The Prophet
4/5
()
About this ebook
Kahlil Gibran
Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and a philosopher best known for his, The Prophet. Born to a Maronite-Christian family in a village occupied by Ottoman rule, Gibran and his family immigrated to the United States in 1895 in search of a better life. Studying art and literature, and inevitably ensconced in the world of political activism as a young man dealing with the ramifications of having to leave his home-land, Gibran hoped to make his living as an artist. With the weight of political and religious upheaval on his shoulders, Gibran's work aimed to inspire a revolution of free though and artistic expression. Gibran's, The Prophet has become one of the best-selling books of all time, leaving behind a legacy of accolades and establishing him as both a literary rebel and hero in his country of Lebanon. Gibran is considered to be the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu.
Read more from Kahlil Gibran
The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jesus the Son of Man Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Prosperity & Wealth Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Prosperity Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5THE BROKEN WINGS (With Original Illustrations): Poetic Romance Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sand and Foam Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jesus the Son of Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mirrors of the Soul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kahlil Gibran's Little Book of Secrets Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Between Night and Morn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kahlil Gibran's Little Book of Love Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Third Treasury of Kahlil Gibran Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran (Deluxe Hardbound Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tears and Laughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Procession Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secrets of the Heart Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Treasury of Kahlil Gibran Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wings of Thought Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spirits Rebellious Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Garden of the Prophet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Prophet: The Complete Original Edition: Essential Pocket Classics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Second Treasury of Kahlil Gibran Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKahlil Gibran's Little Book of Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Secret of Prosperity: The Greatest Writings on the Art of Becoming Rich, Strong & Successful Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Prophet
Related ebooks
Signs of the End Times in Surat Al-Kahf Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rites of Islam: And the Quran Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInterpretation of the Twenty-ninth Part of the Holy Qur’an Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Prophet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExodus Tales of Prophet Moses (Musa) & Prophet Haron (Aaron) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIslam As You Never Knew Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExodus The Story of Prophet Moses (Musa) & Prophet Aaron (Harun) In Islam Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Quran Is Allah's One Religion Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaximizing Social Impact Through Waqf Solutions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProphets : Their Lives & Times: Moses, Jesus, Muhammed, Raam & Budh Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Journeys of the Prophets: In the Valley of Beca Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Koran (Al-Qur'an) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDates Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKisah Hikayat Perjalanan Ruh Umat Manusia Di Alam Barzah Edisi Bahasa Inggris Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTaking the Qur'an as a Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Meaning of Surah 24 An-Nur The Light (La Luz) From Holy Quran (El Sagrado Corán) Bilingual Edition English Spanish Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSelectives Narratives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHoly Quran’S Judgement Part - Iii Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen the Lord Shall Build up Zion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAllah: Understanding God in Islam Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings2064 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Basic Guide to Understanding the Qur'an: Based on Direct Interpretation of Verses from the Qur'an Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSearching For God And Finding Allah Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFollow the Prophet (Salla Llãhu Alayhi Wa Sallam) and Gain Allah's Special Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Life of Prophet Musa AS (Moses) English Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wisdom of Sufism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Life of Prophet Jesus In Islam Religion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod And His Attributes (In Islamic Teachings) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSigns of the Love for Allah (SWT): PodSeries, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sermon on the Mount: An Islamic Perspective Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Philosophy For You
Sun Tzu's The Art of War: Bilingual Edition Complete Chinese and English Text Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Republic by Plato Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Good and Evil Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meditations: Complete and Unabridged Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Courage to Be Happy: Discover the Power of Positive Psychology and Choose Happiness Every Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Be Here Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Loving Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inward Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Human Condition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tao Te Ching: A New English Version Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The City of God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Daily Stoic: A Daily Journal On Meditation, Stoicism, Wisdom and Philosophy to Improve Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Denial of Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meditations: A New Translation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Course in Miracles: Text, Workbook for Students, Manual for Teachers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5History of Western Philosophy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tao Te Ching: Six Translations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Metaphors We Live By Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bhagavad Gita (in English): The Authentic English Translation for Accurate and Unbiased Understanding Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lying Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Prophet
