This is a historical novel set in the ancient city of Basra, depicting religious debates and the journey of a seeker of truth. It particularly portrays the religious and social landscape of Basra, where people of various faiths lived together and engaged in discussions.

Born in Lucknow on January 14, 1860, Maulavi Abdul Halim Sharar, was a prolific Urdu short-story writer and novelist. An ace writer, historian and author, Sharar, is unanimously credited for introducing Islamic historical novels in Urdu and enriching the language’s literature with some incomparable works. In his earlier days, he worked with the Awadh newspaper, Lucknow and from there he went on to work for many newspapers, magazine and journal houses, eventually, publishing his own chronicles amongst which ‘Dil-Gudaz’ attained singular fame and recognition from readers of all sorts alike. Abdul Halim took his last breath on December 24, 1926, besides being an accomplished writer and novelist, he also wrote poetry under his pen-name ‘Sharar’.