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When Only God Can See: The Faith of Muslim Political Prisoners
‘This beautifully written and harrowing book bears witness to the devastating experience of imprisonment; it shows the centrality of faith; and tenderly details the prayers, communities and acts of resistance that sustained these prisoners when faced with forced disappearance, punishment, and torture’ Laleh Khalili, author of Time in the Shadows
‘A passionate revelation of the secret endurance of people suffering extraordinary trauma ... A must read to understand the limitless potential of the human spirit’ Aida Seif El-Dawla, psychiatrist and co-founder of El Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture
When Only God Can See uncovers the unique experiences of Muslim political prisoners held in Egypt and under US custody at Guantanamo Bay and other detention black sites. This groundbreaking book explores the intricate interplay between their religious beliefs, practices of ritual purity, prayer, and modes of resistance in the face of adversity. Highlighting the experiences of these prisoners, faith is revealed to be not only a personal spiritual connection to God, but also a means of contestation against prison and state authorities, reflecting larger societal struggles.
Written by Walaa Quisay, who has worked closely with prisoners in Egypt, and Asim Qureshi, with years of experience supporting detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the authors’ deep connections with prisoner communities and their emphasis on the power of resistance shine through.
Asim Qureshi is Research Director at CAGE. He specialises in investigating the impact of counterterrorism practices worldwide. He is the author of A Virtue of Disobedience. Walaa Quisay is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. She is the author of Neo-Traditionalism in Islam in the Orthodoxy, Spirituality and Politics.
‘A passionate revelation of the secret endurance of people suffering extraordinary trauma ... A must read to understand the limitless potential of the human spirit’ Aida Seif El-Dawla, psychiatrist and co-founder of El Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture
When Only God Can See uncovers the unique experiences of Muslim political prisoners held in Egypt and under US custody at Guantanamo Bay and other detention black sites. This groundbreaking book explores the intricate interplay between their religious beliefs, practices of ritual purity, prayer, and modes of resistance in the face of adversity. Highlighting the experiences of these prisoners, faith is revealed to be not only a personal spiritual connection to God, but also a means of contestation against prison and state authorities, reflecting larger societal struggles.
Written by Walaa Quisay, who has worked closely with prisoners in Egypt, and Asim Qureshi, with years of experience supporting detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the authors’ deep connections with prisoner communities and their emphasis on the power of resistance shine through.
Asim Qureshi is Research Director at CAGE. He specialises in investigating the impact of counterterrorism practices worldwide. He is the author of A Virtue of Disobedience. Walaa Quisay is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. She is the author of Neo-Traditionalism in Islam in the Orthodoxy, Spirituality and Politics.
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 20, 2024
13 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
Walaa Quisay
2 books7 followersI am a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. As a Cultural Anthropologist and Scholar of Religion, my research comprises the study of carceral practices and theologies, subject formations, and meaning-making practices of Muslim communities. I employ an ethnographic approach, anchored in extensive fieldwork, to explore the structural dynamics between state violence and political theology. Central to this exploration is the understanding of how Muslims navigate tribulation and human suffering and adapt their ritual practices—in the broader contexts of secular modernity, political violence, and carcerality—and reconcile them with God, authority, and doctrine. I have sought to understand this within the milieu of Anglo-American Muslim communities—with a focus on the rise of neo-traditionalist and counter-modernist orientations therein—and in the context of expanding modern carceral regimes and confinement—with a focus on carceral practices in the Middle East.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 4, 2024
"When Only God Can See: The Faith of Muslim Political Prisoners" by Walaa Quisay and Asim Qureshi is perhaps the most powerful book I've read in a very long time.
It is a book about faith, geopolitics, prison, torture, the intensely personal and the blatantly public, and an ongoing reality for so many Muslims around the world.
Muslim political prisoners in Guantanamo, Egypt, and America (& elsewhere) are not your "average" prisoner - they are guilty of nothing but being victims of a global War on Islam, a geopolitical & Islamophobic campaign of terror and torture. Many of these prisoners were at the wrong place at the wrong time, literally sold into prison by greedy Pakistani military or Afghan warlords, or picked up as part of a regular practice of squashing political & religious dissent against vicious dictators.
This book highlights who these otherwise anonymous prisoners - male & female - really are: what they endure(d), how they endured, & how Islam became their ultimate form of resistance against an injustice that is not held accountable in this Dunya but absolutely will be in the Aakhirah.
