Book Review: Our Story: Animals in the Quran, by Ahmad Bahjat

This was an enjoyable read. The author – Ahmad Bahjat – has done an excellent job of retelling the stories of the Prophets through the first-person voice of an animal or object who is otherwise a supporting character in the original story. For example: the camel of Salih, the staff of Musa and the clay that Eesa shaped into a living bird.

The stories in the book expand on the Quranic narratives. Bahjat employs artistic license to add imaginative details that give life and personality to each story's narrator. The details that he adds gives the impression that he spent time learning about the animals and their behaviours, and this care makes the stories all the more engaging.

Get this book if you enjoy the stories of the Prophets and fancy reading them from a new angle—one that weaves in the Ayahs of the Quran and adds fictitious details whilst staying true to the original message.

Book Review: The Imam and the Atheist, by Mohamed Abdul Azeez

This is a good introduction to philosophical arguments for the existence of God for anyone of faith who – like me – is a philosophy newbie. It's written as a series of conversations between an Imam and the uncle of a boy who has renounced his faith in God. The uncle is struggling to understand his nephew and the Imam is helping the uncle to understand the philosophical ideas that the youth is grappling with.

Framing the book as a series of discussions, each building on the last, gives the book a nice sense of a story. Framing the book as a series of discussions between the Imam and the uncle – a receptive listener – rather than the Imam and the atheist allows the author to get away with some oversimplifications of the opposing view. You could view this as a criticism of the book. However, this is what allows the book to remain an elementary level read so this is a good thing as far as I am concerned.

I must commend the author for having a go at a couple of really sensitive topics during the course of the book: Evolution and LGBTQA+. The chapter on evolution was my favourite of all the chapters by far. It has left me with food for thought to ponder on well beyond my reading of the book. Overall, this is an excellent book for anyone of faith who wants an easy to read introduction to a number of philosophical concepts. If you're like me, it will leave you with plenty of topics to plug into your conversational AI tool of choice during and after your read of it!

Below are some passages from the book that stood out for me:

"Helping my kids sail their intellectual boats to the shores of safety took priority over pretending that the ocean is stormless."

"... to say: God doesn't exist, is more of a statement of faith than a statement of science or reason."

"The Quran usually describes at length the fact that God created the diversity of life on earth, but it doesn't say how. It only alludes to the origins of everything, which is the Arabic word Turab, or the dirt of the earth. It certainly doesn't describe how it all happens."

"... 'be and it is is' doesn't necessarily suggest the instant sprouting of a being into existence. God in the Quran talks about how man is the product of 'be and it is' yet it takes us, and all creation really, actual time – in our case nine months – to come into existence. And if that is the case, then the evolution of one species from another could be one possible way by which God 'creates'..."

"... the evolutionary process, although it involves what we might consider random processes of natural selection and random genetic mutations, [may] not actually [be] random at all... they [may be] subject to a plethora of factors, of which we simply have no knowledge, and that's why we, out of mental laziness, call it random chance."

"... normalising sin and sinful lifestyle in the name of biological tendencies rips man of agency and free will."

"... things are not as black and white as some might think."

"... the enmity between established Christianity in Europe in the Middle Ages and any form of free thought, made the two mutually exclusive, hence it became necessary to neutralise religion if any progress in science, economics or politics were to be achieved. The same was not true in the Muslim world..."

"... no metaphysical idea managed to survive the incessant molestation of philosophy than that of a Creator."

"... the assumption that the universe has a Maker has not been committed to the museum of antiquated human thought, despite the constant battery. It's not a relic of the past, but an instrument of the present. What are we to do with this interminable lust for God?"

"... God endures."

