Fardeqan: The Detention of the Great Sheikh

• It can be said that the novel 'Fardeqan' brought added value to Arab-Islamic heritage; it enables reader and researcher alike to stand close to one of the scientific geniuses humanity has ever known, namely Ibn Sina, and see how his renown spanned horizons such that his treatises, insights, and theories are studied to this day and taught in major institutes of medicine and natural healing worldwide.

• The highlight of the novel, much like 'Azazeel', is its elegant and elevated language—a refined style that effortlessly transports the reader wherever the author intends. Though imagination works alongside recorded history in depicting the events, on the whole it opens a wide window onto the life of the philosopher and sage Ibn Sina.

• 'Fardeqan' is a wonderful novel about Ibn Sina's life during his exile in the fortress of Fardeqan. It also explores the social and living conditions of that turbulent historical era, as well as the intimate details of Ibn Sina's personal life. A novel of grand language and style, well worth reading.

• A surprising novel with a grand, magnificent style. It tells what reads like a biography of the great scholar Ibn Sina: his childhood, prodigy, medical and philosophical genius, his relationships with rulers, women, and intellectual giants like al-Biruni, without skimping on details or falling short in crafting the imaginative vision. A rich novel that exceeds many expectations—all within a relatively compact 300 pages, alongside a brilliantly rendered setting in Iran.

• Between narrative imagination and historical facts, Dr. Ziedan moves forward with exquisite prose and words that blend wisdom with the spirit of the philosopher, tracing the life of Ibn Sina in his fortress imprisonment. A phenomenal achievement in structuring the dense events of the novel; one feels fulfilled and deeply grateful upon finishing it.

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