Among the Believers

Among the Believers is one of the most important works of nonfiction by V. S. Naipaul, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Literature. Its original English title is Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey, and together with the "India trilogy" it is known as one of the twin stars of Naipaul's cultural essays. In 1979 Naipaul spent about seven months visiting Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia—four countries where Islamic faith predominates or where Islamic revival movements were active. He talked with senior government officials, religious leaders, and intellectuals, and also with small traders, ascetics, and beggars, writing the sights, conversations, and his own questions from the journey into the book. The question that concerned him was: when traditional faith meets the modern world, and the age when "the Prophet could settle everything" has passed, what do these societies rely on to organize life and give people peace of mind? The book is divided by region into four parts—"Iran: The Twin Revolution," "Pakistan: The Salt Hills of Dream," "Malaysia: Conversations—The Original Faith," and "Indonesia: Usurpation"—and concludes with "The Society of the Faithful." Naipaul's narration carries his signature sharpness and unease: anxiety over the loss of civilization, pity for ignorance, and anger at chaos and violence are interwoven. The book is therefore both a travelogue and a heavy observation on faith, modernization, and the clash of civilizations, and it has long stirred controversy and debate since publication.