# XXIII explained — The Luzumiyat

> Chapter companion for The Luzumiyat by Abu al-ʻAlaʼ al-Maʻarri.

## What happens

The speaker contemplates the nature of the afterlife, questioning whether it is paradise (Jannat) or hell (Jahannam), and concludes that from the vantage of reason, all apparent light and fire are sustained by darkness. Life is depicted as a passage from one world to another, like shadows moving through the night.

## Themes in this chapter

### Doubt and Skepticism

The speaker questions whether the afterlife is Jannat or Jahannam, expressing uncertainty about ultimate rewards and punishments.

### Illusion and Reality

The idea that light and fire feed on darkness suggests a blurring of apparent opposites, questioning the reality of perceived distinctions.

## Character check-ins

### Jannat

Referenced as a possible destination in the afterlife, contrasted with Jahannam.

## Key lines

> Then Jannat or Jahannam? From the height Of reason I can see nor fire nor light That feeds not on the darknesses; we pass From world to world, like shadows through the night.

Is it paradise or hell? From the pinnacle of reason, I perceive that every fire and light is nourished by darkness; we move from one realm to another, like fleeting shadows in the night.

_The speaker uses the imagery of light and darkness to question the certainty of afterlife destinations, emphasizing the transient and shadowy nature of existence._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters/xxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters