Elizabeth McKinney

Topics in Fiction: Literary Perspective

Dr. Kanwit
10/8/12
Religion: the setting sun on a time of happiness in A Thousand Splendid Suns
Islam, the Muslim religion, is one of the largest religions in the world. For people in
Afghanistan, it has largely been their only option, especially in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In
Kahled Hosseinis novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, he expresses this to the reader through the
actions of the main characters and the Taliban rulers. Hosseini illustrates throughout his novel
some of the negative impact of religion. In the beginning of their stories, Mariam and Laila are,
in general, happy. But Rasheed and the Taliban use religion as if it is a book of excuses to do
terrible things which whittle away at the womens happiness. Mariam at first learned religion
eagerly, but by the end of the story she uses it for the sense of hope it brings her, although this
only helps her mentally. Lailas encounters with religion are few, but Rasheeds rules and her
doubts about her relationship with Tariq enforce the theme of a destructive religion.
While growing up, Mariam and Laila have relaxed lifestyles regarding how closely they
follow the Koran, but when they are married to Rasheed, he forces them to follow strict rules he
pulled from the Koran. They are required to wear burqa (70, 223) and cannot even be seen in
public without Rasheed. They have no say in what happens to their family or in their household.
Mariam is not even considered when Rasheed decides to also marry Laila. In the same way,
Mariam is allowed no input when Jalil gives Rasheed permission to marry her, even though
Mariam is fifteen years old. At this point, she is old enough to speak for herself, but still too

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young to be married. Unfortunately for her, the Koran says Jalil has control over the fate of his
family, so Mariam cannot protest this arranged marriage.
The Islam religion allows men to beat their insubordinate wives, and Rasheed does not
hesitate to administer this punishment, which results in injury after injury for both of his wives.
The two biggest and most horrific examples of this are when Mariam, Laila, and Aziza try to run
away but are caught (267-72) and when Rasheed finds out Laila had invited Tariq into his home
after Tariqs return to Kabul (344-49). After their failed escape attempt, Rasheed locked Laila
and Aziza in a bedroom for three days in the middle of the summer and Mariam in a shed, after
beating her so severely she could hardly walk (268). He gave them no food or water while they
were in there, and Aziza was less than two years old. When Zalmai told Rasheed of Tariqs visit,
Rasheed beats Laila and begins to strangle her. Mariam realizes at that moment that Rasheed
really means to kill Laila (348). She also realizes that legally, he has every right to do so,
because Rasheed sees all of these rules as him just following what the Koran tells him is proper
for women and for households such as his own.
In a similar way, the Taliban, when in control of Afghanistan, enforce a set of rules they
read directly from the Koran. The section on women, on page 276, states:
You will stay inside your homes at all times. It is not proper for women to wander
aimlessly about the streets. If you go outside, you must be accompanied by a mahram, a
male relative. If you are caught alone on the street, you will be beaten and sent home.
You will not, under any circumstances, show your face. You will cover with burqa when
outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten.
Cosmetics are forbidden.
Jewelry is forbidden.
You will not wear charming clothes.
You will not speak unless spoken to.
You will not make eye contact with men.
You will not laugh in public. If you do, you will be beaten.
You will not paint your nails. If you do, you will be beaten.
Girls are forbidden from attending schools. All schools for girls will be closed
immediately.

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Women are forbidden from working.
If you are found guilty of adultery, you will be stoned to death.
Listen. Listen well. Obey. Allah-u-akbar.
These new laws create a very unfamiliar society for the people in Kabul. By restricting women to
their homes unless accompanied by a male relative, the Taliban are effectively removing them
from society; as the old saying goes: out of sight, out of mind. With women out of the public
eye, Afghanistan becomes a completely masculine country. The Taliban prohibit cosmetics,
jewelry, charming clothes, and nail polish because stripping women of what makes them feel
beautiful leaves them in a state of despair. They would be more willing to hide their face or stay
inside if they didnt feel like they were nice to look at. Forbidding laughter is the finishing touch:
the Taliban literally took the joy out of life with their rule, which was based on their religious
beliefs.
A more serious statement in the laws listed above is the rule that outlaws women
working. The only women allowed to continue their practice are medical professionals, and they
are only able to work in hospitals for women. Women are not allowed in any other hospitals
because they are reserved for men (285-286). Hospitals for women are not given supplies
regularly and are understaffed. This is evident when Laila is giving birth to her Zalmai. Laila and
Mariam have to wait for hours before they are taken to a doctor, and when Laila is on the
delivery bed, she is told she needs to have a caesarian, without any pain medication. The doctor
says she has no X-ray either, no suction, no oxygen, not even simple antibiotics. When NGOs
offer money, the Taliban turn them away. Or they funnel the money to places that cater to men
(290). In addition to being under-supplied, the doctors are required to wear burqa while they
operate, which inhibits their vision, so a nurse must stand guard while the doctor operates on
Laila without her burqa (291).

