Sketching the Sufis

Comic has evolved to be a powerful medium for interaction; it’s not for kids any longer,” says Ali Vakil,co-author of 40 Sufi Comics,a collection of short comic strips,sketching the teachings of Islam. Launched during the second edition of Comic Con India at Dilli Haat,the comic has already been nominated in the best web comic category and the best publication for children awards categories at the convention.

A brainchild of brothers Ali and his brother Arif Vakil,the comic has been translated to four other languages,apart from English. In addition,it was also launched as an iPad application during the event. The pictorial compositions,interactive characters and illustrations convey the morals in the simplest-possible words. Some of the titles include The Truth about Lies,Mother,Can i see God? and How far is Heaven?

“The comic conveys the philosophy in a way that is not complicated without compromising on the true spirit,” adds Ali. The Vakil brothers — who grew up in Dubai — were influenced by the spiritual and moral stories of the Prophet taught to them at the madrassa. Started as a blog by the duo initially,it created a huge fan base for them in the web world. According to them,the purity and richness of the teachings inspired them to “contribute to their tradition”. The two live in Bangalore and run the family’s real

estate business.

A student of Express Institute of Media Studies