Rehabilitation of the Muslim Exiles In Different Works

Through the colonial and postcolonial works, it is evident that there are different modes of rehabilitation for the Muslim exile figures. In the works of A Passage to India and Ibn ul Vaqt we find that the structure of mosque plays a decisive role. The characters are depicted to have a lost sense of identity and belonging and they find refugee inside the mosque that brings them closer to their spirituality.

On the other hand, the postcolonial work of Kanafani, Men in the Sun, we find that the characters latch onto themselves for survival and rehabilitation. The four characters part of the text find salvation in their intention of taking a journey to Kuwait in search of financial stability and to overcome their prevalent failed paternity. This directly implies that there is no place of Mosque or similar structures in their lives.

If we look at the works of Intizaar Hussain, Basti in particular, we find that the association with the land and belongings is much more crucial than the identity of being a Muslim. The Indian land that these characters spent such a long time living on and developing an emotional attachment with is much more important than a separate new homeland for the Muslims. Recurrent references by for example Abbaji of the grandeur of his past and his previous home, depiction by Zakir of the burning house directly implies how much the characters are still living in the past and their previous abode rather than the present that they have been gifted with.