Depiction of Layla and Majnun on a tile panel.
**Layla and Majnun** (Arabic: مجنون ليلى) is an old story from Arabia about two lovers, Qays and Layla. Qays was deeply in love with Layla, but her father wouldn't let them be together. Qays became so obsessed with Layla that people started calling him "Majnun", which means "crazy". This story passed from Arabic to Persian, Turkish, Urdu and other South Asian languages. A Persian poet named Nizami Ganjavi wrote a famous poem about their love story in the 12th century. In the poem, Qays and Layla fall in love when they're young, but they can't be together. Many other poets were inspired by Nizami's work and wrote their own versions of the story.

Some of these versions became very popular in places like Turkey, Pakistan and India. Sufi mystics also told stories about Majnun to explain mystical ideas like love-madness and self-sacrifice. Nizami's poem has been translated into many languages, and there are even modern adaptations of the story in Arabic.

Story
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A Mughal miniature of Amir Khusro's version; Walters Art Museum.
*Qays ibn al-Mullawah* loved *Layla al-Aamiriya* very much. He wrote poems about her and people called him "Majnun" because of his obsession. When he asked to marry Layla, her father said no because he thought Majnun was crazy. Layla got married to another man named Ward Althaqafi. Majnun was heartbroken and ran away to the desert, where he wandered alone. His family left food for him, but he was lost in his own world, reciting poetry and writing in the sand.

Majnun's love for Layla was so strong that he disconnected from reality and searched for divine love in the desert. He didn't even recognize Layla when they met. Layla moved with her husband and became ill, eventually dying. Some say she died of a broken heart. Majnun was found dead near her grave, where he had carved poetry on a rock.

Their story is like Romeo and Juliet, where their love is tragic and never fulfilled. Many other stories of unfulfilled love, like Qays and Lubna, are told in Arabian literature. This theme of "virgin love" is common worldwide, also seen in South Asian literature like Urdu poetry.

History and Influence
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According to Arab stories, Qays and Layla were born in Al-Aflaj province, Saudi Arabia, where there's a town named after Layla.

Jabal Al-Toubad is in Al-Aflaj, Saudi Arabia, 350 km southwest of Riyadh. The place called Jabbar, near Al-Ghayl village, is where the love story of *Qais bin al-Mulawwah* and *Laila al-Amiriya* happened in 685 AD.

In the 11th century, the Persian poet Nasir Khusraw visited Layla's town and described it, including Jabal Al-Toubad. He talked about how the region was poor and troubled by conflicts.

### Influence

The story of Layla and Majnun was known in Persia a long time ago, starting from the 9th century. Persian poets like Rudaki and Baba Taher talked a lot about the lovers.

Layla visits Majnun in the wilderness; South Asian art held by the Bodleian Library.
Although the story was known in Arabic literature in the 5th century, it became very famous in Persian literature because of Nizami Ganjavi's masterpiece. Nizami got inspiration from different sources and created a detailed picture of the lovers. Many other Persian poets were influenced by Nizami's work and wrote their own versions of the story. They were influenced by ancient Persian stories and love poetry too.

In the story, Layla and Majnun fell in love when they were young, but they couldn't be together because of a family disagreement. Layla's family made her marry someone else. Many poets tried to write their own versions of Layla and Majnun, but Nizami's work was considered the best.

In Azerbaijani literature, Fuzuli's poem Leyli and Majnun, written in 1535, became very popular. It was known for its emotional and beautiful writing style. It's seen as one of the greatest works of Turkic literature. The first opera in the Islamic world, also named Leyli and Majnun, was composed by Uzeyir Hajibeyov in 1908, based on Fuzuli's work.

The story of Layla and Majnun has influenced many writers, especially Sufi writers who see Layla as a symbol of their beloved. The word "Majnun" means "a crazy person" in Arabic, and the story has inspired expressions in Turkish and Arabic languages. The tale has also been translated into English, making it accessible to more people.

In Pakistan, the story of Layla and Majnun is very popular. This influence came to South Asia due to Sufism. Many movies have been made on it in both Pakistan and India.

Layla has also been mentioned in works by the English poet Aleister Crowley, including *The Book of Lies*.