Everything depended on one word: Maktub.. -- The Alchemist, pg. 60. Maktub is a word that comes up again and again in The Alchemist. As is mentioned in the first quote, it is Arabic for it is written.. Maktub means fate or destiny.The concept comes from the Islamic notion that Allah writes one's destiny and whatever we experience occurs because it is meant to be.The idea of destiny that is inevitable is emphasized throughout this book.Maktub also exists in Farsi along with some other languages that borrow heavily from Farsi and Arabic.he concept comes from the Islamic notion that Allah writes one's destiny and whatever we experience occurs because it is meant to be. The idea of destiny that is inevitable is emphasized throughout this book. Maktub also exists in Farsi along with some other languages that borrow heavily from Farsi and Arabic.