Timeline of early Muslim scholars

Below is a chronology of birth dates of famous Muslim scholars of the past:

AH Year	CE Year	Scholar
21	642	Hasan Al-Basri – One of the most celebrated of the Tab'iun whose name is often encountered in commentaries of the Quran.
80	702	Abu Hanifa – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
85	704	Ibn Ishaq – Famous for his biography of the Prophet ﷺ.
93	711	Malik ibn Anas – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
150	767	Al-Shaafi'i – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
164	780	Ahmad Ibn Hanbal – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
194	810	Muhammad Al-Bukhari – Famous for his Hadith collection.
204	819	Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj – Famous for his Hadith collection.
214	829	Al-Nasa'i – Famous for his Hadith collection.
240	854	Ibn Abi Hatim
270	883	Ibn Hibban
321	933	Al-Haakim
384	994	Al-Bayhaqi
392	1002	Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi
450	1058	Al-Ghazali – Famous for his works entitled The Incoherence of the Philosophers and The Revival of the Religious Sciences.
631	1233	Al-Nawawi – Famous for his collection of 40 Hadith and his work entitled The Meadows of the Righteous.
661	1263	Ibn Taymiyyah
691	1292	Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya
701	1300	Ibn Kathir – Famous for his commentary on the Quran.

Note: AH is short for After Hijrah; CE is short for Common Era.

Top ten tips for Umrah 🕋

Below are ten practical tips to help you make the most of your Umrah and your stay in and around Al-Masjid Al-Haraam.

1. Carry your hotel name on you. Each person in your group should have their hotel name and address written on them. It's very easy to get separated from your group during Tawaf or Sa'ee. You want the peace of mind that everybody in your group can make their own way back to the hotel should they get separated.
2. Keep your footwear on when doing Tawaf and Sa'ee. Unless you're used to walking long distances bare foot on hard surfaces, doing so will cause strain to your feet and legs and hamper your ability to do follow-up Tawafs and/or Umrahs.
3. Carry plasters and antiseptic wipes on you during Tawaf and Sa'ee. Individuals pushing wheelchairs are careless and often hit and cut those in front of them. I hope you never have to administer the plasters and wipes that you're carrying but, sadly, it's likely you will.
4. Protect yourself against the sun. Pack sunglasses, sun cream and a light coloured scarf or umbrella. Take these items with you on each daytime trip to the Masjid. Remember not to wear the sun cream whilst in the state of Ihram.
5. Set off early for prayer. Leave half an hour before the Adhan at least to get a place inside the Masjid or the extension.
6. Use the first floor for Nafl Tawafs. The ground floor is currently exclusive for those doing Umrah. The roof is currently off limits for Tawaf due to construction works.
7. Use the Mosque extension for a more tranquil prayer. There is always plenty of space inside and it is nicely carpeted. The ground and first floors of the main Mosque are currently exclusive for Umrah and Tawaf. As a result, they are quite disruptive to pray in.
8. Ask the cleaners for help and advice. Avoid asking the Saudi guards for help and advice. Asking the Saudi guards for advice is like asking a Magic 8 Ball for advice.
9. Avoid getting mobile data if you can. Entering the Masjid without internet is a great way to maximise your time inside and to have a detox from all the distractions online and outside.
10. Install the Maps.ME app on your mobile device. Download the offline map for Saudi Arabia in the app to get a better visual layout of the Masjid and the surrounding area than what is available with Google Maps.

Book Review: Inside the Brotherhood, by Hazem Kandil

This is proving to be a difficult read. I've made it to the end of the first chapter and I'm really going to have to push myself to continue on with it.

The book has thus far been a one-way critique of the Muslim Brotherhood based on interviews with anonymous nobodies. It is devoid of objectivity and balance, and full of sarcasm and straw man arguments.

If you're looking for unchallenged arguments to confirm negative opinions that you already hold about the Muslim Brotherhood, this book is for you. For me though, there's just too much political spin here. Everything the Brotherhood stands for and does is shed in a negative light and it's hard to take a book seriously that presents a caricature of its subject material.

Resources for learning and practicing Arabic

In this post, I have put together Book and Video resources for anybody who wants to study Arabic at their own pace as opposed to joining a class. If you prefer to study at the pace of a class, then see this post instead.

The resources below are ordered alphabetically and not in an order of recommendation.