2,260 ratings58 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5While reading this, it occurred to me that I would like to be drinking whatever Gibran was drinking while he wrote it. This is a book I have seen here and there, sometimes among shelves of old books in people's houses, ever since I was old enough to notice books. I don't think we had a copy in our home, but I could be mistaken. Certainly it hasn't come down into my possession as did many of my favorite books of my father's. In any case, the best word to describe "The Prophet" is drivel. Sure, it has a few nice quotes: "Let there be spaces in your togetherness" being a pretty clever one. And its assertion that live and death, pleasure and pain, etc. etc. etc. are just opposite sides of the same coin are certainly true to an extent. But the language is just pretty silly. Compared to other religious books--and I would treat this as such--it is pretty harmless, however.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I read The Prophet perhaps way way too quickly - its short enough to be read in a few hours, but deep enough to take years to digest. There's lots in there that would be good quotes to remember. It reminded me a little bit of the song 'Best of all possible worlds' in Candide(?) where this one know-it-all explains his unrelenting optimism.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What can one say? Wisdom and beauty combined.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I picked up a First Edition copy at Thrift Store! The Greatest Find of My life!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beautiful and inspiring.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I feel like I'm supposed to love this book, but it just didn't do much for me. At its best the writing is quite lyrical and there are some wonderfully quotable passages, but taken as a whole it felt like Gibran had tried to find universals among world religions and that road had just led him to rather obvious truisms.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I read this years ago. I'm not a religious person in the slightest. I might consider myself spiritual. This book was to me what I suppose the Bible or Koran, or Torah or whatever is to people of religion. It's a go-to book for learning how to be a better person. Provides insight into emotions, and ideas about work and life.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I selected The Prophet as an Around the World For A Good Book choice for Lebanon but really I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time. Especially since a I few years ago when I met Kahlil Gibran's cousin and godson - also named Kahlil Gibran - on a sculpture tour of Forest Hills Cemetery. The Prophet is a series of lessons given by a prophet to the townsfolk on topics varying from "Children," "Self-Knowledge," and "Good and Evil." It has many of the paradoxical formations found in many works of inspirational literature including Lao-Tzu's "Way of Life", the teachings of the Buddha and The Beatitudes of Jesus Christ. Like those other works, it's not really a read once and remember book, it's more of a come back to again and again and find a different pearl of wisdom book.Favorite Passages:from "On Eating and Drinking":But since you must kill to eat, and rob the newly born of its mother' s milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship. - p. 23from "On Self-Knowledge":Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path." For the soul walks upon all paths. - p. 55from "On Death":Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the shall claim your limbs, then you shall truly dance. - p. 81
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It's ok, not earth shattering or anything. May require re-reading.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a surprisingly good read. The pithy statements are full of wisdom and poetic grace and the entire whole is abounded by a sense of care and compassion towards the reader. Although I am not religious, I found this to be a particularly gripping book that held my attention from start to finish.
Great read. Recommended for poets, scholars, those with religious reasons, and curiosity-seekers. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This new edition seemed a good opportunity to take in this classic. You don't hear so much about Kahlil Gibran nowadays, but when I was in my teens he seemed to be all over the place.To be honest, I'm not sure what I think. The work captures the cadence and impression of a solid work of philosophy -- much better than the other forms I was also consuming in my teens, like Richard Bach. And I found his real world pragmatism on issues reassuring. Unlike the Christian platitudes on marriage about becoming one, Gibran urged the partners to maintain their individuality however much they are together. Similarly, parents are encouraged to allow their children to become their own persons. Parents may strive to be like their children, but they should not work to make their children like them. All true. On the other hand, I tend not to appreciate arguments of the form of clever wordplay that seek to find deep wisdom by inverting the terms. A and not-A. A chain is only as weak as the weakest link, but also as strong as the strongest one. That's ridiculous. Were I a different kind of person, or even the same person at a different, probably earlier stage of life, I may have the time and inclination to puzzle over these brief expositions on selected topics. But that's not what's going to happen. In truth, I found the new introduction to be the most memorable, with the story of how reading the right book at the right time can change one's life. That's what we really need to be reminded of.This edition introduced a new error into the text, on page 19. Publishers do not pay as much attention to copy editing as they did in the old days, sadly.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gibran is the one of the most popular poets gracefully standing in this vale of tears. Only Shakespeare and Lao-Tze are more often quoted and published. The Prophet is not Jesus -- for there is no crucifixion, no salvation in blood. The Prophet is not Mohammed -- for there is no war, no jihad, no vilification, no second-class sex or tribe, and no obsession with "being clean" in an impure world. Possibly, he is Manes, because there are revenant themes of Christic Persian mystery -- but there is no hard line drawn between the infinite possibilities of Good and Evil. It is all about grace, seeing inside, understanding outside.Gibran is one of the diaspora of great men and women who fled and flee from the Middle East (Lebanon). Thousands of great poets are still fleeing the persecutions and the stifling monopoly of Islam. In the West, his talent for grace was appreciated. He flourished, and so will any reader.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5a treasure.. i keep going back to it
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Read this when I was 10 & it stayed with me forever. My buddy in college used to tease me that it was my bible :-p
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is an interesting piece of philosophy, well worth a couple rereads. Basically this prophet comes to town, and the people of the town ask him all kinds of questions, and he answers them. There's some good advice about infusing your every action with love and stuff like that, and some confusing advice that may be encouraging nudity and/or anarchy. Like I said, it's worth multiple reads. And it's short enough that rereading is no burden. A good choice if you're in the mood to ponder the Big Issues.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5his is a very interesting listen. The Prophet is not so much a story as treatise on Gibran's understanding of philosphy and religion. There are some beautiful points made, but others that seem confusing. The narration was rather odd. Paul Sparer has an amazing voice, but it would work better in an epic fantasy, and therefore gave the whole work a feel of the fantastic.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5There are spiritual gems sprinkled throughout the pages. A book of wisdom and a spiritual classic.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5"Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth."
What a great line! Little did I know it was far and away the high-point of a book that is otherwise filled with platitudes and skin-deep truths. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Humbling, inspiring, and definitely a book to keep on your bedside table...
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sometimes you read a book, sometimes a book reads you.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I feel like this is one of those essential books that everyone should read at least once in their lives. And, while it took me longer than it probably should have, I've finally read it.So much insight in Gibran's narrative, things that are timeless because they speak to the basics of human nature, which regardless of how much we "advance" as a society, will always remain true.Freedom, Time, Beauty, Crime & Punishment, Beauty, Teaching, Speaking; all concepts that the Prophet touches upon. Just do yourself a favor and pick this one up, it's definitely worth the read.This is one I'm going to keep close to me so I can reference it often.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty quick read with some wise insights into human nature and our relationship with God. Some favorites:
"Verily the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral."
On search for freedom:
"And my heart bled within me; for you can only be free when even the desire of seeking freedom becomes a harness to you, and when you cease to speak of freedom as a goal and a fulfillment."
On the mystery of death and afterlife:
"In the depths of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity." - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'm not very religious, but this had some great and beautiful thoughts and advice in it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/520 years ago my sister passed away and a professor at my university handed me this book to read "On Joy and Sorrow". It stayed with me for the next 20 years until I finally tracked it down to this book. The message in "On Joy and Sorrow" is one I've tried to pass on to a friend or two when it seemed it would be helpful.
Having just finished the whole book, there are many passages here that are as thought provoking. Just about every aspect of life is covered in this small tome, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys looking at the deeper meanings in everyday life. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I just now got around to reading The Prophet. A lot of what's in here is common sense, easily recognized truths. One wishes that human beings would live by these sentiments, rather than just nodding their heads when they read them and then forgetting them in the context of real life. Some of the talk about God didn't appeal to me, although I recognize that Gibran seems to be talking about God more in the sense of a benign force in the universe rather than a being to be worshipped. Other bits flew right past me and would require rereading and further thought. And the ending bit about reincarnation--well, isn't it pretty to think so?Even though this reads like an early version of the New Age self-help books that are now ubiquitous, Gibran certainly had a gift for poetic language and simple but evocative imagery, which elevates his writing above all that other claptrap. This is a book that I can see myself returning to often. Read in 2014 for the RandomCAT Challenge.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5another MUST read for EVERYONE
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reminds me of Wisdom and Proverbs. Very insightful and soothing to wounded souls.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Was not quite my cup of tea. Might re-read. Might re-rate then.
But I just say - "It was okay" - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5a great look at life. a spiritual read on all topics of life. it has taken on a new meaning every time I read it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5(Read in 2002.) Favorite quotes:“And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”“All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of life’s heart.”“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”
Book preview
The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
THE COMING OF THE SHIP
ALMUSTAFA, the chosen and the beloved, who was a dawn unto his own day, had waited twelve years in the city of Orphalese for his ship that was to return and bear him back to the isle of his birth.
And in the twelfth year, on the seventh day of Ielool, the month of reaping, he climbed the hill without the city walls and looked seaward; and he beheld his ship coming with the mist.
Then the gates of his heart were flung open, and his joy flew far over the sea. And he closed his eyes and prayed in the silences of his soul.
But as he descended the hill, a sadness came upon him, and he thought in his heart:
How shall I go in peace and without sorrow? Nay, not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city.
Long were the days of pain I have spent within its walls, and long were the nights of aloneness; and who can depart from his pain and his aloneness without regret?
Too many fragments of the spirit have I scattered in these streets, and too many are the children of my longing that walk naked among these hills, and I cannot withdraw from them without a burden and an ache.
It is not a garment I cast off this day, but a skin that I tear with my own hands.
Nor is it a thought I leave behind me, but a heart made sweet with hunger and with thirst.
Yet I cannot tarry longer.
The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark.
For to stay, though the hours burn in the night, is to freeze and crystallize and be bound in a mould.
Fain would I take with me all that is here. But how shall I?
A voice cannot carry the tongue and the lips that gave it wings. Alone must it seek the ether.
And alone and without his nest shall the eagle fly across the sun.
Now when he reached the foot of the hill, he turned again towards the sea, and he saw his ship approaching the harbour, and upon her prow the mariners, the men of his own land.
And his soul cried out to them, and he said:
Sons of my ancient mother, you riders of the tides,
How often have you sailed in my dreams. And now you come in my awakening, which is my deeper dream.
Ready am I to go, and my eagerness with sails full set awaits the wind.
Only another breath will I breathe in this still air, only another loving look cast backward,
And then I shall stand among you, a seafarer among seafarers.
And you, vast sea, sleeping mother,
Who alone are peace and freedom to the river and the stream,
Only another winding will this stream make, only another murmur in this glade,
And then I shall come to you, a boundless drop to a boundless ocean.
And as he walked he saw from afar men and women leaving their fields and their vineyards and hastening towards the city gates.
And he heard their voices calling his name, and shouting from field to field telling one another of the coming of his ship.
And he said to himself:
Shall the day of parting be the day of gathering?
And shall it be said that my eve was in truth my dawn?
And what shall I give unto him who has left his slough in midfurrow, or to him who has stopped the wheel of his winepress?
Shall my heart become a tree heavy-laden with fruit that I may gather and give unto them?
And shall my desires flow like a