Reviewed by Muminah Khan I read this book two months ago, and it has lingered hauntingly in my mind ever since. Few books I have read have stayed with me in such a profound manner. When Only God Can See, written by Walaa Quisay and Asim Qureshi, is a deeply moving exploration of what faith…
Reviewed by Abdul Hai Amir Shakib Arslan (1869–1946) appeared in a cloudy chapter of Islamic history. To many, it was the last chapter of a religion, a civilisation and, most importantly, an empire, namely the Ottoman Empire. However, Arslan represented a different view. He was a natural-born politician, writer, poet, historian and known as Amir…
Reviewed by Abdul Hai World history is a history of colonisation and displacement. All empires are guilty of this. However, there is something particularly unique and disturbing about Western colonisation, especially that of the British Empire, which scarred human history so deeply that its echoes remain within our collective consciousness. The West did not colonise…
Reviewed by Abdul Hai Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, first published in 1899, is a novella about Charles Marlow, a sailor who travels deep into the Congo in Africa to work for a European ivory-trading company. The story begins with an unnamed narrator recounting Marlow’s story to a group of men who are sitting…
Reviewed by Abdul Hai أُحِبُّ الصَّالِحِينَ وَلَسْتُ مِنْهُمْلَعَلِّي أَنْ أَنَالَ بِهِمْ شَفَاعَةً وَأَكْرَهُ مَنْ تِجَارَتُهُ الْمَعَاصِيوَلَوْ كُنَّا سَوَاءً فِي الْبِضَاعَةِ “I love the righteous, though I am not one of them… perhaps I may attain their intercession.And I hate those whose trade is sin… even if we were equal in merchandise” -Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin…
Reviewed by Abdul Hai Professor George Makdisi, in his article “The Significance of the Sunni Schools of Law in Islamic Religious History,” observes that “one of the more interesting phenomena in Islamic religious history is the development of the schools of law.” This observation is indeed correct. The development of Islamic legal scholarship brought about…
Review by Abdul Hai أُولَئِكَ آبَائِي فَجِئْنِي بِمِثْلِهِمْ إِذَا جَمَعَتْنَا يَا جَرِيرُ الْمَجَامِعُ”- الفرزدق” There is a well-known prophetic tradition in which the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said:“The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, and then those who come after them.” For…
Reviewed by Muminah Khan Within contemporary discourse particularly across social media, Western news outlets, propagandistic sources, and far-right political rhetoric several narratives are propagated to incite fear and hostility towards Islam. One of the most persistent is the assertion that Muslim women are inherently oppressed, devoid of autonomy, and condemned to passive, meaningless lives, and…
Reviewed by Abdul Hai In the contemporary global landscape, the term “madrasah” has become a lightning rod for political debate and cultural war, often reduced to a caricature of religious isolationism, anti-process or, more darkly, a breeding ground for radicalism. Since the events of 9/11, Western policymakers have frequently viewed these traditional Islamic institutions through…
Reviewed By Abdul Hai Katerina Brac is a collection of short poems by Christopher John Reid, a British poet, essayist, cartoonist, and writer. Katerina Brac, as indicated in the title, is a fictional and imaginary character originating from an unspecified foreign country. Reid presents the poems as if they were written in Brac’s own language,…
Reviewed by Bulbul-e-Bangal Professor Anjum’s seminal essay “Who Wants the Caliphate?” presents a comprehensive case for reconsidering Islamic political unity in the contemporary world, meriting serious scholarly engagement despite its ambitious claims. Having had the honour of meeting Professor Anjum during my time at Cambridge when he was visiting for a day and praying Maghrib…
Edited by Zahid Pranjol and Jacob Norris. Reviewed by Abdul Hai سْمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيْمِ, Never have I been so of two minds about a book and its contents as I am about We Are Still Here: An Anthology of Resilience, Grief, and Unshattered Hope from Gaza’s University Students, edited by Zahid Pranjol and Jacob Norris….
Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go or offline.
Islamic Literary Society
© Islamic Literary Society. All rights reserved.
Install the Islamic Literary Society website as a Web App on your home screen.
The Web App will be easily accessible at any time and available even when you’re offline.
1. Click above on
2. Choose Add to Phone
Install the Islamic Literary Society website as a Web App on your home screen.
The Web App will be easily accessible at any time and available even when you’re offline.
1. Click above on
2. Choose Add to Home Screen
Install the Islamic Literary Society website as a Web App on your home screen.
The Web App will be easily accessible at any time and available even when you’re offline.
1. Click below on
2. Choose Add to Home Screen
Stay updated with our latest news, promotions, and special offers straight to your inbox!
Subscribe now and enjoy:
