Book Review: The Crowning Venture, by Saadia Mian

This is the fourth book I've come across in the last couple of years that captures some of the beauty of the Quran memorisation journey. The book shares the stories of present-day women living in the West who have managed to memorise the Quran; some who have done so earlier in their life and some who have done so later. The book mixes the stories of these women nicely with memorisation tips and it makes a good effort at dispelling a number of myths that prevent many people, women especially, from memorising the Quran. I really hope more people stumble across this book and we start to see a concerted effort in our communities towards getting more girls memorising & engaging with the Quran.

Below are some quotes from the book:

"The hours I spent with the Quran were the most beautiful hours of my life." 

"Sometimes doors open for us because of the effort we put in when we assume we do not have the time to do something... You may not have the most ideal situation time-wise, but if you really want to, you can find five minutes a day to devote to something you care about. Based on your intention and effort, bigger doors may open. But you can only know if you put in the initial effort." 

"Memorising the Quran gave me a heightened awareness of myself and where I needed to be going. It made me want to constantly learn more about the meanings of the Quran and try to live up to them." 

"Whether you are able to go abroad or not, whether you have children or not, whether you are young or young at heart, whether your career is demanding or not, whether you think you have a good memory or not. The Quran is for you and you can be one of those blessed to carry it in your heart."

Best books for memorisers of the Quran

Below is a list of the best books I've come across in the English language – in terms of guidance and inspiration – for anyone who is memorising the Quran, has memorised the Quran or intends to memorise the Quran.

1. 114 Tips to Help You Finally Memorize the Quran, by Suleiman Hani
2. 365 Tips to Help You Memorise the Quran, by Ishaaq Jasat
3. Meadows of the Divine: 40 Prophetic Traditions on the Virtues & Rulings of the Quran, by Alomgir Ali
4. The Crowning Venture: Inspiration from Women Who Have Memorized the Quran, by Saadia Mian
5. The Promise of Ten: How an ordinary person can memorise the Quran in 6 months, by Mubashir Anwar

Book Review: Islam & Politics, by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

This was an alright read. If I'm honest I forced myself to stick with it and get to the end. Not that there was anything wrong with the formatting, translation or anything like that but it lacked a bit of a narrative and flow. That said it's always a pleasure to get a feel for the mind and thinking of Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani and this book was no different. Some of the key takeaways for me were (1) the discussion of whether politics is a means to a higher purpose or whether politics itself is the actual purpose of religion, (2) the discussion of whether the Quran and Sunnah have drawn up a detailed plan of exactly what an Islamic government should look like or whether the shape of an Islamic government is flexible as long as it adheres to the base rules and principles of the Shariah, and (3) an increased appreciation of Surah 22, Verse 41: "Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish the prayer, pay Zakat, enjoin goodness, and forbid evil; and with Allah rests the end of all matters."

Below are some quotes from the book:

"Politics and Jihad are not ends in themselves, but are means to achieve the end of religiosity. That is why all the Prophets (peace be upon them) were given all sorts of injunctions about worship, but not all received injunctions about politics and Jihad."

"... the promotion of goodness and the prevention of evil are among the foremost government objectives of the Khilafah system... the purpose of a government is not simply to make people happy..."

"... the satisfaction of the ruling class or the rich is not meant to be among the aims of government. Rather, its purpose is to put Allah's commandments into practice and try to improve the lot of the poor masses..."

"... love for wealth tends to corrupt people and lead them to commit evil acts. Zakat is an excellent means of keeping this love under control and to foster the spirit of selflessness instead of selfishness..."

"Islam has forbidden people to demand positions of political leadership, and it has imposed the principle of consultation; but rather than setting out in detail how these principles are to be put into practice, Islam is flexible enough to allow the intelligentsia of each age to determine the details."

"Islam is very flexible regarding the details of political organisation... although the Holy Quran and the Sunnah do not contain any explicit permission to appoint a Caliph only for a certain period of time, there is also nothing to be found that forbids doing so."

"There is no possible benefit in a movement that attempts to establish Islam by breaking the laws of Islam."

Book Review: From my sisters' lips, by Na'ima B Robert

This was a nice casual read. There are plenty of books out there that cover what Islam is in a matter-of-fact style but sadly not enough out there that try to describe what it feels like to be a Muslim. This book is probably the first and, to date, one of the only ones in this space. The book is split into two parts: the first describes the author's journey into Islam and the second describes the author's experiences and thoughts since entering into Islam. It's a well-written book and a good book to point anyone to who wants to get a basic understanding of what it means and feels like to be a Muslim and, particularly, what it means and feels like to be a Muslim woman.

Below are some quotes from the book:

"I must confess that part of what appealed to me [about the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)] was how different he was to the general stereotype of the traditional Muslim man – they were poles apart in so many ways and that was a comfort. I knew that I would be proud to one day teach my son the way of our Prophet (ﷺ) at home so that my son could be a true Muslim man in his." 

"In countless films, novels, songs and poems, the theme of adultery is explored and exploited. I think it would be fair to say that the language and image of adultery is a part of our society, whether we like it or not, and the popular media neither condemns it nor warns against it. Instead it glamorises it and the people who fall into it." 

"As a scholar from the past put it, the Qur'an presents mankind with rational proofs of its truth and authenticity and, based on these proofs, the reader can then accept those things that cannot be proven. That was how it was for me." 

"... by far the greatest trial for me and many others was actualising what is really the essence of Islam – submission. To become a Muslim is to become one who submits to the will of Allah. That means ego out, arrogance out, pride out: the self is brought to heel." 

