Reza Aslan Quote
One day, while he was idly reciting his verses to a captive audience, a scrap of paper, borne by the wind, landed on his lap. On it were written two words: Layla and Majnun. As the crowd watched, Majnun tore the paper in half. The half on which was written Layla he crumpled into a ball and threw over his shoulder; the half with his own name he kept for himself.What does this mean? someone asked.Do you not realize that one name is better than two? Majnun replied. If only you knew the reality of love, you would see that when you scratch a lover, you find his beloved.But why throw away Layla’s name and not your own? asked another.Majnun glowered at the man. The name is a shell and nothing more. It is what the shell hides that counts. I am the shell and Layla is the pearl; I am the veil and she is the face beneath it.The crowd, though they knew not the meaning of his words, were amazed by the sweetness of his tongue.
One day, while he was idly reciting his verses to a captive audience, a scrap of paper, borne by the wind, landed on his lap. On it were written two words: Layla and Majnun. As the crowd watched, Majnun tore the paper in half. The half on which was written Layla he crumpled into a ball and threw over his shoulder; the half with his own name he kept for himself.What does this mean? someone asked.Do you not realize that one name is better than two? Majnun replied. If only you knew the reality of love, you would see that when you scratch a lover, you find his beloved.But why throw away Layla’s name and not your own? asked another.Majnun glowered at the man. The name is a shell and nothing more. It is what the shell hides that counts. I am the shell and Layla is the pearl; I am the veil and she is the face beneath it.The crowd, though they knew not the meaning of his words, were amazed by the sweetness of his tongue.
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About Reza Aslan
Aslan has worked for television, including a documentary series exploring world religions on CNN called Believer, and served as an executive producer on the HBO drama series The Leftovers. Aslan is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the International Qur'anic Studies Association. He is a professor of creative writing at University of California, Riverside, and a board member of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).