In Kahlil Gibrans The Prophet, the eponymous Almustafa discusses topics such as life and the human condition with his followers before boarding a ship home. The 26 prose poetry fables that comprise the novel are influenced not only by his own Maronite religion but also by Islam, and the mysticism of the Sufis. Running through the text is a belief in the fundamental unity of religions. One of the best-selling poetry books of all time, it shares a romantic, questing spirit with the works of William Blake and Walt Whitman.