You could write a hundred khutbahs about Eman, sabr, relationship with the Qur’an, personal crises of faith, resistance against oppression, understanding Qada & Qadr, & more - & you'd still have more to learn from what these prisoners go through.
One of the most important lessons of this book is that you & I could easily be any one of these people. Their stories are our stories.
It's hard to summarize this book in any way. It is part of an ongoing tradition in Muslim history, of innocent believers imprisoned & tortured.
It also sheds light on the ways that the West & governments of Muslim countries are intimately allied, the systems of power & Islamophobia that span continents & impact our everyday lives.
Just buy this book immediately, okay?
Longer review to come inshaAllah on MuslimMatters.
P.S. cover art by @safialatifpaintings AAH!!!
5/5 🌟
#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MyMuslimShelfSpace #OwnVoices #WeNeedDiverseBooks #diversebooks #diversereads #bookreview #Islam #Muslims #geopolitics #Egypt #America #Guantanamo #spirituality #faith #prison #prison
It is a book about faith, geopolitics, prison, torture, the intensely personal and the blatantly public, and an ongoing reality for so many Muslims around the world.
Muslim political prisoners in Guantanamo, Egypt, and America (& elsewhere) are not your "average" prisoner - they are guilty of nothing but being victims of a global War on Islam, a geopolitical & Islamophobic campaign of terror and torture. Many of these prisoners were at the wrong place at the wrong time, literally sold into prison by greedy Pakistani military or Afghan warlords, or picked up as part of a regular practice of squashing political & religious dissent against vicious dictators.
This book highlights who these otherwise anonymous prisoners - male & female - really are: what they endure(d), how they endured, & how Islam became their ultimate form of resistance against an injustice that is not held accountable in this Dunya but absolutely will be in the Aakhirah.
You could write a hundred khutbahs about Eman, sabr, relationship with the Qur’an, personal crises of faith, resistance against oppression, understanding Qada & Qadr, & more - & you'd still have more to learn from what these prisoners go through.
One of the most important lessons of this book is that you & I could easily be any one of these people. Their stories are our stories.
It's hard to summarize this book in any way. It is part of an ongoing tradition in Muslim history, of innocent believers imprisoned & tortured.
It also sheds light on the ways that the West & governments of Muslim countries are intimately allied, the systems of power & Islamophobia that span continents & impact our everyday lives.
Just buy this book immediately, okay?
Longer review to come inshaAllah on MuslimMatters.
P.S. cover art by @safialatifpaintings AAH!!!
5/5 🌟
#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MyMuslimShelfSpace #OwnVoices #WeNeedDiverseBooks #diversebooks #diversereads #bookreview #Islam #Muslims #geopolitics #Egypt #America #Guantanamo #spirituality #faith #prison #prison
September 21, 2025
“They never explicitly admit that their abuse of our faith is systematic, but they all but admit through their actions — that their hate is directed towards Islam. If they could crush out every last trace, they would do so, but they don't because it's not practical, so that's why they create these notions of radicals and extremists and create separation between Muslims, giving the visage of honouring certain aspects of Islam while denying others. If they had their way, they would not let anyone utter the name of Allah or express the slightest aspect of Islam in any circumstances.”
it makes ur guts twist, tears ur heart to shreds, makes u boil with rage — but the sheer volume of imaan and tawakkul displayed within these testimonies is the most overwhelming aspect of this book. it just falls on you like a ton of bricks, leaving you utterly astounded. a highly highly highly recommended read
it makes ur guts twist, tears ur heart to shreds, makes u boil with rage — but the sheer volume of imaan and tawakkul displayed within these testimonies is the most overwhelming aspect of this book. it just falls on you like a ton of bricks, leaving you utterly astounded. a highly highly highly recommended read
July 23, 2025
Heartbreaking and incredibly insightful how the US-War on terror was also a war on religion. The forms of collective resistance that emerged through faith in carceral settings are also stunning. Heavy read but highly recommended
February 12, 2025
In Islam, there are different rulings for captives, for times of peace, and for times of War.
The book juxtaposes experiences of Muslim Political Prisoners, primarily the ones in US and Egypt, some from Pakistan, Syria, Jordan.
We have seen what came out of Syria’s prisons. Similar is in Egypt. All leading back to US.
Each line of the book gives you a reality check of what tyranny is, تغیان, Taghoot. The hadith of Khabbab r.a plays in your mind as you go through the book.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 3852)
Khabbab bin Arrat(رضي الله عنه) narrated:
We complained to the Prophet (s.a.w) while he was reclining on his cloak in the shade of the Ka’bah. We said, ‘Will you not ask Allah to help us? Will you not supplicate for us?’
The Prophet (ﷺ) replied:
‘Among the people before you, a man would be seized, a pit would be dug for him, and he would be placed in it. Then a saw would be brought and placed on his head, cutting him in half, yet this would not make him abandon his faith. Another would be combed with iron combs that would tear his flesh from his bones, yet this would not make him recant his religion. By Allah, this religion will prevail until a traveler from Sana‘a to Hadramawt will fear nothing but Allah and the wolf for his sheep, but you are being impatient.’”
This hadith still LIVES ON. People STILL GET ELECTROCUTED, RAPED, BUTCHERED, and endure most gruesome and cruel things that you cannot even think about. Systematically! By design! Purposefully! For who? Why?
Guantamo Bay is STILL OPEN as of 2025, money still flows through the bank accounts of its administration. The guards still wake up and do their duty.
“Moazzam Begg described how he was led by his US interrogators to believe that his wife was being raped in the interrogation room next to his own.”
They never explicitly admit that their abuse of our faith is systematic, but they all but admit through their actions – that their hate is directed towards Islam. If they could crush out every last trace, they would do so, but they don’t because it’s not practical, so that’s why they create these notions of radicals and extremists and create separation between Muslims, giving the visage of honouring certain aspects of Islam while denying others.
it’s not like Guantánamo was another planet with a different species of Americans operating it – these were the same people, these actions were part of Standard Operating Procedures that had been instituted by General Geoffrey Miller, whose appointments throughout the West Asia(incorrectly named Middle East Asia) were directly from Secretary of Defense,USA.
In 2004, a policy initiated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Religious Beliefs and Practices stated explicitly: ‘Islamic inmates may not hem or wear their pants above their ankles. As Muslims, many believed that the rule of isbaal meant that they were not permitted to wear their trousers below their ankles due to a narration of the Prophet Muhammad, that the clothing worn below the ankles would result in hellfire
By the time the men arrived at Guantánamo Bay, US interrogators had learnt much of what might impact on the psychology of Muslim prisoners – often relying on Raphael Patai’s deeply racist and Islamophobic book The Arab Mind as a way of learning and dominating the culture of the prisoners.
Content aside, editing of book is poor.
The book might boil your blood, or melt your heart in weakness & submission, but it will give you the Will to carry on despite and amidst all the weakness.
The book juxtaposes experiences of Muslim Political Prisoners, primarily the ones in US and Egypt, some from Pakistan, Syria, Jordan.
We have seen what came out of Syria’s prisons. Similar is in Egypt. All leading back to US.
Each line of the book gives you a reality check of what tyranny is, تغیان, Taghoot. The hadith of Khabbab r.a plays in your mind as you go through the book.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 3852)
Khabbab bin Arrat(رضي الله عنه) narrated:
We complained to the Prophet (s.a.w) while he was reclining on his cloak in the shade of the Ka’bah. We said, ‘Will you not ask Allah to help us? Will you not supplicate for us?’
The Prophet (ﷺ) replied:
‘Among the people before you, a man would be seized, a pit would be dug for him, and he would be placed in it. Then a saw would be brought and placed on his head, cutting him in half, yet this would not make him abandon his faith. Another would be combed with iron combs that would tear his flesh from his bones, yet this would not make him recant his religion. By Allah, this religion will prevail until a traveler from Sana‘a to Hadramawt will fear nothing but Allah and the wolf for his sheep, but you are being impatient.’”
This hadith still LIVES ON. People STILL GET ELECTROCUTED, RAPED, BUTCHERED, and endure most gruesome and cruel things that you cannot even think about. Systematically! By design! Purposefully! For who? Why?
Guantamo Bay is STILL OPEN as of 2025, money still flows through the bank accounts of its administration. The guards still wake up and do their duty.
“Moazzam Begg described how he was led by his US interrogators to believe that his wife was being raped in the interrogation room next to his own.”
They never explicitly admit that their abuse of our faith is systematic, but they all but admit through their actions – that their hate is directed towards Islam. If they could crush out every last trace, they would do so, but they don’t because it’s not practical, so that’s why they create these notions of radicals and extremists and create separation between Muslims, giving the visage of honouring certain aspects of Islam while denying others.
it’s not like Guantánamo was another planet with a different species of Americans operating it – these were the same people, these actions were part of Standard Operating Procedures that had been instituted by General Geoffrey Miller, whose appointments throughout the West Asia(incorrectly named Middle East Asia) were directly from Secretary of Defense,USA.
In 2004, a policy initiated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Religious Beliefs and Practices stated explicitly: ‘Islamic inmates may not hem or wear their pants above their ankles. As Muslims, many believed that the rule of isbaal meant that they were not permitted to wear their trousers below their ankles due to a narration of the Prophet Muhammad, that the clothing worn below the ankles would result in hellfire
By the time the men arrived at Guantánamo Bay, US interrogators had learnt much of what might impact on the psychology of Muslim prisoners – often relying on Raphael Patai’s deeply racist and Islamophobic book The Arab Mind as a way of learning and dominating the culture of the prisoners.
Content aside, editing of book is poor.
The book might boil your blood, or melt your heart in weakness & submission, but it will give you the Will to carry on despite and amidst all the weakness.
August 7, 2024
This was a haunting yet powerful book about the confessional lives of Muslim political prisoners caught in the web of the global War on Terror and in the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution. The book consists of interviews with prisoners interwoven with analyses from the authors on how Muslim prisoners would practice their faith, and how their faith because a site of resistance, resilience, and transcendence for prisoners living in unimaginably cruel conditions, confined on bogus charges, and often subjected to extreme forms of torture. Hearing first hand from prisoners on what faith meant to them, how they lived their faith, and how it transformed gave insight on how Islam and the practice of it is a site contestation and control in different ways, depending on if you were detained in/by the United States or by Egypt, the latter being a Muslim country where the guards and people inflicting the torture were also Muslim.
The intersection of religion and the national security state is a defining feature of modern life. By attempting to control and legitimize religion, the state becomes a deity unto itself, and state-run religious institutions (or institutions that were once independent and since have become co-opted) provide cover and religious justification for extreme cruelty. This gives rise to novel and interesting questions about Islam and Islamic law, such as the legal permissibility of hunger strikes within prison. The state would often provide legal opinions from scholars about how hunger strikes are haram because of certain version in the Qur’an that prohibit self-harm, whereas prisoners would be baffled by the irony of the situation: the people who were electrocuting them, beating them senseless, and sexually assaulting them were then using religion to say that resistance against their incarceration and torture is actually what is impermissible. In the case of prisoners in the United States and Guantanamo, methods of torture and subjugation were often designed in ways to be the most humiliating for Muslims, such as shaving mens’ beards, publicly stripping them and having female prison guards sexually assault and demean them.
This is an illuminating book for a variety of reasons, such as how religion has been a site of contestation and control in both religious and secular societies, the various ways the state tries to legitimize its extreme cruelty by appealing to religious, and how faith is used to resist, transcend, and redefine what one’s selfhood and relationship to this world and its forms of power. It's hard to easily summarize all that is within this book, but it's impossible to look at the word, religion, and the state in the same way afterwards, no matter how much one is already familiar with the War on Terror or state crackdown against Muslim political movements in Muslim countries.
The intersection of religion and the national security state is a defining feature of modern life. By attempting to control and legitimize religion, the state becomes a deity unto itself, and state-run religious institutions (or institutions that were once independent and since have become co-opted) provide cover and religious justification for extreme cruelty. This gives rise to novel and interesting questions about Islam and Islamic law, such as the legal permissibility of hunger strikes within prison. The state would often provide legal opinions from scholars about how hunger strikes are haram because of certain version in the Qur’an that prohibit self-harm, whereas prisoners would be baffled by the irony of the situation: the people who were electrocuting them, beating them senseless, and sexually assaulting them were then using religion to say that resistance against their incarceration and torture is actually what is impermissible. In the case of prisoners in the United States and Guantanamo, methods of torture and subjugation were often designed in ways to be the most humiliating for Muslims, such as shaving mens’ beards, publicly stripping them and having female prison guards sexually assault and demean them.
This is an illuminating book for a variety of reasons, such as how religion has been a site of contestation and control in both religious and secular societies, the various ways the state tries to legitimize its extreme cruelty by appealing to religious, and how faith is used to resist, transcend, and redefine what one’s selfhood and relationship to this world and its forms of power. It's hard to easily summarize all that is within this book, but it's impossible to look at the word, religion, and the state in the same way afterwards, no matter how much one is already familiar with the War on Terror or state crackdown against Muslim political movements in Muslim countries.
October 17, 2024
"The prisoner, disembodied and cast outside of time, is reintegrated into the world through prayer. They seek the sun beyond bars, to identify the qibla (the direction of prayer towards Mecca), and reintegrate and mend the
severed connection to the Muslim community – as well as situate their
existence in a physical world, surrendering to the decree of God. Their hands
are raised in prayer – Allahu Akbar – the first takbir – proclaiming Allah (God) is greater than anything –announcing prayer. Their bodies move in an
organised, repetitive and meticulous manner.They can feel their hands move, their fingers raise, their bodies bend, kneel and prostrate. Their
bodies, for a few minutes, are rendered back into a full life – a spiritual one.
They exist – not as a disembodied soul – but as their bodies move, they are a
fully integrated soul and body. Time and time again, prisoners in this book
relate intricate journeys of faith where deep spiritualisation is rendered into
being. They affirm that the deification of the state or prison complex through
its violence and control continues to be fickle in the face of God."
severed connection to the Muslim community – as well as situate their
existence in a physical world, surrendering to the decree of God. Their hands
are raised in prayer – Allahu Akbar – the first takbir – proclaiming Allah (God) is greater than anything –announcing prayer. Their bodies move in an
organised, repetitive and meticulous manner.They can feel their hands move, their fingers raise, their bodies bend, kneel and prostrate. Their
bodies, for a few minutes, are rendered back into a full life – a spiritual one.
They exist – not as a disembodied soul – but as their bodies move, they are a
fully integrated soul and body. Time and time again, prisoners in this book
relate intricate journeys of faith where deep spiritualisation is rendered into
being. They affirm that the deification of the state or prison complex through
its violence and control continues to be fickle in the face of God."
December 17, 2024
You don’t need to be Muslim to appreciate the faith and resilience it requires to believe especially in times of extreme hardships in the most infamous black sites of the world. Some sections were difficult as it’s hard to read about others going through oppression in every form. The most impactful parts came from the prisoners who would reflect on the passages and how their time in prison recontextualized not only sections of the Quran but their relationship with God and their religion in the face of extreme Islamophobia. This book is a testament to the humanity of the countless in prisons around the world.
April 14, 2025
Ever since I shifted my reading towards biographies of Muslim revolutionaries and memoirs of political prisoners and leaders, my reading pace has noticeably slowed. Completing a single book now takes an unprecedented amount of time, as each line carries an overwhelming influx of emotion, and every page demands time to absorb the reckoning thoughts it provokes.
When Only God Can See by Walaa Quisay and Asim Qureishi is one such book. It compiles the memoirs of Muslim political prisoners incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, Baghdad, and Afghanistan—often for no reason other than their religious identity, as a result of America’s infamous global War on Terror. The book recounts harrowing experiences of betrayal, humiliation, dehumanization, torture, and rape experienced by political prisoners—making it both a narrative of horror and a testament to valour. The resilience of the Muslim prisoners is evident in their unyielding attempts to find meaning in their relationship with God and their determination to maintain ritual practice—even if that meant praying silently within their hearts, so their devotion could not be detected.
This book is not merely a collection of memoirs from victims of defunct practices—it sheds light on ongoing atrocities still taking place in the infamous prisons run by Western powers with godly impunity under the long-standing banner of the War on Terror
When Only God Can See by Walaa Quisay and Asim Qureishi is one such book. It compiles the memoirs of Muslim political prisoners incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, Baghdad, and Afghanistan—often for no reason other than their religious identity, as a result of America’s infamous global War on Terror. The book recounts harrowing experiences of betrayal, humiliation, dehumanization, torture, and rape experienced by political prisoners—making it both a narrative of horror and a testament to valour. The resilience of the Muslim prisoners is evident in their unyielding attempts to find meaning in their relationship with God and their determination to maintain ritual practice—even if that meant praying silently within their hearts, so their devotion could not be detected.
This book is not merely a collection of memoirs from victims of defunct practices—it sheds light on ongoing atrocities still taking place in the infamous prisons run by Western powers with godly impunity under the long-standing banner of the War on Terror
October 30, 2025
Beautiful book with raw testimonies. Very hard and painful to read but I recommend everyone to read this book to understand the horrors that the “war on terror” has brought upon us. The horrors that the united states has brought upon us. “The war on terror” is a war on humanity. I think the part about jinn and black magic stuck by me the most because I never thought about jinns as a method of psychological torture. The levels of evil are incomprehensible.
“I am going to tell you that during this time, that when you pray, you wish something, you ask Allah for something small. My ask, to Allah, was not to go home or to be released, it was just that the door of the cell not to be opened anymore. Every time the cell of the door would open, I knew I was going to be tortured. I asked Allah just that the door not be opened anymore.”
Oh Allah forgive me if I’m ever ungrateful…
“I am going to tell you that during this time, that when you pray, you wish something, you ask Allah for something small. My ask, to Allah, was not to go home or to be released, it was just that the door of the cell not to be opened anymore. Every time the cell of the door would open, I knew I was going to be tortured. I asked Allah just that the door not be opened anymore.”
Oh Allah forgive me if I’m ever ungrateful…
August 12, 2025
-Someone who holds a special place in my heart gifted me this book.
-A book I have never read anything like before. The idea of this book never even crossed my mind before. It was a journey and an eye opener.
-Reading this book felt like a manifestation of something that someone once said to me, “may you always remain a student of the world”
-As I read page after page I became more attached and attached and couldn't let go.
-Honestly, I am surprised how someone can know me so well to give me something so relevant to my personality, thank you wherever you are, this is the most accurate gift I have received in my life. If anyone read this book let's have a discussion.
-A book I have never read anything like before. The idea of this book never even crossed my mind before. It was a journey and an eye opener.
-Reading this book felt like a manifestation of something that someone once said to me, “may you always remain a student of the world”
-As I read page after page I became more attached and attached and couldn't let go.
-Honestly, I am surprised how someone can know me so well to give me something so relevant to my personality, thank you wherever you are, this is the most accurate gift I have received in my life. If anyone read this book let's have a discussion.
April 2, 2025
Egregious forms of violence
vs
souls bursting with an abundance of faith
This book made me think about:
How the war on terror begins and ends at its source
The pendulum will not swing back in this lifetime, but as a Muslim, there is solace to be found in this
Baring witness to unshakable trust in Allah awakens your own spirit
The irreversible impact the truth has on the people with eyes to see
vs
souls bursting with an abundance of faith
This book made me think about:
How the war on terror begins and ends at its source
The pendulum will not swing back in this lifetime, but as a Muslim, there is solace to be found in this
Baring witness to unshakable trust in Allah awakens your own spirit
The irreversible impact the truth has on the people with eyes to see
November 25, 2024
8:70 O Prophet! Tell the captives in your custody, "If Allah finds goodness in your hearts, He will give you better than what has been taken from you, and forgive you. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
November 14, 2025
One of the best books I ever read although the part about Sheikh Ali Gomaa may be questionable
June 15, 2024
A gut-wrenching read, I would urge Muslims to take this book seriously more than anyone else. Why? Not because of the horrific prison tales or the dire situations Muslims face. No. It's because we take so much for granted—from something as basic as water to our faith itself.
This book is a brutal wake-up call for every complacent Muslim who thinks they have the luxury of time. One thing that struck me hard was the commitment to prayer. Even under the most oppressive and brutal conditions, the Muslims in this book turned to prayer. What's our excuse?
The book is filled with accounts of oppression against prison inmates by both "fellow Muslims" and non-Muslims, drawing stark and often painful parallels to verses from the Qur'an and the seerah. More than anything else, chapter 12, Yusuf, and the analogies drawn from it are mind boggling.
The authors have chosen to focus on some of the world's most notorious prisons, chiefly, Egypt and Guantanamo Bay, to highlight severe human rights abuses. These prisons are infamous for their inhumane conditions, the absence of legal safeguards, and the pervasive use of torture and mistreatment, making them the epitome of human suffering and brutality.
Reading about the horrors within these prisons is an excruciating experience that leaves an indelible scar on one's mind. The detailed accounts of daily suffering, relentless physical and psychological torture, and the complete annihilation of basic human dignity are profoundly disturbing. The narratives in the book are so powerful and raw, yet they can only offer a mere glimpse into the true extent of the prisoners unimaginable ordeal. It is impossible to fully grasp the gruesome reality faced by these individuals through mere words on a page. The real-life experiences of the prisoners are far more harrowing, far more soul-crushing, than what any reader could ever fathom from the book alone.
The one thing that the Carceral System cannot touch is your religion. Your piety and iman. Prison might strengthen one's faith, but when the state that imprisons you manipulates religion to justify and legitimise its oppression, where can one find refuge? A well-versed Muslim might see through this cruel tactic designed to break their spirit, but what about the average person? The confusion and despair that arise when the very foundation of one's belief is used against them is a deeply painful ordeal.
I am happy that the authors chose to focus on and study such a critical and often overlooked topic. Their commitment to exposing these brutal realities is deeply commendable, as it forces us to confront the darkest aspects of humanity. At the same time I am disheartened at the contents of what I've read. It has left a bad taste, for it shows a dark and grim side to humanity.
Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel
(Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs).
This book is a brutal wake-up call for every complacent Muslim who thinks they have the luxury of time. One thing that struck me hard was the commitment to prayer. Even under the most oppressive and brutal conditions, the Muslims in this book turned to prayer. What's our excuse?
The book is filled with accounts of oppression against prison inmates by both "fellow Muslims" and non-Muslims, drawing stark and often painful parallels to verses from the Qur'an and the seerah. More than anything else, chapter 12, Yusuf, and the analogies drawn from it are mind boggling.
The authors have chosen to focus on some of the world's most notorious prisons, chiefly, Egypt and Guantanamo Bay, to highlight severe human rights abuses. These prisons are infamous for their inhumane conditions, the absence of legal safeguards, and the pervasive use of torture and mistreatment, making them the epitome of human suffering and brutality.
Reading about the horrors within these prisons is an excruciating experience that leaves an indelible scar on one's mind. The detailed accounts of daily suffering, relentless physical and psychological torture, and the complete annihilation of basic human dignity are profoundly disturbing. The narratives in the book are so powerful and raw, yet they can only offer a mere glimpse into the true extent of the prisoners unimaginable ordeal. It is impossible to fully grasp the gruesome reality faced by these individuals through mere words on a page. The real-life experiences of the prisoners are far more harrowing, far more soul-crushing, than what any reader could ever fathom from the book alone.
The one thing that the Carceral System cannot touch is your religion. Your piety and iman. Prison might strengthen one's faith, but when the state that imprisons you manipulates religion to justify and legitimise its oppression, where can one find refuge? A well-versed Muslim might see through this cruel tactic designed to break their spirit, but what about the average person? The confusion and despair that arise when the very foundation of one's belief is used against them is a deeply painful ordeal.
I am happy that the authors chose to focus on and study such a critical and often overlooked topic. Their commitment to exposing these brutal realities is deeply commendable, as it forces us to confront the darkest aspects of humanity. At the same time I am disheartened at the contents of what I've read. It has left a bad taste, for it shows a dark and grim side to humanity.
Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel
(Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs).
May 26, 2024
This book is a harrowing and in-depth account of the traumatising experiences of Muslim prisoners under US and Egyptian regimes over the past two decades. I can't do justice to this work even if I tried to summarise it. Throughout the book, the individuals hold the power to tell their own stories in their own words and share as much as they want to (and can). Often, we hear about the many ways that the lives of prisoners are systematically controlled, limited, mocked, and exploited. We see how one's faith becomes the weapon of a believer. We see hope, resilience, feelings of being alone, helplessness, desperation, and so much more. I believe this book should be widely read; only through acquiring knowledge can we stand in solidarity with victims of violence and torture. Many of these tactics are used by Israel against Palestinians too, so by reading this book, you can relate many of these accounts to various prison experiences.
August 11, 2024
this book is incredible. i constantly found myself in awe, horrified, inspired, and enraged all at the same time. this book should be required reading for everyone.
November 28, 2025
A must read, especially if you're experiencing moral and existential crisis as I am due to Gaza.
September 2, 2025
I need to spend more time reviewing this, but this is by far the most impactful book I read in 2024, if not my life. I intend to re-read it at some point in the future.
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