Better world Quote by Mohsin Hamid
““Now, though, in Marin, Saeed prayed even more, several times a day, and he prayed fundamentally as a gesture of love for what had gone and would go and could be loved in no other way. When he prayed he touched his parents, who could not otherwise be touched, and he touched a feeling that we are all children who lose our parents, all of us, every man and woman and boy and girl, and we too will all be lost by those who come after us and love us, and this loss unites humanity, unites every human being, the temporary nature of our being-ness, and our shared sorrow, the heartache we each carry and yet too often refuse to acknowledge in one another, and out of this Saeed felt it might be possible, in the face of death, to believe in humanity’s potential for building a better world, and so he prayed as a lament, as a consolation, and as a hope, but he felt that he could not express this to Nadia, that he did not know how to express this to Nadia, this mystery that prayer linked him to, and it was so important to express it,””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, 2017
Prayer can connect us to love, loss, and shared humanity, offering hope amid mortality.
In simple terms: Prayer links love, loss, and hope.
Use prayer or reflection to find connection in grief.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- mourning
- family loss
- personal crisis
- community support
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does shared grief shape community?
- Can rituals bridge personal loss and collective hope?
Prayer may not resonate for non‑spiritual readers.