Books

• Arabic Reader (Published by Lund Humphries) – This is a fantastic resource to practice your reading once you know the basic rules of grammar. It provides comprehensive vocabulary and footnotes so you don't have to keep digging into the dictionary. However, note that it is advanced so not a good book to start with.
• Mastering Arabic (Published by Palgrave Macmillan) – There are four books in the series: 'Mastering Arabic Script', 'Mastering Arabic', 'Mastering Arabic 2' and 'Mastering Arabic Grammar'. This is a good series to have in your library but I wouldn't say it is sufficient to learn Arabic. It is a little sparse in detail and in repeating concepts so you'll need other resources to hand in order to solidify the concepts that you learn in these books.

Videos

Arabic Language Academy (YouTube Playlists)

The following three playlists offer a good means of improving your vocabulary of everyday words and sentences:

• Arabic Dialogues (49 videos: each video is around 10 minutes)
• Arabic Stories and Reading Text (14 videos; each video is around 5 minutes)
• Arabic Vocabulary (15 videos; each video is around 8 minutes)

Bayyinah TV

Paying $11 (£8-ish) per month to get access to the full library of content on the Bayyinah TV platform is well worth it if you're going to spend a few hours on there per week. Otherwise, the following YouTube playlists are a good starting point:

• Dream Intensive 1 (13 videos; each video is around 2 hours)
• Dream Intensive 2 (11 videos; each video is around 2-and-a-half hours)
• Dream Intensive 3 (15 videos; each video is around 1-and-a-half hours)
• Dream Intensive 4 (19 videos; each video is around 1-and-a-half hours)

FC LangMedia (YouTube Playlists)

The Arabic grammar videos in the following playlists are as clear and as concise as you will find. I'll be very surprised if anyone can point me to a set of videos which can match these for clarity and conciseness.

• First-Year Arabic Grammar Videos (45 videos; each video is around 7 minutes)
• Second-Year Arabic Grammar Videos (37 videos; each video is around 9 minutes)
• Third-Year Arabic Grammar Videos (32 videos; each video is around 9 minutes)

Hidaya Center (YouTube channel)

The videos on this channel have an animated and repetitive style. I find that this helps to learn and remember new vocabulary. For the full set of playlists available in this channel, see here. The two playlists that I have enjoyed particularly so far are the following:

• Al-Arabiyya Bayna Yadayk – Book 1 (98 videos; each video is around 6 minutes)
• Al-Arabiyya Bayna Yadayk – Book 2 (57 videos; each video is around 6 minutes)

Arabic grammar terms

Below are the names and definitions of some Arabic grammar terms which I sometimes struggle to recall:

• Ajwaf (أَجْوَف) – a root verb which has an alif, waw or yaa as its second letter, e.g. قَالَ.
• Lafeef Mafrooq (لَفِيف مَفْرُوق) – a root verb which has an alif, waw or yaa as its first and third letter, e.g. وَلَى.
• Lafeef Maqroon (لَفِيف مَقْرُون) – a root verb which has an alif, waw or yaa as its second and third letter, e.g. طَوَى.
• Mithaal (مِثال) – a root verb which has an alif, waw or yaa as its first letter, e.g. وَعَدَ.
• Mudhaa'af (مُضَاعَف) – a root verb which has the same letter in two positions, e.g. سَبَّ.
• Naaqis (ناقِص) – a root verb which has an alif, waw or yaa as its third letter, e.g. رَمَى.

Book Review: Women in the Quran, by Asma Lamrabet

This book is at its best when it's recounting the stories of the women mentioned in the Quran and the stories of the female companions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to whom the Quran was revealed. The stories told are stories we are familiar with as Muslims but they're told with a feminine voice that is both strong and refreshing.

In my opinion, the author really should have stuck to these stories and the lessons of courage, endurance and sacrifice extracted from them. Instead, she continues and closes off by opening up and trying to take on some contentious issues like polygamy and women's inheritance and testimony. The problem is that she raises questions in this domain but doesn't really offer substantiated, convincing answers. It comes across a little ill-conceived and rushed, and it's a classic case of less is more.

