Children of Gebelawi by Naguib Mahfouz

Introduction

Naguib Mahfouz's Children of Gebelawi (1959) is an allegory of such power that it was banned in Egypt for years and led to an assassination attempt on its author. Set in a Cairo alley, it retells the foundational stories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam through the lives of ordinary Egyptian families. Gebelawi, the patriarchal figure who built the great house, represents God; his children and grandchildren—Adham, Gabal, Rifaa, Qasim—retell the stories of Adam, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad.

The Search for Justice

Each generation produces a reformer who challenges the corrupt stewards controlling the alley. Each reformer is persecuted. And each time, the alley reverts to oppression. Mahfouz asks the hardest question: can justice ever be permanent, or is struggle the permanent condition of human society? The novel's final image—a character discovering that Gebelawi has died—both shatters and liberates.

Key Takeaways

• Faith and politics are inseparable
• Every generation must fight its own battles
• Allegory can be dangerous