Allah Miyan’s Workshop: A Story of Innocence, Faith and Belonging

Allah Miyan's Workshop by Mohsin Khan, translated by Maaz Bin Bilal, Harper Perennial, 2026, p. 266, Rs 499

Allah Miyan’s Workshop is the English translation of Mohsin Khan’s Urdu novel Allah Miyan ka Karkhana, translated by Maaz Bin Bilal. The story revolves around young Gibran and his family. Set in Awadh, the novel introduces us to the life and worldview of a poor Muslim family, negotiating the everyday challenges of poverty, faith and social expectations. Young Gibran lives with his father, Waleed, an orthodox Muslim who works as a grocer, his sister Nusrat and his ailing mother. Through the eyes of this young boy, the novel offers an intimate glimpse into a world shaped by religious beliefs, familial relationships and the uncertainties of everyday existence.

As I began reading the novel, I found myself looking at Gibran’s world through his lens of curiosity and innocence. For Gibran, the most important things in life are flying kites, playing and having a good time. His days move between trying to fly kites, watching television at Ahmad’s house and learning the Quran at the Madrasa. His father, however, has a different vision for his children. He wants both Gibran and Nusrat to memorise the Quran, become Hafiz and devote themselves to religious teaching. Waleed himself is deeply religious and frequently travels with the Jamaat. The contrast between the father’s religious aspirations and the child’s rather uncomplicated understanding of the world becomes an important feature of the narrative.

On one such visit with the Jamaat, Gibran’s father is arrested on allegations of terrorism. This incident changes Gibran’s world overnight. The arrest not only deprives the family of its primary breadwinner but also exposes them to the stigma and suspicion associated with their religious identity. Yet, the story continues to unfold through Gibran’s perspective, and there is no dramatic shift in the narrative tone. The enormity of the circumstances is conveyed through the child’s limited understanding of the events unfolding around him. Meanwhile, Gibran’s mother, who is expecting another child, succumbs to her deteriorating health. Left without their parents, Gibran and Nusrat are compelled to move to their uncle’s house. An educated man who works as a teacher, their uncle attempts to provide the children with an education that extends beyond religious instruction. His approach introduces them to the possibilities of secular education and offers a glimpse of an alternative worldview.

However, the brief respite in the children’s lives comes to an end with their uncle’s demise. Once again, they find themselves without a secure home or a dependable support system. When Gibran is eventually turned out of his uncle’s house, he finds refuge with Hafijji, who had earlier taught him. But even this companionship proves temporary, as Hafijji decides to return to his native place. As the novel draws to a close, Gibran once again finds himself on the verge of being left behind, with an uncertain future awaiting him.

The novel problematises the stigma attached to the Muslim community and draws attention to the tensions between religious orthodoxy and secular aspirations. However, it does so without reducing its characters to mere representatives of competing ideological positions. Instead, it takes us into the lives of ordinary Muslims, their anxieties, aspirations and everyday negotiations with a society that often views them through the prism of suspicion. Gibran’s questions, though seemingly simple, often carry a philosophical significance that extends beyond his immediate circumstances. When their hen, Kallo, is taken by a cat, he wonders why Allah created the hen as well as the cat. Such questions reflect his attempts to make sense of a world in which suffering and loss are often difficult to comprehend. Even as he begins to experience the burden of social stigma following his father’s arrest, he remains receptive to the kindness and warmth extended by people such as Hafijji.

I found Gibran’s attachment to animals particularly endearing. Whether it is their hens, Kallo and Chitkabari, their uncle’s dog, Qitmir, or Hafijji’s goat, Yamin, his affection for these animals reveals a tenderness that stands in contrast to the harsh realities of his life. These relationships also offer moments of warmth and companionship in an otherwise uncertain existence. His interactions with Ram Sewak in the forest, meanwhile, provide a glimpse into the social fault lines that have become commonplace. The encounter reminds us that social divisions are often reproduced through everyday interactions, shaping relationships in ways that children may not entirely understand but inevitably experience.

Nonetheless, Allah Miyan’s Workshop should not be read merely as a commentary on contemporary social and political realities. It is equally a sensitive portrayal of the everyday lives of ordinary people across religious communities, whose concerns often revolve around poverty, illness, education and the absence of institutional support. The novel captures the ways in which religion shapes everyday life without unnecessarily vilifying religious beliefs or practices. It also reveals the diversity within religious communities, challenging the tendency to view them as homogeneous entities.

         

                  Author: Mohsin Khan                                                          Translator: Maaz Bin Bilal

Maaz Bin Bilal’s translation retains much of the lyrical quality often associated with Urdu prose and poetry. The language remains simple and accessible, appropriately reflecting the worldview of the young protagonist. The narrative's apparent simplicity, however, conceals the complexity of the issues it engages with. The novel also leaves several loose ends, giving readers the impression that life rarely offers neat resolutions to its many uncertainties. Perhaps this is one of its most compelling aspects. The lives of Gibran and Nusrat do not arrive at a definitive conclusion; instead, they remain suspended in the uncertainties that characterise the lives of many vulnerable individuals.

Through this work, Mohsin Khan and Maaz Bin Bilal draw attention to the inherent diversity within communities and question the artificial boundaries that are often invoked to divide contemporary India. At its heart, Allah Miyan’s Workshop is a story of childhood, loss and the search for belonging. Its quiet narrative reminds us that behind the larger political and ideological debates are ordinary lives, often marked by circumstances beyond individual control. By allowing us to experience these realities through the eyes of a child, the novel makes a compelling case for empathy and a more nuanced understanding of faith, identity and coexistence.