Title: "Lanterns of the Mind"

Genre: Drama
Setting: A fictional university in Ghana
Duration: ~40–50 minutes
Themes: Brotherhood, Pursuit of Knowledge, Faith and Doubt, Unity in Diversity
Style: Realistic, emotional, faith-centered with dramatic tension
Language: English with light Ghanaian inflections

Full Character List (15 Total, 5 Female):

Male:

1. Yusuf – Devout Muslim, passionate about dawah and leadership.

2. Kwaku – Yusuf’s roommate, skeptical but respectful.
3. Hakeem – Nigerian student, hot-headed but brilliant.
4. Jibril – Quiet, thoughtful, strong student of hadith.
5. Tariq – Converts to Islam during the play.
6. Kojo – Class clown, struggling academically.
7. Mr. Owusu – Secular lecturer, critical of religious groups.
8. Imam Malik – Campus Islamic scholar, wise and composed.
9. Ali – Arrogant GMSA member who causes internal friction.
10. Samuel – Christian student who debates faith with Yusuf.

Female:

1. Amina – GMSA secretary, wise and calm.

2. Salma – Assertive, passionate about women’s roles in Islam.
3. Lina – Revert, shy but curious and committed.
4. Nana Ama – Christian, close to Salma, questions interfaith boundaries.
5. Fatima – Graduate student, seen as a mentor to younger girls.

Plot Overview:

 Act I: Foundations
o Students return to campus.
o Yusuf tries to revive a stagnant GMSA; meets resistance.
o Kojo and Kwaku poke fun at him, but something deeper stirs.
 Act II: Friction
o A debate breaks out after a controversial lecture by Mr. Owusu.
o Samuel challenges Yusuf publicly.
o Internal clashes erupt in the GMSA—Salma wants more female inclusion, Ali
opposes.
o Amina tries to mediate but tension grows.
 Act III: Crisis
 o Hakeem and Ali argue over dawah methods, it nearly becomes physical.
o Lina is mocked by outsiders; Nana Ama questions her friendship with Salma.
o Jibril quietly mentors Tariq, who secretly struggles with depression and
doubts.
 Act IV: Healing
o Imam Malik calls a unity meeting—truths come out.
o Kwaku stands up for Yusuf in front of Owusu.
o Salma and Ali find middle ground.
o Kojo admits he’s failing and asks for help.
 Finale: Illumination
o The GMSA launches a campus-wide event: “Lanterns of the Mind.”
o Poetry, nasheed, and personal testimonies are shared.
o Brotherhood and sisterhood are shown in action.
o Knowledge is not just preached—it’s lived.
Scene 1: “The Return”
Setting: A shared dormitory lounge. Posters on the wall from various student groups. Some
students are moving in, laughing, some arguing. There’s noise, excitement, a hint of chaos.

Characters on Stage: Yusuf, Kwaku, Kojo, Salma, Amina, Lina

(Lights up. Yusuf sets down a prayer mat in the corner, adjusting a stack of Islamic
books beside it. Kojo lounges on the couch with headphones. Kwaku scrolls on his
phone, legs on the table. Salma and Amina enter, helping Lina carry a box.)

Kojo:
Ei, the faithful one returns! Look, he brought the whole mosque with him.

Kwaku:
(laughing) Careful, Kojo. He might pray us into submission.

Yusuf:
(grinning) If only submission came that easy, I’d have you two brothers saying Bismillah
before exams.

Kojo:
Bro, I barely say my name before exams. Let's be realistic.

(Amina and Salma chuckle. Lina looks unsure.)

Amina:
Yusuf, Salaam. We’re helping Lina settle in. She’s... new.

Yusuf:
Wa Alaikum Salaam. Welcome, sister.

Lina:
(nods, shyly) Thank you... I converted last semester. Still learning the ropes.

Salma:
(firmly) And we’ve got her. She’s not alone.

Kojo:
Aha! Another one joins the team. How do you people recruit so quietly?

Kwaku:
(low voice) Brainwash and biscuits.

Yusuf:
(smiling patiently) No biscuits nor brainwash, just truth and sincerity.
(He turns to Kwaku.)

Yusuf:
Actually, we’re restarting the GMSA meetings. This Friday. You should come.

Kwaku:
(chuckling) So you can guilt-trip us with Qur’an quotes?

Yusuf:
Nah. So we can talk about what it means to live with purpose—beyond just passing finals.

Salma:
We’re planning a “Knowledge Night” too. Open mic, discussions. Everyone’s welcome.
Even the skeptics.

Kojo:
(sits up) Open mic? Like spoken word?

Amina:
Exactly. Faith, knowledge, unity. Whatever’s on your heart—as long as it lifts people up.

(A brief silence. A gentle tension. Lina glances at Salma.)

Lina:
Can I... speak too? Even if I’m still figuring things out?

Salma:
(softly) That’s the best time to speak. When the heart is still raw.

Kwaku:
(tosses phone on the table) Maybe I’ll come. But if you try to marry me off mid-meeting, I’m
out.

(Laughter.)

Yusuf:
Deal. No weddings, just narratives.

Kojo:
(shouting to an offstage friend) Ei! Tell Mensah we’re joining the GMSA people! They’ve
got drama and spoken word!

[End Scene 1]

Scene 2: "Fault Lines"

Setting: A packed lecture hall. Students gather for a guest talk titled: “Religion and
Rationality in African Education.” There’s an energy in the room—equal parts curiosity and
controversy.

Characters on Stage: Mr. Owusu (lecturer), Yusuf, Kwaku, Hakeem, Amina, Salma, Ali,
Samuel, Nana Ama, Jibril, Other Students

(Lights up. Mr. Owusu stands at the podium. A chalkboard behind him reads: “Think
Beyond Belief.” Yusuf, Amina, Hakeem, and others sit on one side. Samuel and Nana
Ama sit on the other. Kwaku is in the back, arms crossed.)

Mr. Owusu:

And so I ask: In a modern African university, what place does religion have? Can we truly be
critical thinkers while submitting to faith?

(Murmurs ripple through the room.)

Mr. Owusu:
We glorify memorization—reciting ancient texts—but where is the inquiry? The innovation?
Islam, Christianity... we must ask: are they anchors, or shackles?

(Hakeem shifts, visibly agitated. Yusuf raises his hand.)

Mr. Owusu:
Yes, the boy in the black shirt. Speak.

Yusuf:
With respect, sir, submission to God does not exclude questioning the world. In Islam, the
first word revealed was “Read.” Inquiry is sacred. So is humility.

Mr. Owusu:
(chuckling) But how can humility fuel invention? Faith does not build rockets. Science does.

Salma:
(interjecting) But values build scientists. Morals build leaders. Your argument strips humans
down to data.

Samuel:
(to Salma) And your faith—does it build bridges, or walls? Lina told me you warned her
about me last semester.

Salma:
(defensive) I never said that! I advised her to be cautious, that’s all. Don’t twist my words.

(Tension rises. Ali stands abruptly.)

Ali:
Enough! We’re not here to argue with kufaar. These people mock us. Let them drown in their
so-called “logic.”

Hakeem:
(standing too) Brother, lower your voice. This isn’t the Prophet’s way.

Ali:
(turns on him) And what is? Playing diplomat while they insult our deen?

(A wave of discomfort. Mr. Owusu smirks.)

Mr. Owusu:
Ah—now we see the shackles tighten.

(Yusuf steps forward, composed.)

Yusuf:
Sir, disagreement is not weakness. It is proof that we still care. About truth. About each other.
Faith teaches us to argue with grace, not fire.

Kwaku:
(from the back) Then maybe start by arguing less with each other.

(Silence. All turn to look at him.)

Kwaku:
You want to show strength? Show unity first.

(A pause. Nana Ama stands.)

Nana Ama:
You all talk about unity... but it’s only unity when everyone agrees with you.

(She exits. Tension lingers.)

Imam Malik:
(stepping into the hall, calmly) I think this is a conversation that needs more heart—and less
heat.

(Lights begin to dim as students murmur, the debate unsettled but alive.)

[End Scene 2]
Scene 3: "Cracks in the Wall"
Setting: GMSA meeting room, evening. Foldable chairs, a whiteboard with meeting notes.
Tea and biscuits on the side. The room is warm but tense.

Characters on Stage: Yusuf, Amina, Salma, Ali, Hakeem, Jibril, Lina, Tariq (quiet
observer)

(Lights up. Students are mid-discussion. A list on the board reads: "Upcoming Events:
Dawah Drive, Women’s Seminar, Knowledge Night.")

Amina:
Okay, so for the Women’s Seminar, I suggest we highlight Muslim female scholars—Fatima
al-Fihri, Nana Asma’u. Show that knowledge is not gendered in Islam.

Salma:
And we should let sisters lead the session—start to finish. No more back seats.

Ali:
(scoffing) That’s not how our tradition works. Women leading the entire event? Where are
the male voices then?

Salma:
Oh please. Your voice is on every flier, in every meeting. You’re not silenced—you’re just
uncomfortable with sharing space.

Ali:
(standing) It’s about adab! About boundaries! This liberal wave is not dawah—it’s dilution.

Hakeem:
(steps between them) Hey! No one’s diluting anything. But brother, your tone is getting
harsh.

Ali:
You call it harsh—I call it gheerah. Jealousy for the deen.

Jibril:
(quietly) And what of mercy? Of balance? Even Umar ibn al-Khattab was corrected by
women, and he praised them.

(A pause. Yusuf steps forward.)

Yusuf:
Brothers, sisters—this division is a shaytaan’s dream. We can’t build unity with bricks of
pride.
Salma:
But don’t you see, Yusuf? We say brotherhood, but when sisters speak up, we’re called
disruptive.

Amina:
(softly) The Ummah is a body. If part of it aches, we don’t silence it—we listen.

(Lina shifts uncomfortably. Tariq watches from the corner, absorbing silently.)

Ali:
(sits, muttering) We’ll see what happens when this “unity” fractures our roots.

Hakeem:
(aloud, to all) What roots, though? The Prophet’s mosque had men and women learning side
by side. What’s new here?

(A beat. Everyone is breathing heavier. The room has shifted.)

Yusuf:
Let’s pause the planning. Next week, we do something different. No events. Just reflection.
Each of us will bring one verse or hadith—on knowledge or unity. And maybe, we listen
more than we speak.

(Salma exhales. Ali remains brooding. Lina nods slowly. Tariq glances at a small
Qur’an in his pocket.)

Amina:
Insha’Allah. Maybe less talking about Islam... and more acting like Muslims.

(Lights dim as everyone remains seated, no one moving to leave.)

[End Scene 3]

Scene 4: "In the Quiet"

Setting: Campus masjid, late night. Quiet. Dim lighting. Prayer mats are neatly arranged. A
Qur’an stand glows under a soft reading lamp. The call of the night birds can be heard faintly.

Characters on Stage: Tariq, Lina, Jibril (later Yusuf)

(Lights up. Tariq sits alone near the front of the prayer area, holding a pocket Qur’an,
flipping through with trembling hands. Lina enters silently, notices him, hesitates, then
sits a few feet away.)

Lina:
(softly) Couldn’t sleep either?
Tariq:
(shaken, half-smiling) Sleep’s been distant lately. Like a friend who doesn’t call back.

Lina:
(nods) I used to stay up wondering if I made the right choice... reverting. If I’m really enough
to carry this deen.

Tariq:
And now?

Lina:
(smiling faintly) Now I still wonder. But I don’t wonder alone.

(Pause. Jibril enters quietly, carrying a worn notebook. He notices them, nods, and sits.)

Jibril:
Late-night Qur’an club?

Tariq:
Something like that. (beat) Do you ever feel... like it’s too much?
Trying to be better, but your own past laughs in your face?

Jibril:
(firmly) Every soul has a past. Even the Sahabah had stories before Islam. You know Bilal
was once a slave. Umar? A fierce opponent of the Prophet.

Lina:
And still... they rose.

Jibril:
They rose because they chose Allah. Again and again. That’s all we do here—choose. Not
perfection. Just direction.

(Tariq puts down the Qur’an and sighs.)

Tariq:
I haven’t told anyone this, but... I almost dropped out last month. The depression was loud. I
thought faith would cure it. But it just... coexists with it.

(A moment of stillness. Then Yusuf enters quietly, noticing the scene.)

Yusuf:
Tariq, I’ve been looking for you. (sees the mood) Everything alright?

Tariq:
Yeah. Or... no. But I’m speaking, so maybe that’s the start.

Yusuf:
(sits beside him) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The strong believer is better and
more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, though both are good.”
Strength isn’t loud, brother. Sometimes it’s just... showing up to the masjid at midnight.

