7 Books I’ve Loved
Last week, a dear and very old internet friend tagged me in a Facebook challenge: “to share 7 books I have loved. One a day for 7 days. No reviews just the front cover. Then to invite a friend to take up the challenge.”
The 7 days are over but I decided to make it into a blog post and maybe even reminisce a bit about the books since I didn’t do that on Facebook. These aren’t 7 must-read books, or 7 of my favourite books either. It simply is just 7 books I’ve loved and in no particular order.
Book 1: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Ibrahim from Wardah Books had posted about this book on his Instagram on 17 December 2019 with the following caption: “Art and contemplation comes together exquisitely in this work. Everyone should read this. (Published by Penguin Books: The flapping penguin on the title page is just too cute.)”
I take his recommendations seriously and it was at the back of my mind.
When I was in Chicago in January this year, I spent some time in this absolutely wonderful bookstore called Unabridged Bookstore. It was so charming. I remember it was cold, like Chicago cold, I was on the way back from doing laundry at the laundromat and needed to sleep because my nose was running, I was jet-lagged and yet, I saw this sign which had a quote from one of my favourite authors. I mean, I knew I was going to go in anyway (it was a book store, hello!) but having that Jeanette Winterson quote told me that I would really enjoy this book store.
I spent probably over an hour at that bookstore. I had asked the bookseller if I could leave my bag of laundry (literally in a large red plastic bag) behind the counter while I browsed haha. I was given a tag and off I went!
This book was on their recommended books section and I had placed it on the counter as a confirmed purchase while I went around browsing some more.
I left with the following books and greeting cards. I would have bought more but I was coming from London and had already bought books from a book store there too and couldn’t risk exceeding the baggage allowance. (Of course, at that time, I didn’t know that my trip was going to be extended for 2 whole months and that I was most definitely going to pay for exceeding the baggage allowance haha. Ah hindsight.)
Anyway, I truly love this book. My housemates in Florida and marketing team colleagues, especially Mariam El-Khatib, would remember me going “Can I read you something please?” and reading a page or two from the book and then just … losing it. Haha. Mariam had said “Yeah that’s really nice but I’m actually enjoying it more seeing you get excited about the book”. I have so many favourite pages from this book. It is full of beautiful illustrations and impeccable wisdom. Please go get it.
Book 2: Charlotte’s Web by E B White
We read this book for Literature class in secondary school (14 years old maybe) and it probably was the first book that made me cry. I didn’t think I could cry because of a book. I know better now at 32 just how many things I could cry over, and how many books.
Book 3: The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife by Imam al-Ghazali
I’ve written and spoken about the impact this book has had on me/my life several times. I read this when I was 17 and have become an Imam Ghazali fangirl since. You can read about it in my upcoming book inshaAllah, Desiring Light, due to be out in July 2020! (Check out that smooth smooth plug haha)
Interestingly, this is also the book that we would be reading in our Journey with Imam Al-Ghazzali class with Dr Muhammad Mubarak, organised by SimplyIslam. The class has been ongoing since February 2018 covering several of Imam Ghazali’s books and this is the last one. Hah. I am totally looking forward to reading this (guidedly this time!) almost 15 years later! InshaAllah.
Book 4: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
I read this several years ago but I still think about it today. Whenever someone asks for a book recommendation, I still mention this one. It’s so powerful and raw, and even more so when I finished the book and realised that it was not fiction. It’s not even “inspired by” life events. It is what they call “immersive journalism” or “narrative non-fiction”. It’s truly one of the best books I have ever read and I would read this again.
Book 5: The Course of Love by Alain de Botton
This was the book that got me buying (or, well, to be precise, got me asking) for 5 of the author’s other books for my birthday haha. That’s how sold I was! I don’t think I’ve ever done that with another author before. I am more acquainted with Alain de Botton’s philosophy and works now. But this was the door that opened it all. I recommend this book for anyone engaged, going to be married, or are married. It honestly should be required reading if you even think about marriage. It speaks so so kindly and generously of marriage, I love it.
Book 6: Imam al-Tirmidhi’s Al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiya translated by Shaykh Abdul Aziz Suraqah and Shaykh Mohammed Aslam
I stole the above picture from Wardah Books. Here’s some more I’ve taken from the Shama’il class I attend with Ustadh Arthur Richards (also my LaunchGood colleague alhamdulillah!).
I mean, my pictures don’t do justice! But just look at how breathtaking this book is!
Gorgeous border with gorgeous artwork and gold and blue magic!
From last week’s class was this explanation of the hadith on the left where Ibn Umar said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wear hairless sandals and perform ritual purification in them, so I love to wear them, too!”. And the beautiful footnote at the side (picture on the right) where it ends with ‘Imam Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said, “From the signs of clear faith is to love everything that the Chosen One ﷺ loved and to imitate everything that he did, including choices of food, drink and clothing.”’ ❤
This book is a must-have in every Muslim’s library. NOT. EVEN. KIDDING!
Book 7: Disembodied Kneelings by Baraka Blue
This was the book that made me get a Kindle. I wanted this book so badly and I had been torn between wanting to get an e-book reader or sticking to paper books. When I found out that the book was out of print but there was a Kindle version, I bought a Kindle. Haha.
I still love paper books and buy them (clearly!) but also appreciate and love my Kindle very much. (In case you were wondering where I stood on the whole e-book vs paper book debate.)
Baraka Blue has been my north star for my own poetry. The ease with which he has married Western poetry and rap with Sufi poetry will always charm and disarm me. This poetry book in particular I really love. One of my favourite lines of all poetry ever is from here and it goes:
How can I reap what I have sown?
Oh how I weep for how I’ve roamed
but the sweetness of arrival
is in proportion to the distance
one has flown- “Seed and the Fruit” in Disembodied Kneelings
Baraka Blue, 2010
…. which is just dripping with wisdom and truth mashaAllah.
How about you? What are the 7 books you have loved? :)