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During the Talibans rule, while women are not allowed to walk the streets alone,
Rasheed puts Aziza in an orphanage. For a little while, Rasheed agrees to walk with Laila and
Mariam to the orphanage to visit Aziza. It is not long, however, before he refuses to accompany
Laila, saying, Im too tired from walking the streets all day . . . looking for work (320). Laila is
determined to see her daughter, though, so she tries to sneak through the streets. She is often
caught and beaten, but she does not let this deter her. One day, while visiting Aziza, Laila sees a
woman she recognizes: her teacher from many years ago, a proud feminist who refused to let her
students wear burqa, saying women and men were equal, that there was no reason women
should cover if men didnt (322). When Laila sees her this time, the woman has a defeated look
to her. She is wearing a burqa, though she has pushed it back, and visiting four children. Her
mouth is sunken and her hair is graying. This sight of this once strong and valiant woman so
diminished is further evidence of the negative effects religion can have on a people.
Mariam, too, can trace effects of religion back to her childhood, although she did not
always realize that Islam was to blame for the troubles she had. Mullah Faizullah taught Mariam
the Koran, highlighting their beliefs in a positive way, helping her discover the more helpful and
comforting parts of their faith, such as when he reassures her after Nana dies, saying, The
Koran speaks the truth, my girl. Behind every trial and every sorrow that he makes us shoulder,
God has a reason (38). He did not teach her, however, that although men could have multiple
wives, they could not have mistresses. Mariam learns too late that this is why Jalil felt he had to
hide his mistress and bastard daughter from the rest of the town: he was trying to save his
reputation. By the time she realizes this, her mother is dead and she is set to be married to
Rasheed, who teaches her his own interpretation of Islam. When she comes to terms with the fact
that her childhood religion is more complex and detrimental than she had thought, she begins to

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lose her faith. During her marriage to Rasheed, she still prays every day, but she is witness only
to the negative, harmful powers religion has. Only when she is walking towards the goalpost
where she will be executed does she return to religion, using it to calm her as she faces her death.
This is, in its own way, an ironic example of the healing nature of Islam: it is useful to Mariam
only as she faces a death sentence that was charged because of religion. If Rasheed hadnt used
Islam as an excuse to beat his independent wives, Mariam wouldnt have killed him. Mariams
execution scene traces back to the main theme of the book: the destructive tendencies of religion.
Laila was raised very differently from Mariam, so it is more difficult for her to
understand and accept Rasheeds rules, which only means more punishment for her. Babi
encouraged her to become educated and to understand the world and all its nuances, rather than
to learn only the Koran, like Mariam did. What she does learn of the Koran leads her to doubt her
relationship with Tariq. After he leaves, she wonders if it was wrong for her to have sex with
him, because even though they love each other and would have been married if the situation in
Afghanistan was different, the Koran says sex outside of marriage is wrong. She knows she will
be punished for her pregnancy, so she marries Rasheed, which puts her in greater danger than
staying single and trying to leave the country.
Rasheed, at first, takes very good care of Laila, because she is so young and pretty, but
once she becomes independent and insolent, he cares less and less about the upkeep of his
brand-new, first-class, shiny Benz (222) and more about maintaining what he thinks to be
proper order in his household. Laila is used to being allowed to have an opinion and speak her
mind, but Rasheed refuses to listen to her. Whenever she speaks out, he physically abuses her,
because the Koran teaches it is okay for husbands to beat their disobedient wives. The
disobedience extends to more than just independence, however. Rasheed had been so convinced

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that Lailas first born was a boy, that when she gave birth to a daughter, Rasheed couldnt hide
his anger. He didnt help Laila carry the baby or her bags into the house, nor did he hold the gate
or door open for her (236). Even after their son is born, Rasheed fails to treat Laila with respect,
because she believes women should be just as important as men.
Religion is used as an excuse over and over throughout A Thousand Splendid Suns so that
men can rationalize their actions and clear their conscious. It is the sole motivator for most of the
men, excluding perhaps Babi and Tariq, and causes the most physical pain for the female
characters. Ironically, it leads to Rasheeds own destruction. His inclination to dispense physical
punishment ultimately leads Mariam to believe her only option is to kill him. The extremely
strict laws of the Muslim religion caused great unrest and unhappiness and lead to the downfall
of the Taliban. Hosseinis novel threads these religious beliefs so intimately into the characters
lives to show readers the negative impact religion can have.

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Works Cited
Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York: Riverhead, 2007. Print.