When Alif creates Tin Sari (the program that keeps Intisar from finding him online), he wonders how much of the soul is contained in the fingertips. What part(s) of the body do you think the soul resides in? How much resides in each part? What function(s) does that body part perform that supports the soul residing there?

Throughout the novel, there is an emphasis on identity, in both the real and the digital worlds. What is your answer to Sheikh Bilal’s query about whether an online avatar eating pork is a sin? Is our identity in cyberspace different than our identity in reality?

There is a similarity implied between magic and technology throughout the book. What aspects of technology are taken from magic? How has magic changed to mirror technology? What is the relationship of religion to either/both?