door (play)

This play is based on an ancient Arab legend, with some modifications to its original details. It deals with the story of &quote;Ad,&quote; the king of a tribe inhabiting Al-Ahqaf, a tribe mentioned in Arab and Islamic heritage. Aad, the second grandson of the Prophet Noah, finds himself facing a severe drought that befell his tribe due to its atheism and estrangement from worship. In an attempt to save his tribe, Aad sends a delegation to Mecca, including Qal and Luqman, to draw water for Al-Ahqaf. But this delegation, which came as a guest of Muawiyah bin Bakr in the outskirts of Mecca, forgot its original mission because it was preoccupied with the melodious singing of two maids called the locusts, with which Muawiyah honored them. The play &quote;The Door&quote; is an embodiment of Kanafani's creativity in employing heritage and myths to shed light on contemporary issues. Through this work, Kanafani highlights the eternal conflict between man, the forces of nature and the gods, and between human ambition and inevitable destiny. It is an invitation to reflect on the fate of humanity, and how inattention and preoccupation with fleeting pleasures can mislead individuals from their true goals, leading to disaster and collapse.