The feeling of loss and inner turmoil in Muhammad Samir Nada's novel "Prayer of Anxiety" in light of the psychological approach

10.22075/lasem.2026.40985.1544

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 19 September 2026

Document Type : Scientific- Research Article

Author

University of Qom

Abstract
Contemporary Arabic fiction is characterized by its profound engagement with social issues, shedding light on intractable problems and acknowledging civilizational shortcomings. Egyptian writer Mohamed Samir Nada, winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (the Booker Prize) in its eighteenth edition in 2015, presents his surreal novel "Prayer of Anxiety," which reveals the conditions and circumstances of a backward society and the prevailing mentality that led it to its acute crises. This article attempts to study this imaginative and creative work from various perspectives, as it depicts the political reality of Egypt after the 1967 defeat and the accompanying illusions and horrors. Through an analysis of the novel, this research aims to understand the author's intellectual vision in portraying the Arab world, which has suffered for decades from anxiety and fear, and his call for self-reflection and a critical and objective reading of history to uncover the truth and preserve identity. Through an analysis of the novel's characters using psychological and artistic approaches, this research seeks to interpret the narrative and delve into its complex plot to understand its underlying narrative meanings, messages, and discourses. These meanings aim to correct historical misconceptions that have imposed a bitter reality on a society that has suffered greatly from disasters and calamities. One of the research's preliminary findings indicates that contemporary individuals, living in a cycle of internal conflict and psychological frustration, are often unable to grasp the true cause of this ongoing loss. Simultaneously, the absence of awareness and the exclusion of balanced and rational thinking from decision-making circles constitute the two fundamental pillars of societal crisis and decline.

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  • Receive Date 26 April 2026
  • Revise Date 26 June 2026
  • Accept Date 24 July 2026
  • Publish Date 19 September 2026