Lina:
Or telling the truth when it hurts.

Jibril:
Or listening without fixing.

*(They sit in silence. The mood is calm, sacred. Yusuf begins to recite softly:)
“Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Surah Ar-Ra’d, 13:28)

(Lights dim slowly. The group remains seated, a quiet bond forming beneath the
surface.)

[End Scene 4]

Scene 5: "The Spark"

Setting: University courtyard, midday. Students gathered for a campus “Open Forum on
Identity.” A banner reads: "Faith, Freedom, and the Future." A circle of chairs has been set
up. The atmosphere is electric, with onlookers and murmurs of anticipation.

Characters on Stage: Yusuf, Salma, Kwaku, Samuel, Nana Ama, Ali, Amina, Mr. Owusu,
Lina, Hakeem, other students

(Lights up. A student moderator stands in the middle. Samuel is already speaking.
Yusuf and Salma are seated across from him. Students ring the stage area, listening.
Amina stands by with notes.)

Samuel:
...I’m not saying don’t have faith. I’m saying don’t let it make you blind. When someone tells
me “this is the only truth”—what are they really saying? That the rest of us don’t matter?

(Murmurs. Salma leans forward.)

Salma:
What we say is: Truth matters. And yes, we believe in one Truth—but that doesn’t mean we
erase people. If anything, Islam teaches us to honor difference. The Qur’an says “We made
you nations and tribes so that you may know one another.” Not erase. Know.

Samuel:
Then why do your people shun interfaith friendships? Ask Lina.

(Lina looks startled. Yusuf gestures protectively.)

Yusuf:
This isn’t a place to expose personal stories. Let's respect boundaries.

Samuel:
But that’s the point, isn’t it? Boundaries. So many lines drawn in the name of God.

Ali:
(standing) And maybe we need lines. Maybe what’s wrong with this place is that no one fears
consequences anymore.

Kwaku:
(sarcastically) Ei. Here we go. Brother Sharia has entered the chat.

Ali:
You joke, but every day I watch Muslims dilute their deen to be accepted. And now we clap
when people question the Qur’an? We should be angry!

(Crowd reacts. Hakeem stands, clearly trying to contain himself.)

Hakeem:
You don’t represent all of us, Ali. Anger is not dawah. You think you’re defending Islam, but
you're just shouting over it.

(Ali moves toward Hakeem. They face off.)

Ali:
Say that again.

Hakeem:
You heard me.

(Yusuf and Amina step in between them. Tension is thick. Mr. Owusu stands at the
edge, observing with a smug smile.)

Mr. Owusu:
And they say religion unites us. I see nothing but fractures.

Salma:
(to Owusu) No. What you see is passion. We’re struggling, yes. But struggle is not failure.
It’s growth.

(Lina, suddenly, stands up and steps into the circle.)

Lina:
Everyone’s so loud. But no one’s asking what we need. We don’t need more lectures. We
need each other. We need... patience.

(Silence. Even Samuel nods, slowly.)

Kwaku:
For once, I agree. We need less fire. More light.

(Yusuf steps to the center.)

Yusuf:
This is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) faced—people shouting, doubting, dividing.
And he never met fire with fire. He brought water. He brought calm.
So what will we bring?

(A hush. The crowd breathes in together. Ali turns away. Hakeem looks down. Mr.
Owusu quietly leaves.)

Moderator:
Thank you, everyone. Next week’s theme: Building Peace after the Storm.

(Applause. Some students hug. Others leave in thought. Salma and Yusuf exchange a
tired but hopeful look. Lights dim slowly.)

[End Scene 5]

Scene 6: "Gathering the Light"

Setting: Campus GMSA room, a few evenings after the forum. A banner in progress reads:
"Lanterns of the Mind – An Evening of Reflection." The room is filled with scraps of paper,
poetry drafts and snacks. The tension from the forum has cooled, but not disappeared.

Characters on Stage: Yusuf, Amina, Salma, Kwaku, Lina, Tariq, Hakeem, Jibril, Fatima
(graduate mentor figure)

(Lights up. Amina tapes up lantern-shaped cutouts with words like “Knowledge,”
“Respect,” “Patience.” Salma is writing a spoken word piece. Lina folds flyers. Kwaku
paces, rehearsing lines under his breath.)

