaks clearly about who we are today. It pinpoints our most precise contemporary problems. It is our own lives, which are either a wondrous tale or a farce by any measure.

Through his skillful use of multiple narrative techniques, Al-Shahari has succeeded in enriching the novel with suspense and imprinting it with a distinctive character that greatly elevated its caliber.

This allows me to confidently state that he has largely succeeded in producing a narrative that combines excitement with the evocation of symbolic meanings; a narrative rich in detail, where reality blends with fantasy, and history with myth. The text here is a complete world with its own laws and distinctive characters—a world that is both believable and fascinating.

It is imperative here to commend his portrayal of the novel’s characters. They are complex, not flat or stereotypical. They are complex in terms of their psychological and social dimensions.

Murad Hamdan, for example, cannot be viewed simply as a hero striving for good; that would be a reductive simplification of a character suffering from internal conflicts, one who sometimes makes wrong decisions.

This type of complexity makes the characters more human and realistic. In other words, as we read the novel, we feel our own reality merging with the reality of the story. If the characters, by the logic of the narrative, are tasked with feeling and living, the author nourishes their reality with his own, to the point where he seems to constantly remind them of us. This dual interplay lends the narrative flexibility and effectiveness, for the described emotions are as much our own as they are the hero’s.

Another aspect Al-Shahari successfully employed within the narrative contexts is folk heritage. Yemeni folk heritage is immensely rich, offering abundant gifts to writers who can intelligently and consciously utilize it in constructing their fictional worlds.

Al-Shahari greatly benefited from deploying folktales and myths, particularly those concerning jinn, serpents, and treasures, in building his novel. He transformed them into a fundamental part of its narrative structure, making them actively contribute to the development of events and characters.

Furthermore, through their use, he raises a host of important human issues, foremost among them the concept of the conflict between good and evil, the search for identity, the pursuit of happiness, and the adherence to values in the face of temptation. These issues form the backbone of the novel and are the foundation of its intellectual value; it is through them that we can discern its philosophical vision.