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Khaleej Times

Ramadan Reads: Female Muslim authors pen reflections on modern Islam

As Muslims mark the holy month of Ramadan, two books from Dubai-based publisher, The Dreamwork Collective are offering readers the opportunity to explore different perspectives on the modern-day practice of Islam. Dream Du'a Do: A Millennial Muslimahs' Guide to Achieving Your Wildest Dreams, by Ruzina Ahad, delves into the world of self-help grounded in spirituality, while Mathilde Loujayne's Big Little Steps tackles women's common concerns in finding a balanced lifestyle while embracing the Islamic faith. Born out of her own desire to realise her wildest dreams, Ahad began to pen her book during the 2020 lockdown. Like many people at that time, she was looking for a positive outlet for her thoughts and dreams but found that there was a lack of self-help literature connected to the Muslim faith. As she began to note down her own ambitions, the idea of Dream, du'a, do was born. Written in three parts, the book begins by encouraging readers to identify their dreams and articulate what they want to achieve in life. A big believer of manifesting ambitions through the power of prayer, Ahad dedicates the second part of the book to du'a, the Arabic word for prayer, taking readers through the journey of achieving their wildest dreams. The third section of the book provides practical tips to link dreams and prayers, weaving principles of neuroscience and positive psychology with the teachings of Islam. Originally aimed at the Millennial Muslimahs, Ahad says, 'As a young Muslim woman who was trying to find her way, there was not enough literature out there for me, but I've also discovered that non-Muslim women have loved my book as well. The text assumes that the reader knows nothing about the Islamic language and breaks down complex stories into simple prose, with some gentle humour along the way.' Also drawing on her own experience of a gap in Islamic literature, French national, Loujayne, set out to write the book she felt was missing from the bookshelves when she converted to the faith. Big Little Steps is labelled as 'a woman's guide to finding a balanced lifestyle and a glowing heart in Islam'. The book reflects on Loujayne's journey of conversion and explores the questions that she, and those around her, had about the religion. Reflecting on her personal experiences of grief, moving countries, work, marriage, and motherhood, Loujayne set out to explore women's common concerns and break through the myths of gender in Islam. Based on interviews with more than fifty women from different countries, Loujayne gathered all the questions she and her Muslim sisters had encountered in their Islamic education, to develop a one-stop guide to help women to tackle these topics. Aimed at readers who are simply curious about Islam, as well as those who have already embraced the faith, Big Little Steps is an accessible book for non-Arabic speakers, with Islamic terminology expressed in the English language. Speaking about her hope for the book, Loujayne says, 'My mission is to share what I've learned over the years, backed up by beautiful verses from the Quran and narrations of the Prophet Mohammad. I want to unearth what Muslim women have achieved in many fields over the centuries. I also want to shed light on the way women were treated before the Quran was revealed, and how ground-breaking Islam was.'