My other problem with the book is that the translator seems to have taken to the thesaurus to pick the most difficult word on offer whenever there was a choice. It hurts the readability of the book. Expect words like anachronism, ethnocentric, hegemony and preponderance... and that's just in the first three pages of the introduction. It would be great in future editions of this book if the choice of words was revisited and simpler words chosen wherever possible.

Book Review: The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid

This is a popular novel which has thousands of reviews already so doing a general review isn't going to add much value to the world. Instead, I want to focus on a small gripe I have with the book: its title.

You'd imagine from the title that the protagonist is to go on a journey from being not very fundamental to becoming somewhat fundamental. What's implied by the word "fundamentalist" of course is "fundamentalist Muslim". Now here's my gripe. At no point in the story does the protagonist become more observant of the fundamentals of his faith; at no point does he become more observant of God or of the basic things a Muslim is expected to do and to refrain from. He becomes increasingly political and anti-American in his views but nowhere is there mention of him becoming more "Muslim". And there's my gripe. Sadly, what's implied by the title is, firstly, not in tune with what's in the novel and, secondly, it's just cashing in on the mainstream Western narrative that "fundamentalist" is synonymous with "anti-American".

That gripe aside: it's a good, tense, well-told story. Just set your expectations right: expect plenty of references to alcohol, extramarital relations and global politics, and none in the way of religion.

Film Review: Islam and the Future of Tolerance, by Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz

I only watched this documentary film because a colleague at work asked my opinion on Maajid Nawaz after he had watched it. Like 99.99% of the Muslim community in the UK I'd struggle to say anything positive about Maajid Nawaz but I thought it would be unfair to comment on him and the film without watching it and so I proceeded to do so. It was a struggle to get past the first five minutes. It was a struggle to get to the end.

I got the impression from the film's trailer and description that it would be an exchange of conflicting ideas between the two protagonists. But no, from start to end, the two continued to agree with other. In fact you'd struggle to find two individuals who agree with each other anymore than these two! Even with five minutes remaining I was certain that the two of them would disagree somewhere and give us something to think about. But no, it never came. So basically if you're a fanboy/fangirl of Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz and like to see the two of them agreeing with each other then you'll like this film.

The film tries desperately to create a narrative where there is no narrative. It tries to convey this idea that – by the two protagonists conversing with each other – they're bringing about some major change. But, again, to repeat the point, when two people who agree with each other converse, nothing changes! Both started off agreeing with each other and both ended agreeing with each other. It's simple maths.

In terms of the actual content of the film it's basically the two protagonists throwing out labels, defining boxes and agreeing to put people into them: this is a traditionalist, that's an Islamist and that's a traditionalist on the way to becoming an Islamist! Basically creating over-simplified representations of the people and world around them. A bit like the very "dogmatists" who they've made it their life mission to fight against if you ask me. Put your seatbelt on and expect a lot of labels: "Jihadist", "literalist", "Islamist theocrat", "conservative Muslim", "moderate Muslim", "secular Muslim", "reformist Muslim", "secular apologist", "pluralist liberalist", etc, etc.

I promised myself I'd keep my review to three paragraphs maximum because this film deserves no more time than I've already given it and so I'll end here.

Book Review: Life of the Prophet in Makkah, by Zakaria Bashier

This is the first in a four-part series on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by the author and, funnily, the last in the series that I read. Like the other books in the series the author's intent is not to provide a comprehensive narrative of events in the period under discussion but to pick and discuss just a few events and themes. The period covered in this book is the early years of the Prophet's life right up to the migration of the Muslims from Makkah to Madinah. Within this period the author focuses on the following themes:

• The characteristics of the pre-Islamic Arabs.
• The personality of the Prophet (ﷺ) before the revelation of the Qur'an.
• The beauty and profound nature of the Qur'an.
• The names, characteristics and achievements of the first converts to Islam.
• The names and the motivation of the Arabs of Yathrib who stepped up and pledged unconditionally to support and protected the Prophet (ﷺ).

Consistent with the author's approach in the other books in the series it's a slightly more academic read than other Seerah books. So, if you're already familiar with the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) and don't mind a slightly more academic read, get this book. If, however, you're looking for a narrative of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) then this book probably isn't for you.

