Narrative voice and ideological conflict in Al Wakhz

In Hussein al Abri’s novel Al Wakhz (The Sting), an investigation becomes the starting point for a deeper exploration of ideology, identity and truth.
The central character, Salim bin Abdullah bin Mohammed, is summoned by the security authorities on suspicion of belonging to a secret organisation plotting to overthrow the government. Yet the investigators encounter an unexpected contradiction: the man accused of joining an Islamist organisation refuses to pray, revealing his atheism or, at least, his troubled relationship with faith.
This contradiction introduces the novel’s central concern: the struggle between competing beliefs, both within the individual and across society.
Al Wakhz is essentially a character-driven novel. Salim dominates the narrative, telling the story through his observations, thoughts, memories and arguments. Readers experience events through his eyes, making his understanding of the world necessarily personal and incomplete.
From the opening telephone call summoning him for questioning, uncertainty shapes his account. He cannot even establish whether the caller is a policeman or a security officer. Such details remind us that the narrator possesses only his own perspective, not an absolute understanding of events.
Despite having one dominant narrator, the novel accommodates several ideological voices. Some emerge from Salim’s internal conflict between belief and disbelief. Others appear through his encounters with people holding different views.
A particularly interesting device is the imaginary witness Salim creates to observe and describe him. This second voice sometimes praises his courage and sometimes mocks his behaviour. It allows Salim to see himself through another person’s eyes, turning his inner world into a space of disagreement.
The device recalls Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin’s understanding of dialogue: self-awareness develops through encounters with other voices. Salim’s identity is therefore shaped not only by what he thinks about himself, but also by what he imagines others think of him.
The novel explores this tension through Salim’s constant observation of people around him. As he moves through Muscat’s streets, cafés and shopping centres, he notices ordinary scenes that reveal deeper social attitudes.
A man walking two steps ahead of his wife becomes an example of traditional ideas about masculinity. Groups of young women, elderly men and other passers-by invite Salim to speculate about their beliefs, concerns and judgements.
These observations reveal as much about Salim as they do about the people he watches. Although he has lost his religious faith, he remains deeply concerned with morality and the changes taking place in society.
Observation, however, is only one side of his character. The other is his seemingly endless desire to speak.
Much of the novel unfolds through waiting: waiting for the investigation, waiting to discover the accusations against him and waiting for the investigators to return. These pauses create space for extended reflections and conversations.
Salim speaks through internal monologues, exchanges with investigators and an imagined account he intends to share with his friends. This freedom allows him to discuss subjects that society often leaves unspoken, including religion, politics and personal belief.
The interrogation room becomes especially important. Although it represents state authority and pressure, Salim finds an unexpected opportunity to express himself.
At one point, he declares:
“I am happy; they are discussing things with me.”
His response reveals a character who values argument, even under threatening circumstances. For him, questioning is inseparable from the search for truth.
The investigators want definite answers, but Salim challenges the very certainty on which their questions depend. He asks whether they have ever doubted their own actions or considered whether what they believe is right might be wrong.
This concern with truth brings Salim close to the characters of Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose struggles often revolve around ideas rather than material interests. Understanding becomes a source of pride, conflict and even jealousy.
Salim also recognises the limits of his own understanding. Sitting in a Muscat café, he wonders whether he is simply drinking coffee, provoking trouble or endlessly pursuing an elusive truth. His uncertainty is important. The novel does not present him as someone who possesses the final answer. Instead, it portrays a man determined to question accepted beliefs, including his own.
By the conclusion, the imaginary witness offers a degree of sympathy for Salim’s harsh language and provocative behaviour. His apparent offences are understood as expressions of a fierce commitment to truth.
Yet truth, as Salim understands it, can be painful. It may disturb comfortable assumptions and expose contradictions that people would rather ignore.
Ultimately, Al Wakhz presents the search for truth as an act of intellectual freedom. Through Salim’s observing eye and restless tongue, the novel explores how individuals confront society, challenge ideology and develop their own understanding of the world. Its achievement lies in showing that genuine conviction requires the freedom to doubt, question and listen to opposing voices.
Translated and adapted by Badr al Dhafari.
This is an adapted translation of the original Arabic article published in the print edition of the cultural supplement of the Oman Daily newspaper on July 30, 2026.