"... it was as if, because we had so wanted to start wearing the hijab, Allah had put light in our faces. We didn't look funny or dowdy or plain – we looked beautiful."

"I enjoyed the feeling of anonymity it [the hijab] offered. I liked the fact that people couldn't see my face, that I was a mystery to them. I had begun to feel uncomfortable with the fact that anyone, any man, could see my face..." 

"At one point, during the sermon, the khutbah, I looked around me and was struck by the beauty of the sisters around me. At that moment it seemed to me so natural that we should want to cover that beauty, to protect it, to keep it private. Some people are appalled when they see beautiful women covering themselves – but I wasn't. Instead, I felt proud to be covering like them." 

"I often feel under pressure not to make a mistake – in my car, with change in a shop, with disciplining my child – lest people attribute it to the fact that I am covered and therefore incapable... And so I make a point of walking tall, speaking confidently and smiling with my eyes – anything to project an image beyond what they see of me, demanding that they relate to me and not to my niqab." 

"As Muslims, we do not champion the latest beliefs, the fashionable religions, the trendy ideologies. We know what we believe, we know right from wrong, and we don't feel the need to fit in to whatever ideas are popular at any given time. What we have and hold onto is constant and solid. It is a rock in the middle of a turbulent sea, where 'truths' are as many as those who peddle them." 

"When people commiserate with my father about how his bright, vivacious daughter could have become a Muslim, hiding herself away behind a veil, he always tells them not to feel sorry for me; that I am having a whale of a time and not leading the joyless like they seem to expect."

Book Review: Hijra – Story and Significance, by Zakaria Bashier

This is the second in a series of four books written by Zakaria Bashier on the life of the Prophet (ﷺ)  and the second in the series that I've read (the one I read before this one was Sunshine at Madinah). The first part of the book covers the story of the Hijra (i.e. the people and events involved in the Muslim exodus from Makkah to Yathrib). The story is told pretty well but there's nothing really new or fresh here for someone who's already vaguely familiar with the events of the Hijra. The second part of the book covers the events in Yathrib following the Hijra. There is considerable overlap here with the third book in the series but useful I guess for anyone who doesn't own the third book. The third and final part of the book sets out to cover the meaning, significance and implications of the Hijra. I was looking forward to this part the most and hoping that it would provide some fresh insights and lessons into the Hijra. But in the end it was a bit underwhelming and not much more than a textbook jurisprudential discussion on Dar al-Islam vs Dar al-Harb.

There weren't many passages in the book worthy of pulling out and pasting here but here's a few:

"... Yathrib was uniquely fitted to become the base of the first Muslim community-state... the Yathribites themselves were a great asset. The Aws and Khazraj were pure Arab tribes that had migrated from Yemen. Warlike and powerful in spirit, they responded with vigorous, active enthusiasm to the moral idealism of an Islamic community. Possessing the traditional Arab virtues of warmth and hospitality, they were wholly equal to the enormous difficulties of playing host to the impoverished and homeless Muhajirs (emigrants) from Makkah. Tenderness of heart and friendly warmth were prominent traits of Yemeni Arabs – the Prophet, upon him be peace, on more than one occasion, commended the Yemenis for those traits..."

"... they (the Muslims of Makkah) received the order (to leave Makkah) with mixed feelings of great relief and apprehension: the Hijra held out to them the promise of, at last, living freely and unmolested in accordance with the precepts of God and of the Qur'an, but to give up home where they had lived for was generations was no easy sacrifice to make..."

"... In moving verse he (the poet Abu Ahmad) called for the Hijra, honouring those who forsook the warmth and familiar comforts of home and friends, seeking instead a place where they might live according to their convictions, in peace and dignity..."

"... if they (the clan of Ghanm ibn Dudan of Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah) decided to migrate it was not on account of rootlessness or any lack in lineage or social prestige. Rather, it was because they wished to fulfil religious aspirations and gain favour in the eyes of God and of his messenger, Muhammad, upon him be peace..."

"... Far from being either a flight or retreat, the Hijra, and the Pledge that made it possible, firmly ushered in the beginning of a positive and effective stage in the process of inviting the people to Islam and establishing the first Muslim civilisation..."

Film Review: One Day in the Haram, by Abrar Hussain

I got to see the UK premiere of this documentary movie yesterday organised by the UK-based charity Islamic Help and I'm glad to say it delivered! As the trailer for the movie attests to there are some really beautiful shots in this movie. Both the aerial long-range shots as well as the on-the-ground close-range shots of the Ka'bah, the Haram and wider Makkah are stunning.

As well the stunning shots the movie has a running narrative which works to keep the viewer engaged. Though the movie was shot over a number of weeks it's edited and presented to the viewer as a single day in the Haram from the morning prayer to the night prayer. It works. The narrative also strikes a good balance in my opinion so that it's understandable and enjoyable for both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences.

Yesterday's premiere included a Q&A with the producer and director of the movie (Abrar Hussain) and it was inspiring to hear how such a young team with a limited budget and working against the bureaucracy of the Haram's custodians managed to pull off this project and deliver such a polished product. One thing that I found funny about the movie was how the Saudi workers in the Haram were on their best behaviour when the camera was on and came across as humble, gentle and jovial towards visitors. Although this is a little away from reality it was good to see the filmmakers didn't have to exaggerate this point too much to get the film authorised. It would have been great to see the non-Saudi workers in the Haram get a little more air time in the movie but alas it is what it is.

Overall a stunning first of its kind. Hats off to the producers. An excellent initiative and a beautiful product.