Below are some quotes from the book that stood out for me.

"If the Qur'an is to be shown to be a product of human endeavours, then something comparable to its charm, nobility and the elegance and gloriousness of its style, must be produced or shown to have existed before." 

"We have already quoted Sir William Muir's remark that 'it is strongly corroborative of Muhammad's sincerity that the earliest converts to Islam were not only of upright character but his own bosom friends and people of his household.' Sir William's remark represents a sound insight into human relations, because even if someone could deceive outsiders concerning his aims and character, it is very difficult, indeed next to impossible, for him to do so with respect to his intimates and members of his family for an unlimited time." 

"... the strongest proof of the sincerity of Muhammad's belief in the Divine nature of his mission is the Qur'an itself. Its noble language and teachings, its lofty moral directives, the exciting and revealing accounts which it conveys of former nations, their Prophets and anti-Prophets, their fates and their fortunes, the information which it contains about things to come and the fore-knowledge which it conveys about a diversity of subjects – these are some of the considerations which make it extremely unrealistic to pronounce it a product and an outcome of a hallucinatory and illusory vision. The purity, sweetness, rare force and beauty which characterise the Qur'anic language and literary style, render any suggestion to the effect that it is human-made untenable. Moreover, the world-view which the Qur'an incorporates, its elaborateness and internal consistency and cohesion, and the broad vision of life and human possibilities which it envisages compel reason and common sense to reject the suggestion that it is the mutterings and utterances of a visionary caught in the spell of hallucinatory dreams. Irrespective of whether he would eventually adopt the Qur'anic interpretation of Reality or reject it, an intelligent, unbiased reader cannot but admit that this interpretation, with its pure monotheism and its consummate integration of all aspects of life and reality is the result of a superior, authentic spiritual experience of the highest order." 

"To attain some understanding of the phenomenon of those very first Muslims, it is essential not to view them as rare individuals with inherently extraordinary personalities. Such an approach is not only superficial but fails to take into account the factors that moulded and enhanced their spiritual and moral force – that important inward force that controls the ultimate springs of action in every man. Such an understanding can be achieved if we view them as the cardinal sociological phenomenon of their time, and of all times. To characterise this phenomenon in a few words would be to say that they were a 'Qur'anic Generation' as Sayyid Qutb has put it. It was the Qur'an that exerted the primary educative influence upon the minds and souls of those early Muslims. Every time a set of verses were revealed to the Prophet he hurried to the Mosque; people were called to a special assembly, and the new verses read aloud by him. These Muslims then made it their urgent concern to understand the new revelation, memorising it by heart, if possible. Most importantly, it was their major characteristic that they strove to apply the Qur'anic guidance to their everyday affairs. They understood, better than any later generation, that following this guidance as closely as they could was the only way to procure God's pleasure and blessings and only by satisfying their Lord could they hope to succeed both in this life and in the Hereafter. Prompted by this understanding they sought to realise the Qur'anic vision in their daily lives." 

"In the early days, faced with the harsh opposition of the Quraysh idolators, they [the early Muslims] would resort to the House of al-Arqam b. al-Arqam. Huddled together they would, joyfully and serenely, embark on the reading of the Qur'an. The sound of it imparted calmness and peace to their agitated souls, and the explanation it rendered to them relieved and expanded their depressed and burdened hearts." 

"The first Muslims constituted a whole generation that was carefully and patiently nurtured on the Qur'anic revelations, and this nurturing continued throughout the Makkan phase (about thirteen years) and the Madinan phase (lasting for another ten years). The result was that they developed dispositions, attitudes and behavioural patterns which were superb examples of the guidance and the spirit of the glorious Qur'an – hence the description, the Qur'anic Generation." 

"[The Qur'anic guidance] is guidance which in both form (language) and content is precise and persuasive. It is not vague, cryptic or couched in unintelligible generalisations or metaphors. It is characterised by a sagacious admixture of common sense, based on the observed facts of Nature, and a rational metaphysical mysticism which never asserts anything that is demonstrably counter to reason."

