In my article, I analyse especially the chapters set in the early Arabic history of Islam, and how these complicate, challenge and subvert the reading of them as a post- colonial narrative, and suggest as well that we cannot write the novel off as simply an example of parodic postmodern popular culture. The directions of influence, creation of interpretive communities, and justification of aesthetic, social, and moral issues cannot be determined through colonial history without problems. The Orientalist paradigm and practices have been strong in Western culture, and the subsequent Saidian critique of Orientalism has been strong in cultural and literary analyses during the past three decades. What implications do transnational texts and analyses have on the interpretations of cultural representations?