The novel was, at one point, banned in Sudan for its inclusion of sexual imagery, yet it was declared “the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century” by the Syrian-based Arab Literary Academy in Damascus. 
Riwaya hiyo, kwa kipindi fulani, ilizuiliwa nchini Sudani kwa vile ilijumuisha lugha ya picha za ngono, hata hivyo imetambuliwa kama “Riwaya ya muhimu zaidi ya Kiarabu kwenye karne ya 20” na Chuo cha Fasihi cha Kiarabu kilichoko mjini Damascus, Siria.