Book Review: Revive Your Heart – Putting Life in Perspective, by Nouman Ali Khan

This is essentially a transcript of some sermons that Nouman Ali Khan has delivered. So if you're familiar with his talks and like them, you'll enjoy reading this book. Each chapter in the book is a transcript of a particular sermon and each sermon is an explanation of a small series of Ayahs of the Quran. The sermons included in the book are those that deal with the attitudes that we should adopt as Muslims, i.e. our attitude to prayer/supplication, our attitude to giving/receiving advice, our attitude to suspicion/assumption, our attitude to spending/charity, and so on and so forth! Overall a good read which will increase your appreciation of the Quran.

Book Review: The Story of the Quran, by Ingrid Mattson

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the author did a good job of presenting the history and preservation of the Qur'an from its early revelation through to the present day. But I found this book to be so much more than a telling of the Qur'an's history. I thought the author did a fantastic job of communicating the different layers of the Qur'an; from its aural beauty to its role in the everyday life of a Muslim to its impact on Muslim architecture to the rich sciences that underpin how Muslim scholars interpret the Qur'an. It's probably this depth and detail that will make this book more appealing to Muslim readers wanting to gain an appreciation of their own history than somebody outside of the faith with a passing interesting in Islam. For me though this book far exceeded my expectations and I'd go as far as putting it in my top ten books on Islam in the English language.

Below are some passages from the book which I particularly enjoyed:

"... God created a community of men and women to whom he wanted to speak, in a manner that would have universal and eternal significance for people of other times and places."

"To be awake to God, while awake to the world, is the goal of seekers of the Divine."

"The fact that much of the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet when he was in the company of others highlights the importance of his contemporary community in the process of revelation. Although Muslims consider the Qur'an universal in its application, they have generally believed that an accurate understanding of the scripture is contingent in large part on an understanding of the historical and social context of the revelation."

"What is impossible to convey when translating these verses is the way their sound when recited accords so well with their meaning. Perhaps it is not even enough to say that the sound of the recitation is in harmony with the meaning of the words, but that the sound itself conveys meaning."

"The simplicity and accessibility of Surah al-Ikhlas accords with the Qur'anic and Prophetic message that belief in such a God is innate (fitri) and universal."

"Even when slaves were allowed to raise their own children, they were forbidden from teaching them about Islam, and they certainly could not transmit the Qur'an, orally or textually, to the next generation. As a result, the chain of the transmission of the Qur'an among perhaps thousands of African Muslims ended with their enslavement in America."

"When Abu Bakr heard that the Prophet Muhammad said that he had been taken to Jerusalem and then into the Divine Presence in the 'Night Journey', he declared, 'If he says so then it is true. And what is so surprising in that? He tells me that news comes to him from heaven to earth in an hour of a day or night and I believe him, and that is more extraordinary than that which stupefies you!'"

"How much better would it be if we stopped making declarations for a while and humbly, earnestly, tried to listen to God?"

Book Review: War and Peace in the Life of the Prophet Muhammad, by Zakaria Bashier

This book is the last in a four-part series on the life of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by Zakaria Bashier. Like the other books in the series, this book is not meant to be an exhaustive survey on the life of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) but instead picks some key events to focus on and discuss. The focus in this book are the battles that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the early Muslims engaged in with the Quraysh after the Muslims' migration from Makkah to Madinah up until the eventual surrender of the Quraysh. That and the political implications of the surrender on wider Arabia.

The author argues a number of times in passing that peaceful co-existence is the rule in Islam and war is the exception. However, arguing this way or that is not the primary aim of the book; presenting the events as they happened together with the verses of the Quran that were revealed during each of these major events I'd say is the primary aim. Personally, I liked this blending of Quranic verses together with the telling of events and thought it worked well. That said, I'd say this approach makes the book more appealing to Muslim readers than those outside of the faith.

Overall, I thought the book was written and structured well. If you're not already familiar with the life of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), then this is probably not the best book to start with. However, if you are already familiar with the life of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), then I think you'll find some good insights here to add to your existing knowledge.

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.