# VIII explained — Veiled Women

> Chapter companion for Veiled Women by Marmaduke Pickthall.

## What happens

Fitnah Khânum, anguished by the impending marriage of her son Yûsuf to Barakah, whom she believes to be a barren and bewitching foreigner, consults the sorcerer Abu Sumûm to procure a deadly potion. Despite his warnings and insistence on a three-month delay, Fitnah resolves to use poison sooner, driven by her conviction that Barakah threatens her son and their noble lineage.

## Themes in this chapter

### Superstition and Tradition

The consultation with the sorcerer Abu Sumûm and the planned use of magical potions and poison illustrate the deep entanglement of superstition and traditional beliefs in the characters' lives.

### Gender Roles and Patriarchy

Fitnah's powerlessness to stop the wedding despite her anguish, and her reliance on secretive, indirect means (sorcery) reflect the constraints placed on women in a patriarchal society.

### Cultural Clash and Identity

Fitnah's perception of Barakah as a 'Frankish' woman and a 'jinniyeh' underscores the cultural and religious tensions surrounding Barakah's conversion and marriage into an Egyptian household.

## Character check-ins

### Fitnah Khânum

Consumed by anguish and righteous fury, she seeks the sorcerer's help to kill Barakah, believing her to be a jinniyeh who will destroy her son.

### Abu Sumûm

A renowned sorcerer who reluctantly agrees to provide a potion after being persuaded, though he insists on a three-month delay and warns against haste.

### Barakah

The target of Fitnah's plot; she is accused of being a witch and is believed to have islamed under false pretenses.

### Yûsuf Bey

Fitnah's firstborn son, whose marriage to Barakah she desperately tries to prevent, fearing he will be drained of life.

### Muhammad Pasha Sâlih

The Pasha, who supports Barakah and is believed by Fitnah to be under her spell, guarding her like a pearl.

## Key lines

> Nothing, nothing, save her instant death,” sobbed Fitnah⁠—“the wedding is today⁠—and then take all my wealth.

Fitnah sobbed that she wanted nothing but Barakah's immediate death, offering all her wealth in exchange, as the wedding was happening that very day.

_Fitnah's desperation and willingness to sacrifice everything to stop the marriage._

> Forget not to delay three months. A day too soon might cause tremendous evil.

The sorcerer warned Fitnah to wait three months before using the potion, as using it too soon could bring about great harm.

_Abu Sumûm's caution about the timing of the magical potion._

> Three months⁠—I will remember!” answered Fitnah dutifully; adding beneath her breath, “Three days⁠—too long! I think thou hast a mind to fool me, O thou father of three months! Well, bring thy potion. But first we will essay some common poison without ceremony.

Fitnah outwardly agreed to the three-month wait but muttered to herself that three days was already too long, suspecting the sorcerer was deceiving her, and planned to use ordinary poison first.

_Fitnah's duplicity and impatience, revealing her intent to bypass the sorcerer's instructions._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/viii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/veiled_women_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters