Review of ‘Travels with Nasrudin’ by Tahir Shah

While we’ve been stuck within our four walls - this book had been a God send.

I really enjoyed the travel stories all over the world, told with a constant connection to the lovable character from my childhood, Mullah Nasrudin.

Nasrudin is said to have been a philosopher and wise man who lived in the 13th century Anatolia.

The stories and funny exploits of Mullah Nasrudin are common throughout Muslim cultures along the Silk Road.

The Mullah is one of the many examples and ‘golden threads’ that link Muslim cultures beyond man-made boundaries.

He is called by different names including ‘Nasreddin Hoca’ ‘Koja Nasreddin’ and ‘Juha’ ‘Mullah’.

It’s also interesting to note that the concept of a wise fool is a common character in many lands, and cultures, most likely a result of the Mullah’s influence.

The wisdom shared by Mullah Nasrudin goes way beyond the surface. 

Tahir Shah says: “But it is inherent in the Nasrudin story that it may be understood at any one of many depths. There is the joke, the moral – and the little extra which brings the consciousness of the potential mystic a little further on the way to realisation.“ 

I love that Mullah Nasrudin makes the world a lot more connected.