Yusuf:
Okay. Everyone ready for tomorrow? We open the mic with dua, then the poetry round, and
then... reflections.

Kwaku:
(grinning) And no Qur’anic lectures, right? I’m already nervous, don’t need extra pressure
from the heavens.

Amina:
(laughing) You’ll do fine. Just speak your truth.

Salma:
We’ve all got truth. But we also have wounds. Let’s not pretend those don’t exist.
(Fatima enters, a graceful woman in her thirties, with presence and calm.)

Fatima:
Salaam, everyone.

All:
Wa Alaikum Salaam.

Fatima:
Yusuf asked me to stop by. I heard about the forum. Heated, huh?

Hakeem:
That’s putting it mildly.

Fatima:
Good. Conflict means you’re awake. But growth only comes when you listen after the
shouting stops. So... what did you learn?

(Silence. Then Tariq speaks up.)

Tariq:
That doubt doesn’t mean weakness. It means you’re still in the ring.

Lina:
That kindness doesn’t mean silence. It’s louder than anger sometimes.

Jibril:
That quoting hadith is not enough—you must embody them.

Kwaku:
That faith people live is more powerful than the faith they preach.

Salma:
And... that I still have things to unlearn. Especially about how I listen to people outside the
fold.

(Fatima nods, impressed.)

Fatima:
You’re all miles ahead of where you started. Just remember—the Prophet built his Ummah
one heart at a time. Don’t rush the building. Focus on the brick in front of you.

(Yusuf looks around.)

Yusuf:
This is the brick. Right here. Tomorrow, we hold the lantern. Let’s make sure it lights the
way.

(Lights dim as they continue prepping in earnest.)

[End Scene 6]

Scene 7: "Lanterns of the Mind"

Setting: A makeshift stage on campus, evening. String lights shaped like lanterns hang
overhead. A banner reads: “Knowledge is Light – Unity is Strength.” Chairs are filled. A mic
stands center stage. Background nasheed hums gently.

Characters on Stage: Yusuf, Amina, Salma, Kwaku, Lina, Tariq, Hakeem, Ali, Fatima,
Samuel, Nana Ama, Jibril, Students (crowd)

(Lights up. Yusuf steps to the mic. He’s steady, confident. The crowd hushes.)

Yusuf:
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
Welcome to Lanterns of the Mind—a night not of answers, but of light. Tonight, we speak
from the soul—not just as Muslims, Christians, skeptics, seekers—but as humans in pursuit
of meaning.

(Applause. He steps aside. Amina approaches, holding a paper.)

Amina (spoken word):

"We are lanterns..."
not because we never flicker,
but because in the dark,
we keep returning to flame.

(Snaps and light claps. Kwaku steps forward.)

Kwaku (spoken):
I came for vibes.
Found verses.
Found brothers.
Found a reason to ask questions...
without shame,
without masks.

(Students react warmly. Lina takes the stage next.)

Lina (soft, sincere):

Islam didn’t save me.
But it gave me tools.
Like silence.
Like stillness.
Like the courage to stand... even when I shake.
(Salma stands beside her, smiling proudly. Fatima watches, moved. Ali rises slowly,
takes the mic.)

Ali:
I thought guarding the deen meant guarding the door.
But I forgot...
The Prophet opened doors.
He sat with Jews, and poets, and Bedouins.
So I’m here...
To unlearn the walls I built in Allah’s name.

(Gasps, surprised murmurs. Yusuf and Hakeem exchange a look—respect.)

Salma (to Ali):

BarakAllahu feek.

(Samuel rises from the crowd.)

Samuel:
I still have questions.
I still disagree.
But tonight...
I saw faith not as a weapon,
but as a window.

(Yusuf returns to the mic.)

Yusuf:
Tonight, we are not debating.
We are demonstrating—what it means to carry light,
not as a torch to burn others...
But as a lantern.
To guide.

(He looks around.)

Yusuf:
Let this be our path.
A path lit by humility, sharpened by seeking,
and bound—above all—by brotherhood and sisterhood.
Ameen?

All (softly):
Ameen.

(The lantern lights dim slightly, then glow brighter as everyone lifts small paper
lanterns they’ve been given. Music rises gently. Students hold them overhead. The stage
glows.)
[Lights slowly fade as the cast stands united, some holding hands, some with eyes closed,
all in stillness.]

[End Scene 7 – Curtain Call]