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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where can people seek death's secret?

2. While being a solver of riddles, what can one not do?

3. What crosses vast distances?

4. What must one accept in one's heart?

5. What do people's hearts know in silence?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Almustafa claim when evening falls and Almitra blesses the day, the place, and Almustafa's words?

2. Why must one know pain, according to Almustafa?

3. What do the tired and the weary say about beauty?

4. Almustafa advises people to pray at what times?

5. What can one person's vision unable to do, according to Almustafa?

6. When does Almustafa say that one speaks?

7. What can happen when one goes digging for roots, according to Almustafa?

8. To what does Almustafa compare time?

9. While Almustafa compares the soul to a battlefield, what does he wish his role in this conflict to be?

10. How does Almustafa describe time?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Life and death are one, according to Almustafa. How are life and death similar? What does this mean in terms of the natural fear of death? Since people can only understand death by dying, what does this mean in terms of the statement that the two are the same - can Almustafa even know this is true? Why do you think what you think about that question? Are there any signs that Almustafa's thoughts can be trusted?

Essay Topic 2

When Almustafa talks about clothing, it seems he thinks that everyone should be nude all the time. Do you think he meant something else entirely? What do you think he meant, and how could you adapt this advice to the modern world and its laws and societal rules?

Essay Topic 3

The concept of love is something that has been discussed throughout the ages. When Almustafa says that Love neither possesses nor is possessed, what does this mean? How does this play out in relationships and families? What do you think "empty one's self to neither" (in reference to laughter and weeping) means?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 548 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample