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Broken. Not a halal love story
In this heartwrenching new novel from Award-winning author and poet, Fatima Bala, a connection sends two lovers with different ideologies on a search for redemption in places far from home.
A story of imperfect love. Broken from the start; yet constant.
Fa'iza Mohammed grew up very sheltered in a conservative Muslim home. Her otherwise sane life is thrust into turmoil when she finds herself falling for someone with a completely different set of values from hers when she comes to Toronto for University. She tries to fight it, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. She soon realizes that they are probably better apart - but can they stay away from each other?
Ahmad Babangida believes everything is a construct. Society and religion condition people to be sheep, and he goes out of his way to live his life on his terms. His attraction to Fa'iza doesn't help as the lines between halal and haram start to become blurred.
When a revelation breaks them apart, they hold a secret, one that could tear the seams of the Islamic upbringing their family holds in high regard. Five years later, is it too late for them, or is the road to redemption shut against them for crossing the lines into forbidden paths?
A story of imperfect love. Broken from the start; yet constant.
Fa'iza Mohammed grew up very sheltered in a conservative Muslim home. Her otherwise sane life is thrust into turmoil when she finds herself falling for someone with a completely different set of values from hers when she comes to Toronto for University. She tries to fight it, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. She soon realizes that they are probably better apart - but can they stay away from each other?
Ahmad Babangida believes everything is a construct. Society and religion condition people to be sheep, and he goes out of his way to live his life on his terms. His attraction to Fa'iza doesn't help as the lines between halal and haram start to become blurred.
When a revelation breaks them apart, they hold a secret, one that could tear the seams of the Islamic upbringing their family holds in high regard. Five years later, is it too late for them, or is the road to redemption shut against them for crossing the lines into forbidden paths?
439 pages, Paperback
First published July 16, 2023
435 people are currently reading
4810 people want to read
About the author
Fatima Bala
3 books647 followersFatima Bala is a lecturer, poet, and writer who lives in Canada with her family and a pet fish named Fishy. Her books have received starred reviews from The Los Angeles Tribune, London Post, and New York Weekly. She graduated from Algonquin College, Vancouver Island University, and Stanford, where she studied Tourism, Business Management, and International Women's Rights. She loves traveling, playing board games, and watching movies with unanticipated twists.
Her Instagram account is @aka.fatima.bala
Her Instagram account is @aka.fatima.bala
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 604 reviews
January 12, 2025
this was a roller coaster fr. the "astaghfirullah's" and "audhubillahi mina shaytaan arrajeem's" were very high, lets say that. so let’s break it down.
rating: one point five stars ⭐️
table of contents:
i. opening remarks
ii. characters
iii. hated
iv. liked
v. honorable mentions
vi. closing remarks
i. opening remarks
i’d like to preface this by saying, while there was a lot of haram things here, it was expected and warned. in the very title of this book, it said “not a halal love story”. so taking that into account, i can’t be that angry about this, the author clearly stated that this wasn’t going to be according to islamic principles and didn’t try to make it into a “halal romance”, not at all, so all these things i was mad about regarding the religion is because it personally pisses me off, not because it was under the claim of proper muslim rep. overall, the story itself (like most muslim romances) was really good, the writing was a LOT better than i expected. the two main characters really made me mad but it’s okay. let’s continue….
(side note: i don’t ever curse, hell and damn is the worst i can go, but while writing this review, the urge was HUGE to use some special words to describe some special people 🥰)
ii. characters
ahmad:
the definition of what every muslim girl should NOT have. i pray and pray that all my muslim sisters never ever have to suffer someone like this. you know the remix of barbie “i'm a hijabi girl, in a harami world”? he’s the whole harami world, shaytan and him are attached at the hip. he’s just so disgusting, i know he “loves her” but he seems just so obsessed with her body. he’s always trying to push her to do more with him while “trying to respect her boundaries” and it’s just ufffff. let’s also talk about his past, hmm? our boy here has a tattoo, drinks, touches the opposite gender all the time, was intimate, INTIMATE, with his muslim ex girlfriend, and actively and constantly talks down on the religion and its rules. i’m sorry, but it’s Allah swt or the Prophet SAW say something, that’s not up for negotiation. what’s haram is haram, whether you like it or not. he obviously didn’t and went “screw this, i’ll do whatever i want!” there’s so so so much to say about this dude, but i’ll end it off saying his goal in life seemed to be wanting to unlock jahannam premium.
faiza:
sigh. she’s so….weak. i understand this is a very hot and attractive man, but sometimes you have to do a little thing called prioritizing. who do you pick, Allah, or a man? she bent her morals for him so many freaking times, but made sure she didn’t do anything “too haram”. like girl this whole thing is haram in the first place, don’t act like you actually care about Islam and have boundaries! she compromised her identity for him so many damn times, made me so mad. the number one rule about relationships: if it’s built on haram and not based around Allah, it’s gonna fail. period point blank. she obviously didn’t understand that and thought it was fine. another thing she did that made me so mad. she always said she wanted to marry a man who never drank, doesn’t know what the taste of alcohol is like. what does she do? when this little a$$hole ahmad tells her he used to drink, she says its okay as long as he doesn’t again. BAD HABITS CAN COME BACK GIRL WDYM??? ughhhh she let him see her hair, her body, so many things, and if she was strong enough to stop it in the beginning, then none of this would have happened.
iii. hated
sighhhh my favorite section. the list is endless wallahi but i have to do with what i’ve got. the amount of times i just started yelling “astaghfirullah” while i was read or called my sister or cousin to rant about how bad it was is insane and i just omg idk what to do with this book. let’s go in order about the things that happened that pissed me off in the order they happened:
alone time:
this. this is the first step to zina people. it is very clear in thw Quran and sunnah that you have to stay away from being alone with the opposite gender. my girl and boy here did not only excessively spend time alone with each other intentionally, they went on dates, stayed at each others houses, hung out all the time 100% alone. that already was enough to piss me off. there was one scene where she came to his house while he was sick and he begged her to stay the night. she froze and said she can’t but he insisted, staying he’ll sleep on the couch and she’ll take the bed. after she agreed, this girl freaking tells him “your bed is big enough for the both of us, just make sure you stay on your side”. girl wtf does that mean? ig today we’re just throwing rules out the window, like usual, haha! ofc, all that alone time in general then leads to..
touching:
they could not keep their hands off each other, it was disgusting. ahmad especially, he alwayssssss wants to touch her. talks “sexy” to her all the time, to his her face, holds her hand, and then tries to kiss her in the beginning of the book. she instantly pushes him away, saying that’s haram (as if being on a date with him all day wasn’t?) but then he “respects her boundaries” and minimizes his touches. it was actually the little “casual” things that’s pissed me off the most. the fact that it’s all totally normal is just so annoying and disrespectful to Islam as a whole that it just make me so mad. but then….
kissing:
THIS. GIRL. LITERALLY IS AT HIS HOUSE. HE WANTS TO KISS HER SO BAD. HIS BODY LANGUAGE SHOWS IT. WHAT DOES SHE DO INSTEAD OF LEAVING IMMEDIATELY? SHE SAYS “one kiss can’t hurt, right?” AND FREAKING KISSES HIM IN HIS APARTMENT! it’s not even a peck (which wouldn’t make it better, but still) wallahi it was a full on makeout session and lead to the ALMOST crossing the line even further to….
near s€x:
this is where i actually went crazy. i started screaming and freaking out fully and went into panic mode. they almost do it. he takes off her bra and she stops him halfway, saying she’s not comfortable. he, again, “respects” that and starts sexting her instead. absolutely. disgusting. i almost threw up all over the book bc wtf? what kinda relationship do they think they’re gonna build when it’s based on a haram foundation?
then the secret marriage
i’m a little confused. i know different madhabs follow different things but the fact that her (and his) family didn’t know anything about it and they go to the masjid and get married is just….mind blowing. in the madhab i follow, the marriage isn’t even valid if there isn’t a wali, or male mahram, to accept it as well. these two get married secretly, have sex, and go on as if everything’s normal. i….i lost my mind.
then something absolutely insane and in my opinion, completely unnecessary happened, which is the third thing discussed in the honorable mentions section!
iv. liked
ha. probably the shortest section. i appreciate every character who told them that what they were doing was haram. sara told them before. also, there was a time faiza accidentally ate pasta that was cooked with wine and while the love of her life would have let her just eat it, his sister, her best friend afreen, told her and she stopped eating. at least one person respects her boundaries. i also loved her therapist, she was so kind.
again, i also appreciate the warning that it was not a halal love story (although she should’ve wote “a haram love story” but wtv)
v. honorable mentions
there were three things that i didn’t know where to place, so i decided to make this section.
afreen and zafar and their story.
you’re telling me she wants to still marry the man who couldn’t fight for her, got married, has a kid, and is dating her in secret? i understand that she was the first love and she still wants him and so does he, but made a promise to that wife to remain faithful to her and love and appreciate her. idc but this is homewrecker business. i’ve never heard of a girl wanting to be a second wife and her family disapproves of it, like isn’t it usually the other way around? he doesn’t care about you or your love enough obviously, since he accepted the marriage of his first wife, mariam, and now has a son. do you want to ruin their family? that’s just terrible and i hated how badly she still wanted to be with him. she has not self worth and is being a homewrecker, i’m sorry.
the writing
it wasn’t as bad as i was expecting, but it was still terrible. The amount of typos, spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, capitalization mistakes, punctuation mistakes, ughhhh it pissed me off. but considering i was expecting way worse, i would give it a 3/5.
milk siblings.
so partway through our beautiful story, ahmad and faiza plan on getting married. their families know and everything (even though they technically already got married secretly but wtv. This whole book it felt like they were bending around to test Allah’s boundaries astaghfirullah) buttt a complication comes. they find out they’re milk siblings. basically, that means they were breastfed by the same wetnurse and we’re islamically considered brother and sister and therefore could not marry each other. this. this was so damn unnecessary to add to the story it just make me sooo angry and disgusted tbh. faiza felt SO guilty and cut him out completely and accepting the fact that they were siblings. ahmad, on the other hand, said no way, and tried to kiss her, his “sister”, while he knew damn well she wasn’t comfortable with it. long story short, they find out they were breastfed by twin sisters and were not siblings and they get married happily ever after. whoopdie freaking doo.
vi. closing remarks
overall, terrible book. i only rated it a little higher than i normally would because A), i appreciate that i was warned by the author that it would be halal at all and B), the plot itself wasn’t too bad. although i did hate this so much that it burns in my body, i had to appreciate those two things, hence the rating.
thank you for reading my ranting, it’s very deeply appreciated, and see ya next time, salaam!!
<33
pre review: rating: 1.67 stars
i know, i know. you’re probably shocked why I didn’t rate it lower but i’ll explain!! my review will come out by the end of this weekend, i promise.
but before everything, i have to say: may Allah forgive me for the qashin i just finished
RTC
rating: one point five stars ⭐️
table of contents:
i. opening remarks
ii. characters
iii. hated
iv. liked
v. honorable mentions
vi. closing remarks
i. opening remarks
i’d like to preface this by saying, while there was a lot of haram things here, it was expected and warned. in the very title of this book, it said “not a halal love story”. so taking that into account, i can’t be that angry about this, the author clearly stated that this wasn’t going to be according to islamic principles and didn’t try to make it into a “halal romance”, not at all, so all these things i was mad about regarding the religion is because it personally pisses me off, not because it was under the claim of proper muslim rep. overall, the story itself (like most muslim romances) was really good, the writing was a LOT better than i expected. the two main characters really made me mad but it’s okay. let’s continue….
(side note: i don’t ever curse, hell and damn is the worst i can go, but while writing this review, the urge was HUGE to use some special words to describe some special people 🥰)
ii. characters
ahmad:
the definition of what every muslim girl should NOT have. i pray and pray that all my muslim sisters never ever have to suffer someone like this. you know the remix of barbie “i'm a hijabi girl, in a harami world”? he’s the whole harami world, shaytan and him are attached at the hip. he’s just so disgusting, i know he “loves her” but he seems just so obsessed with her body. he’s always trying to push her to do more with him while “trying to respect her boundaries” and it’s just ufffff. let’s also talk about his past, hmm? our boy here has a tattoo, drinks, touches the opposite gender all the time, was intimate, INTIMATE, with his muslim ex girlfriend, and actively and constantly talks down on the religion and its rules. i’m sorry, but it’s Allah swt or the Prophet SAW say something, that’s not up for negotiation. what’s haram is haram, whether you like it or not. he obviously didn’t and went “screw this, i’ll do whatever i want!” there’s so so so much to say about this dude, but i’ll end it off saying his goal in life seemed to be wanting to unlock jahannam premium.
faiza:
sigh. she’s so….weak. i understand this is a very hot and attractive man, but sometimes you have to do a little thing called prioritizing. who do you pick, Allah, or a man? she bent her morals for him so many freaking times, but made sure she didn’t do anything “too haram”. like girl this whole thing is haram in the first place, don’t act like you actually care about Islam and have boundaries! she compromised her identity for him so many damn times, made me so mad. the number one rule about relationships: if it’s built on haram and not based around Allah, it’s gonna fail. period point blank. she obviously didn’t understand that and thought it was fine. another thing she did that made me so mad. she always said she wanted to marry a man who never drank, doesn’t know what the taste of alcohol is like. what does she do? when this little a$$hole ahmad tells her he used to drink, she says its okay as long as he doesn’t again. BAD HABITS CAN COME BACK GIRL WDYM??? ughhhh she let him see her hair, her body, so many things, and if she was strong enough to stop it in the beginning, then none of this would have happened.
iii. hated
sighhhh my favorite section. the list is endless wallahi but i have to do with what i’ve got. the amount of times i just started yelling “astaghfirullah” while i was read or called my sister or cousin to rant about how bad it was is insane and i just omg idk what to do with this book. let’s go in order about the things that happened that pissed me off in the order they happened:
alone time:
this. this is the first step to zina people. it is very clear in thw Quran and sunnah that you have to stay away from being alone with the opposite gender. my girl and boy here did not only excessively spend time alone with each other intentionally, they went on dates, stayed at each others houses, hung out all the time 100% alone. that already was enough to piss me off. there was one scene where she came to his house while he was sick and he begged her to stay the night. she froze and said she can’t but he insisted, staying he’ll sleep on the couch and she’ll take the bed. after she agreed, this girl freaking tells him “your bed is big enough for the both of us, just make sure you stay on your side”. girl wtf does that mean? ig today we’re just throwing rules out the window, like usual, haha! ofc, all that alone time in general then leads to..
touching:
they could not keep their hands off each other, it was disgusting. ahmad especially, he alwayssssss wants to touch her. talks “sexy” to her all the time, to his her face, holds her hand, and then tries to kiss her in the beginning of the book. she instantly pushes him away, saying that’s haram (as if being on a date with him all day wasn’t?) but then he “respects her boundaries” and minimizes his touches. it was actually the little “casual” things that’s pissed me off the most. the fact that it’s all totally normal is just so annoying and disrespectful to Islam as a whole that it just make me so mad. but then….
kissing:
THIS. GIRL. LITERALLY IS AT HIS HOUSE. HE WANTS TO KISS HER SO BAD. HIS BODY LANGUAGE SHOWS IT. WHAT DOES SHE DO INSTEAD OF LEAVING IMMEDIATELY? SHE SAYS “one kiss can’t hurt, right?” AND FREAKING KISSES HIM IN HIS APARTMENT! it’s not even a peck (which wouldn’t make it better, but still) wallahi it was a full on makeout session and lead to the ALMOST crossing the line even further to….
near s€x:
this is where i actually went crazy. i started screaming and freaking out fully and went into panic mode. they almost do it. he takes off her bra and she stops him halfway, saying she’s not comfortable. he, again, “respects” that and starts sexting her instead. absolutely. disgusting. i almost threw up all over the book bc wtf? what kinda relationship do they think they’re gonna build when it’s based on a haram foundation?
then the secret marriage
i’m a little confused. i know different madhabs follow different things but the fact that her (and his) family didn’t know anything about it and they go to the masjid and get married is just….mind blowing. in the madhab i follow, the marriage isn’t even valid if there isn’t a wali, or male mahram, to accept it as well. these two get married secretly, have sex, and go on as if everything’s normal. i….i lost my mind.
then something absolutely insane and in my opinion, completely unnecessary happened, which is the third thing discussed in the honorable mentions section!
iv. liked
ha. probably the shortest section. i appreciate every character who told them that what they were doing was haram. sara told them before. also, there was a time faiza accidentally ate pasta that was cooked with wine and while the love of her life would have let her just eat it, his sister, her best friend afreen, told her and she stopped eating. at least one person respects her boundaries. i also loved her therapist, she was so kind.
again, i also appreciate the warning that it was not a halal love story (although she should’ve wote “a haram love story” but wtv)
v. honorable mentions
there were three things that i didn’t know where to place, so i decided to make this section.
afreen and zafar and their story.
you’re telling me she wants to still marry the man who couldn’t fight for her, got married, has a kid, and is dating her in secret? i understand that she was the first love and she still wants him and so does he, but made a promise to that wife to remain faithful to her and love and appreciate her. idc but this is homewrecker business. i’ve never heard of a girl wanting to be a second wife and her family disapproves of it, like isn’t it usually the other way around? he doesn’t care about you or your love enough obviously, since he accepted the marriage of his first wife, mariam, and now has a son. do you want to ruin their family? that’s just terrible and i hated how badly she still wanted to be with him. she has not self worth and is being a homewrecker, i’m sorry.
the writing
it wasn’t as bad as i was expecting, but it was still terrible. The amount of typos, spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, capitalization mistakes, punctuation mistakes, ughhhh it pissed me off. but considering i was expecting way worse, i would give it a 3/5.
milk siblings.
so partway through our beautiful story, ahmad and faiza plan on getting married. their families know and everything (even though they technically already got married secretly but wtv. This whole book it felt like they were bending around to test Allah’s boundaries astaghfirullah) buttt a complication comes. they find out they’re milk siblings. basically, that means they were breastfed by the same wetnurse and we’re islamically considered brother and sister and therefore could not marry each other. this. this was so damn unnecessary to add to the story it just make me sooo angry and disgusted tbh. faiza felt SO guilty and cut him out completely and accepting the fact that they were siblings. ahmad, on the other hand, said no way, and tried to kiss her, his “sister”, while he knew damn well she wasn’t comfortable with it. long story short, they find out they were breastfed by twin sisters and were not siblings and they get married happily ever after. whoopdie freaking doo.
vi. closing remarks
overall, terrible book. i only rated it a little higher than i normally would because A), i appreciate that i was warned by the author that it would be halal at all and B), the plot itself wasn’t too bad. although i did hate this so much that it burns in my body, i had to appreciate those two things, hence the rating.
thank you for reading my ranting, it’s very deeply appreciated, and see ya next time, salaam!!
<33
pre review: rating: 1.67 stars
i know, i know. you’re probably shocked why I didn’t rate it lower but i’ll explain!! my review will come out by the end of this weekend, i promise.
but before everything, i have to say: may Allah forgive me for the qashin i just finished
RTC
February 12, 2025
ೃ⁀➷4 ⭐
This , my friends was unexpected..
𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐇: 𝐅𝐀’𝐈𝐙𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃
What can I say , She represents the average Muslim girl brought up in a religious household in Nigeria, focused on her life when Allah decides to send an Ahmad to test her faith. Allah knows how to test someone, Wallahi. May we all pass our own tests. 𝔽𝕒’𝕚𝕫𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙, 𝕓𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕙, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕥𝕪; 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕. One part of the book that made me burst into laughter was the first time Ahmad hugged her, and all that came to her mind immediately was “🅗🅐🅡🅐🅜.” For those who aren’t Muslims, haram means forbidden.
ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴄʀᴜᴄɪᴀʟ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇꜱɪꜱᴛ ᴀʜᴍᴀᴅ’ꜱ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱɪɴɢ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ʙᴏᴜɴᴅᴀʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ꜱᴛᴇᴘ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ɢɪʀʟ ʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛꜱ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟᴇᴄᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ, ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ǫᴜʀᴀɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴀꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀʏ ꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅꜰᴀꜱᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇꜱɪꜱᴛ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ. But slowly, her heart begins to weaken, moving from “𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨” to “𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘰?” Honestly, at one point while reading this book, 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐹𝑎’𝑖𝑧𝑎 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑎𝑞𝑤𝑎 (consciousness of Allah) started to wane, crossing the very boundaries she set with a light heart, thinking, after all, they were going to be man and wife in a couple of months.
Then, something they never imagined came to light, making a union between them forbidden and canceling their marriage plans, which crushed her emotionally as she had already consummated with this attractive forbidden fruit. She had tasted what Allah had made forbidden for her and couldn’t tell a single soul. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙖 (𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣), 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙟𝙖𝙗𝙞 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙨𝙩.
𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗱𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝐇𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧.. The emotional maturity this guy displayed was genuine. Fa’iza disliked confrontations and always ran away, while he always assured her that communication is essential in a relationship. 𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘆. 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹/𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹.
We all know the cliché: “𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻, 𝓼𝓸 𝓘’𝓶 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾,,” but Ahmad is more like, “𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻, 𝓼𝓸 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓭𝓸 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻” Again, a man I stan! The fact that he didn’t give up after their wedding arrangement was canceled and kept at it for years, slowly finding himself closer to Allah, was soulful. My man deserves a standing ovation.
Allah brought Ahmad into Fa’iza’s life to test her faith with its rise and fall and made Ahmad become a better Muslim after she came into his life, and even more devout after she left his life.
-------
ᥫ᭡ .𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𓍯: Am I ready to be be broken ? No . Am I ready to shed some tears ? Not really . Will I still read it ? Absolutely.
This , my friends was unexpected..
𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐇: 𝐅𝐀’𝐈𝐙𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃
What can I say , She represents the average Muslim girl brought up in a religious household in Nigeria, focused on her life when Allah decides to send an Ahmad to test her faith. Allah knows how to test someone, Wallahi. May we all pass our own tests. 𝔽𝕒’𝕚𝕫𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙, 𝕓𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕙, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕥𝕪; 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕. One part of the book that made me burst into laughter was the first time Ahmad hugged her, and all that came to her mind immediately was “🅗🅐🅡🅐🅜.” For those who aren’t Muslims, haram means forbidden.
ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴄʀᴜᴄɪᴀʟ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇꜱɪꜱᴛ ᴀʜᴍᴀᴅ’ꜱ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱɪɴɢ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ʙᴏᴜɴᴅᴀʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ꜱᴛᴇᴘ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ɢɪʀʟ ʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛꜱ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟᴇᴄᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ, ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ǫᴜʀᴀɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴀꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀʏ ꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅꜰᴀꜱᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇꜱɪꜱᴛ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ. But slowly, her heart begins to weaken, moving from “𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨” to “𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘰?” Honestly, at one point while reading this book, 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐹𝑎’𝑖𝑧𝑎 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑎𝑞𝑤𝑎 (consciousness of Allah) started to wane, crossing the very boundaries she set with a light heart, thinking, after all, they were going to be man and wife in a couple of months.
Then, something they never imagined came to light, making a union between them forbidden and canceling their marriage plans, which crushed her emotionally as she had already consummated with this attractive forbidden fruit. She had tasted what Allah had made forbidden for her and couldn’t tell a single soul. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙖 (𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣), 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙟𝙖𝙗𝙞 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙨𝙩.
𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗱𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝐇𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧.. The emotional maturity this guy displayed was genuine. Fa’iza disliked confrontations and always ran away, while he always assured her that communication is essential in a relationship. 𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘆. 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹/𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹.
We all know the cliché: “𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻, 𝓼𝓸 𝓘’𝓶 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾,,” but Ahmad is more like, “𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻, 𝓼𝓸 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓭𝓸 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻” Again, a man I stan! The fact that he didn’t give up after their wedding arrangement was canceled and kept at it for years, slowly finding himself closer to Allah, was soulful. My man deserves a standing ovation.
Allah brought Ahmad into Fa’iza’s life to test her faith with its rise and fall and made Ahmad become a better Muslim after she came into his life, and even more devout after she left his life.
-------
ᥫ᭡ .𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𓍯: Am I ready to be be broken ? No . Am I ready to shed some tears ? Not really . Will I still read it ? Absolutely.
![Profile Image for lami ♡ [eyes on sudan].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1766862196i%2F145244264._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
December 12, 2025
☆ ── one star 💌
I was going through the list of books I planned to, but have yet to write reviews for. This one, among others, is from late last year, and I thought I should probably do a reread to do a thorough review, but the thought of re-reading this book fills me with so much rage, I decided to just write the review now.
Where do I even begin with this disaster? I found this book so aggravating from the beginning, and this was because of a certain writing choice. The author chose to write some dialogue in Hausa, which I have to applaud her for. What pissed me off, though, was how she chose to translate it so readers could follow along. Writing the English translation directly after each Hausa sentence is definitely a choice. For me, it felt like reading the same sentence twice, and it completely pulled me out of the story. The translation could have been woven into the internal dialogue, but for whatever reason, this is the way they chose to go with it.
As for the story itself, I have so much to say. I completely understand that this is not a halal-love story , but I obviously will hold these characters to a different standard because at the end of the day, they’re still Muslims. Fa’iza is the typical naive young girl sent abroad to study, and is left in the care of her family friends, Ahmad’s family. Her first impression of Ahmad is not favourable, since he was rude to her when they bumped into each other at the airport (although neither knew the other). Ahmad is the poster bad Muslim; he smokes, he drinks, he has casual sex, and doesn’t take his prayers too seriously, but at least he doesn’t eat pork 🙄. Fa’iza is the opposite; she’s consistent with her prayers, she’s never around haram substances, and she knows what she wants in a man, and that’s everything Ahmad isn’t. But Ahmad is interested in her, and Fa’iza, despite her better judgement, is interested too.
This could have been a story about Ahmad changing for the better, being the type of man Fai’za wants to be with, and while there are noticeable changes by the end, it was unsatisfying, especially when you take into consideration that throughout the book, we notice Fai’za bending over backwards and accepting Ahmad the way he is. Each time she learns something new, she draws a line, saying if he does one more haram practice, she’ll cut him off, but she keeps finding out more and drawing new lines. She bent over backwards so many times, I’m surprised her back didn’t break. Personally, why she continued interacting with him after he’d made fun of her for always ensuring her food was halal was beyond me.
There were so many questionable moments in this book, like Fai’za playing football alone with Ahmad in the cold night without a bra? Why? Like genuinely? Wouldn’t she be conscious of this fact? And her veil falling off, revealing her hair? The fact that she didn’t notice immediately that it did fall has me raising eyebrows, because I don’t know a single hijabi whose hijab falls off, revealing her hair, who doesn’t notice immediately. Don’t even get me started on her best friend (Ahmad’s sister) because that’s a whole other situation. The plot twist was so meh. At that point, I was already over the whole book, so it just felt like a way to keep the story going.
Overall, this put me in the nastiest slump ever when I read it (it took me 3 months to finish it). But there were some good moments, and I do appreciate some of her struggles with religion because they were relatable, and they touch on the misogyny in a lot of Nigerian and Arewa homes. I wouldn’t personally recommend it, but feel free to give it a read.
I was going through the list of books I planned to, but have yet to write reviews for. This one, among others, is from late last year, and I thought I should probably do a reread to do a thorough review, but the thought of re-reading this book fills me with so much rage, I decided to just write the review now.
Where do I even begin with this disaster? I found this book so aggravating from the beginning, and this was because of a certain writing choice. The author chose to write some dialogue in Hausa, which I have to applaud her for. What pissed me off, though, was how she chose to translate it so readers could follow along. Writing the English translation directly after each Hausa sentence is definitely a choice. For me, it felt like reading the same sentence twice, and it completely pulled me out of the story. The translation could have been woven into the internal dialogue, but for whatever reason, this is the way they chose to go with it.
As for the story itself, I have so much to say. I completely understand that this is not a halal-love story , but I obviously will hold these characters to a different standard because at the end of the day, they’re still Muslims. Fa’iza is the typical naive young girl sent abroad to study, and is left in the care of her family friends, Ahmad’s family. Her first impression of Ahmad is not favourable, since he was rude to her when they bumped into each other at the airport (although neither knew the other). Ahmad is the poster bad Muslim; he smokes, he drinks, he has casual sex, and doesn’t take his prayers too seriously, but at least he doesn’t eat pork 🙄. Fa’iza is the opposite; she’s consistent with her prayers, she’s never around haram substances, and she knows what she wants in a man, and that’s everything Ahmad isn’t. But Ahmad is interested in her, and Fa’iza, despite her better judgement, is interested too.
This could have been a story about Ahmad changing for the better, being the type of man Fai’za wants to be with, and while there are noticeable changes by the end, it was unsatisfying, especially when you take into consideration that throughout the book, we notice Fai’za bending over backwards and accepting Ahmad the way he is. Each time she learns something new, she draws a line, saying if he does one more haram practice, she’ll cut him off, but she keeps finding out more and drawing new lines. She bent over backwards so many times, I’m surprised her back didn’t break. Personally, why she continued interacting with him after he’d made fun of her for always ensuring her food was halal was beyond me.
There were so many questionable moments in this book, like Fai’za playing football alone with Ahmad in the cold night without a bra? Why? Like genuinely? Wouldn’t she be conscious of this fact? And her veil falling off, revealing her hair? The fact that she didn’t notice immediately that it did fall has me raising eyebrows, because I don’t know a single hijabi whose hijab falls off, revealing her hair, who doesn’t notice immediately. Don’t even get me started on her best friend (Ahmad’s sister) because that’s a whole other situation. The plot twist was so meh. At that point, I was already over the whole book, so it just felt like a way to keep the story going.
Overall, this put me in the nastiest slump ever when I read it (it took me 3 months to finish it). But there were some good moments, and I do appreciate some of her struggles with religion because they were relatable, and they touch on the misogyny in a lot of Nigerian and Arewa homes. I wouldn’t personally recommend it, but feel free to give it a read.
July 2, 2023
I discovered Broken in the early months of 2023— March to be precise and till date it’s still one of my best reads of the year. I had stopped reading romance a long time ago because I found them boring compared to the thrillers I am used to reading. I started reading broken with an open-mind without much expectations and it exceeded everything I thought it to be! My mind was blown! I finished the book in a day, I simply could not put it down.
Faiza and Ahmad’s story was beautiful, painful and certainly not a clichè. I recommend this book to anyone I know that loves reading. I don’t want to say much, in fear of spoiling it to new readers, but I am going to say one thing, it is worth every time spent, you wouldn’t want to drop it after starting. I’m still trying to find a Northen Nigeria themed book that will make me feel the way I felt whilst in Faiza and Ahmad’s world and I’m yet to come across any. Kudos to the author for staying authentic and true to herself, I’m glad she didn’t conform to stereotypes, her characters were realistic and so relatable and overall this is definitely a book everyone should have in his own library!!
Faiza and Ahmad’s story was beautiful, painful and certainly not a clichè. I recommend this book to anyone I know that loves reading. I don’t want to say much, in fear of spoiling it to new readers, but I am going to say one thing, it is worth every time spent, you wouldn’t want to drop it after starting. I’m still trying to find a Northen Nigeria themed book that will make me feel the way I felt whilst in Faiza and Ahmad’s world and I’m yet to come across any. Kudos to the author for staying authentic and true to herself, I’m glad she didn’t conform to stereotypes, her characters were realistic and so relatable and overall this is definitely a book everyone should have in his own library!!
May 1, 2024
I don’t know how to put this review in words so I’ll just say that it was good to read something outside of my comfort zone. Still a romance with a little Islamic education on the side.
Slow start but it picked up and I did enjoy Fa’iza and Ahmad relationship; however, the last 30% or so felt rushed and very unrealistic.
The flow of the book felt choppy and the timelines were weird and confusing at times.
Wasn’t a favorite but I don’t regret reading this at all.
Slow start but it picked up and I did enjoy Fa’iza and Ahmad relationship; however, the last 30% or so felt rushed and very unrealistic.
The flow of the book felt choppy and the timelines were weird and confusing at times.
Wasn’t a favorite but I don’t regret reading this at all.
October 17, 2024
this review is dedicated to my cousin sisters (i know y’all have been waiting for this one)
fatima bala when i catch you….
now i know this says not a halal love story, but i don’t care.
generally: did no editors read this book? not just for content, but for typos and grammatical errors? because there are a million typos and grammar errors, and it really bugged me.
part 1: ahmad is so annoying in the first couple chapters. a complete red flag because he is so rude. all through part 1, ahmad says he will respect her boundaries, but slowly ignores them through “causal touch” or “check in texts”. faiza would start to pull away because she knows what they’re doing is wrong, but he would completely brush over her concerns. this lead to them creating opportunities to be alone together. this is at first ahmad’s fault but later faiza also contributes to this.
the longer their relationship progresses, the deeper she gets dragged down in sin. there’s a point where she stays the night at his apartment (HUH?!), shares the bed with him (HUH?!?!), and is wearing nothing but one of his oversized dress shirts and maybe her hijab (ASTAGHFIRULLAH).
the thing that bugged me the most about part 1 was ahmed. even if he’s made mistakes in the past, he’s not doing anything now to improve on his deen. like he’s done haraam things in previous relationships, and the only reason he’s not doing them now is because she’s not OK with it. He doesn’t eat Halal and even after meeting her and knowing she eats Halal, he doesn’t even eat Halal when he’s out with her! also, ahmad has no haya whatsoever. he says the most disgusting stuff and it’s just embarrassing. he does not fear Allah at all and only picks and chooses which parts of Islam he wants to follow.
also i don’t find it cute that he always makes sure her food is Halal. like dude, worry about your own food.
part 2: this is random, but the unexpected change from first person faiza to third person ahmed is disorienting. additionally, the milk siblings plot twist is actually so perfect though. it’s karma MWAHAHAHAH. i didn’t feel bad for them at all!
ahmed gets blackmailed into marrying another girl so he gets engaged to a girl he has no feelings for. but he’s so rude and disrespectful to her. Like we get it she’s not the woman of your dreams, but what about general respect for other people?? like he’s engaged to this other woman and she’s trying to plan their wedding and he completely misses some photo shoot or something, because he still obsessed with Faiza. and he’s so disrespectful to her, he doesn’t respect her time or her energy.
faiza is the only one who’s trynna pick up the pieces of herself and move on, like a healthy person. for her sake, ahmed’s sake, and most importantly for Allah’s sake.
part 3: ughhh wdym the wet nurse had a twin sister?? i liked it better when they were sad and alone!!
obviously ahmed gains some taqwa and islamic knowledge AFTER the split. but what bugs me about that is that he did it for faiza rather than himself or for Allah.
also the book has a supposedly happy ending with ahmed and faiza getting together. but her strict/traditional parents JUST found out that their seemingly perfect daughter has been in a secret marriage for the past five years. how can faiza have a happy ever after if her parents are still mad at and disappointed with her?
in conclusion, this was a difficult read and it was WAY too long. i hate this book.
fatima bala when i catch you….
now i know this says not a halal love story, but i don’t care.
generally: did no editors read this book? not just for content, but for typos and grammatical errors? because there are a million typos and grammar errors, and it really bugged me.
part 1: ahmad is so annoying in the first couple chapters. a complete red flag because he is so rude. all through part 1, ahmad says he will respect her boundaries, but slowly ignores them through “causal touch” or “check in texts”. faiza would start to pull away because she knows what they’re doing is wrong, but he would completely brush over her concerns. this lead to them creating opportunities to be alone together. this is at first ahmad’s fault but later faiza also contributes to this.
the longer their relationship progresses, the deeper she gets dragged down in sin. there’s a point where she stays the night at his apartment (HUH?!), shares the bed with him (HUH?!?!), and is wearing nothing but one of his oversized dress shirts and maybe her hijab (ASTAGHFIRULLAH).
the thing that bugged me the most about part 1 was ahmed. even if he’s made mistakes in the past, he’s not doing anything now to improve on his deen. like he’s done haraam things in previous relationships, and the only reason he’s not doing them now is because she’s not OK with it. He doesn’t eat Halal and even after meeting her and knowing she eats Halal, he doesn’t even eat Halal when he’s out with her! also, ahmad has no haya whatsoever. he says the most disgusting stuff and it’s just embarrassing. he does not fear Allah at all and only picks and chooses which parts of Islam he wants to follow.
also i don’t find it cute that he always makes sure her food is Halal. like dude, worry about your own food.
part 2: this is random, but the unexpected change from first person faiza to third person ahmed is disorienting. additionally, the milk siblings plot twist is actually so perfect though. it’s karma MWAHAHAHAH. i didn’t feel bad for them at all!
ahmed gets blackmailed into marrying another girl so he gets engaged to a girl he has no feelings for. but he’s so rude and disrespectful to her. Like we get it she’s not the woman of your dreams, but what about general respect for other people?? like he’s engaged to this other woman and she’s trying to plan their wedding and he completely misses some photo shoot or something, because he still obsessed with Faiza. and he’s so disrespectful to her, he doesn’t respect her time or her energy.
faiza is the only one who’s trynna pick up the pieces of herself and move on, like a healthy person. for her sake, ahmed’s sake, and most importantly for Allah’s sake.
part 3: ughhh wdym the wet nurse had a twin sister?? i liked it better when they were sad and alone!!
obviously ahmed gains some taqwa and islamic knowledge AFTER the split. but what bugs me about that is that he did it for faiza rather than himself or for Allah.
also the book has a supposedly happy ending with ahmed and faiza getting together. but her strict/traditional parents JUST found out that their seemingly perfect daughter has been in a secret marriage for the past five years. how can faiza have a happy ever after if her parents are still mad at and disappointed with her?
in conclusion, this was a difficult read and it was WAY too long. i hate this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2024
I’m not usually a judgemental person… but I’m just letting you know now that I’m judging you HARDCORE if youre a Muslim & promote this book
July 12, 2024
Definitely in my top 5 of 2024 😭🧎♀️
Words cannot describe how POWERFUL this is.. and as somebody that doesn’t even practice Islam, I’m blessed that I got the opportunity to encounter this story.
It’s raw love, it’s passion, it’s a true representation of a REAL relationship and honestly felt like watching a movie from the constant travelling from Canada to France to Milan to Nigeria to Abuja to Kano?!! I was living vicariously through them fr
I loved the opportunity this story gave me to appreciate a culture and religion that isn’t mine.. to learn.
I will be thinking about this one for a while 🥹
Words cannot describe how POWERFUL this is.. and as somebody that doesn’t even practice Islam, I’m blessed that I got the opportunity to encounter this story.
It’s raw love, it’s passion, it’s a true representation of a REAL relationship and honestly felt like watching a movie from the constant travelling from Canada to France to Milan to Nigeria to Abuja to Kano?!! I was living vicariously through them fr
I loved the opportunity this story gave me to appreciate a culture and religion that isn’t mine.. to learn.
I will be thinking about this one for a while 🥹
November 8, 2024
giving this book one star isn’t enough. i need a gun
Read
November 18, 2025when i tell you i ate this up but what the actual hell was this man on. every second he utter the word “babe” out of his mouth i fought the urge to through my phone across the room. my girl lost her brain cells around this man and honestly it was so heartbreaking to see. LIKE SISTER STAND UP PLEASE. like he causally went against everything she wanted in her future husband and yet she married him 🤨🤨🤨🤨
ahmad when i catch you trust it’s on sight. to all the people who hyped him up yall are delusional liars who seem to love a toxic man.
ahmad when i catch you trust it’s on sight. to all the people who hyped him up yall are delusional liars who seem to love a toxic man.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👲🏾🧕🏾
When I first saw, 'not a halal story' in the title, I was turned off, but I was still interested in the book. So, I went to check reviews on Goodreads and I requested for it. I'm so so glad my request got approved, I didn't even know the author was Nigerian.
🧕🏾👲🏾
The storyline was perfect and I really learnt a lot religion-wise and I didn't even expect this. What I liked most was that even when the MCs did bad things, the author clearly said what they did was not allowed in Islam instead of just changing Islam rules to fit her narrative.
👲🏾🧕🏾
I enjoyed reading about the realities and vulnerabilities of the MCs and their character development especially, Ahmad's. I liked that they were imperfect, they admitted their mistakes and got better.
🧕🏾👲🏾
I loved the side characters too except from Afreen and Zafar, I hated their relationship. It was like a Diana-Charles-Camilla triangle and she was Camilla. I liked the rest of the characters.
🧕🏾👲🏾
I also enjoyed learning about Hausa culture, I might be Nigerian, but I'm not really aware of the innings of other culture.
👲🏾🧕🏾
Finally, the relationship of Fa'iza and Ahmad was beautiful, understandable and realistic. I really liked this book and I'd love to read more by the author.
👲🏾🧕🏾
Although the title has 'not a halal love story' it's not because of what you're thinking, it's just a book of flawed Muslims who fell in love, made mistakes and sought forgiveness from AllahSWT. Aka just like us al
👲🏾🧕🏾
When I first saw, 'not a halal story' in the title, I was turned off, but I was still interested in the book. So, I went to check reviews on Goodreads and I requested for it. I'm so so glad my request got approved, I didn't even know the author was Nigerian.
🧕🏾👲🏾
The storyline was perfect and I really learnt a lot religion-wise and I didn't even expect this. What I liked most was that even when the MCs did bad things, the author clearly said what they did was not allowed in Islam instead of just changing Islam rules to fit her narrative.
👲🏾🧕🏾
I enjoyed reading about the realities and vulnerabilities of the MCs and their character development especially, Ahmad's. I liked that they were imperfect, they admitted their mistakes and got better.
🧕🏾👲🏾
I loved the side characters too except from Afreen and Zafar, I hated their relationship. It was like a Diana-Charles-Camilla triangle and she was Camilla. I liked the rest of the characters.
🧕🏾👲🏾
I also enjoyed learning about Hausa culture, I might be Nigerian, but I'm not really aware of the innings of other culture.
👲🏾🧕🏾
Finally, the relationship of Fa'iza and Ahmad was beautiful, understandable and realistic. I really liked this book and I'd love to read more by the author.
👲🏾🧕🏾
Although the title has 'not a halal love story' it's not because of what you're thinking, it's just a book of flawed Muslims who fell in love, made mistakes and sought forgiveness from AllahSWT. Aka just like us al
February 22, 2024
I started this book and thought 'Urgh,not another wattpad book',however this was not the case. I enjoyed how the writer expressed how easily we can succumb to fitnah and the whole idea of guilt and repentance.
I also loved how she wrote about how some people born into the religion kind of take it for granted and to really love the deen, you have to find the religion yourself.
The amount of times I was like Subuhanallah, Haram😂 then I remember the title literally said 'Not a Halal love story'.
It was a good read.
P.S, does anyone have a religious man with an accent in the Forbes under 30 for me??
I also loved how she wrote about how some people born into the religion kind of take it for granted and to really love the deen, you have to find the religion yourself.
The amount of times I was like Subuhanallah, Haram😂 then I remember the title literally said 'Not a Halal love story'.
It was a good read.
P.S, does anyone have a religious man with an accent in the Forbes under 30 for me??
March 14, 2025
Fatima Bala states in this title "Not a halal love story" for very good reason. It is quite literally a warning, one that I undermined. I did not realize that there is a difference between a halal romance vs. a muslim one until now.
I went in somewhat understanding this because she states in her acknowledgments, "...I was going to be an anonymous writer because I did not want anyone to know that I wrote a story about Muslim characters who were not perfect". I understood what I was in for to a certain degree, but it was definitely not enough.
Before I start ranting, I want to point out that as always, all Muslims deserve to be represented but it should be done carefully. The problem in this story is not that the characters perform zina but rather how they react to it and don't ever really own up to their actions. They never truly repent, the most being Fa'iza feeling guilty. Fa'iza, one of the most insufferable female leads I have ever read about, is quite simply, a hypocrite in this story, always blaming Ahmad instead of taking ownership for her own actions. Ahmad also is very flawed as he pressures Fa'iza- both are at fault, truly.
The relationship between the two starts off haram right away (and I know this is a serious issue in the Muslim community and I mean no judgement but as this is a fictional book I think it is important to stress that the characters deserved everything coming their way and the way that this is written is not it). Fa'iza is naive as she hangs out with Ahmad alone and then questions the nature of their relationship, whether they are boyfriend and girlfriend, and the physical restrictions they will face in their relationship due to being Muslim. Girl, the whole relationships is haram whether there be physical interactions or not. What truly made my blood boil is Fa'iza judging Ahmad for all his sins (having tattoos, drinking, and my favorite, having an ex girlfriend) as if she was not also sinning throughout the whole story. It seriously did not make any sense.
I was also very bothered as the author tried to provide vague details on their intimacy. It was weird and unnecessary. Originally, I thought that perhaps the two love interests would be alone but then surely be guided in time to tell their families before making any rash decisions. Boy was I wrong. Again, the issue is not the characters sinning (because again, this is a real issue in the community) but the author almost trying to romanticizes/promote it. I almost think it would have been better WITHOUT the HEA. I am unsure of the message Fatima Bala is trying to send. The last chapter starts off with the following: "When I was a teen, I prayed for a husband who feared Allah, who never drank alcohol or touched women who were not his mahram. And that is exactly who I'm now married to. But the journey here has not been so easy."
The plot of the book gets more questionable throughout the book, but I am sure you can look at other reviews to get more details on that. Her writing does have potential, and I think she could have killed it at an actual halal romance but who am I to say. All I know is that I feel guilty for reading this during Ramadan. May Allah grant us all righteous spouses that will make us become better Muslims. May Allah guide us all.
---
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. – Surah Al-Baqarah 2:201
I went in somewhat understanding this because she states in her acknowledgments, "...I was going to be an anonymous writer because I did not want anyone to know that I wrote a story about Muslim characters who were not perfect". I understood what I was in for to a certain degree, but it was definitely not enough.
Before I start ranting, I want to point out that as always, all Muslims deserve to be represented but it should be done carefully. The problem in this story is not that the characters perform zina but rather how they react to it and don't ever really own up to their actions. They never truly repent, the most being Fa'iza feeling guilty. Fa'iza, one of the most insufferable female leads I have ever read about, is quite simply, a hypocrite in this story, always blaming Ahmad instead of taking ownership for her own actions. Ahmad also is very flawed as he pressures Fa'iza- both are at fault, truly.
The relationship between the two starts off haram right away (and I know this is a serious issue in the Muslim community and I mean no judgement but as this is a fictional book I think it is important to stress that the characters deserved everything coming their way and the way that this is written is not it). Fa'iza is naive as she hangs out with Ahmad alone and then questions the nature of their relationship, whether they are boyfriend and girlfriend, and the physical restrictions they will face in their relationship due to being Muslim. Girl, the whole relationships is haram whether there be physical interactions or not. What truly made my blood boil is Fa'iza judging Ahmad for all his sins (having tattoos, drinking, and my favorite, having an ex girlfriend) as if she was not also sinning throughout the whole story. It seriously did not make any sense.
I was also very bothered as the author tried to provide vague details on their intimacy. It was weird and unnecessary. Originally, I thought that perhaps the two love interests would be alone but then surely be guided in time to tell their families before making any rash decisions. Boy was I wrong. Again, the issue is not the characters sinning (because again, this is a real issue in the community) but the author almost trying to romanticizes/promote it. I almost think it would have been better WITHOUT the HEA. I am unsure of the message Fatima Bala is trying to send. The last chapter starts off with the following: "When I was a teen, I prayed for a husband who feared Allah, who never drank alcohol or touched women who were not his mahram. And that is exactly who I'm now married to. But the journey here has not been so easy."
The plot of the book gets more questionable throughout the book, but I am sure you can look at other reviews to get more details on that. Her writing does have potential, and I think she could have killed it at an actual halal romance but who am I to say. All I know is that I feel guilty for reading this during Ramadan. May Allah grant us all righteous spouses that will make us become better Muslims. May Allah guide us all.
---
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. – Surah Al-Baqarah 2:201
September 18, 2024
This is me being very very generous with the rating.
July 3, 2023
Broken is one of the very few books that you read and you feel like you are the main character of the book.
And seriously, no matter how much I try to bring you along on this book, I can't ever give it enough credit. If there are 100 stars then this book deserves it all.
It's so good and the writer was so just in making the characters pose real human natures coming from the perfections down to the flaws.
I love how the writer’s focus didn't drift from the religious aspect and cultural aspects of the characters and how she was literally impacting knowledge on us through the book.
It is literally that one book my brain never gets bored of. I literally became interested in anything the writer has to bring to the table and this is because of broken.
The best part of the book is just how realistic the book is, No fake scenarios and bullshit.
I love the ‘we might be friends but our upbringing differs’ Input in the book.
Literally, the book that got me weeping soo badly and got my friends wondering “What the hell is wrong with this girl crying over a book”
I love love Ahmad. His character and religious development was just it for me. The way he loves Faiza is just Gold and unique on its own. Literally 10/10.
The side characters, I like how they weren't just side characters and we also got to get little stories of them.
Aunty mami, definitely one of my favorite character. She’s so loving and caring and the best thing about her is how supportive she is. I love afreen and zafar’s love story and was so glad we got to read in hasfatu bebi that their love won .
Broken is literally the best book ever.
A ten out of ten and definitely can not be topped.
I bet we love love broken but more than broken, we love the maker of broken. I look forward to reading more books from her.
Thank you for giving me such moments of joy by writing broken .
🩵🩵🫶
And seriously, no matter how much I try to bring you along on this book, I can't ever give it enough credit. If there are 100 stars then this book deserves it all.
It's so good and the writer was so just in making the characters pose real human natures coming from the perfections down to the flaws.
I love how the writer’s focus didn't drift from the religious aspect and cultural aspects of the characters and how she was literally impacting knowledge on us through the book.
It is literally that one book my brain never gets bored of. I literally became interested in anything the writer has to bring to the table and this is because of broken.
The best part of the book is just how realistic the book is, No fake scenarios and bullshit.
I love the ‘we might be friends but our upbringing differs’ Input in the book.
Literally, the book that got me weeping soo badly and got my friends wondering “What the hell is wrong with this girl crying over a book”
I love love Ahmad. His character and religious development was just it for me. The way he loves Faiza is just Gold and unique on its own. Literally 10/10.
The side characters, I like how they weren't just side characters and we also got to get little stories of them.
Aunty mami, definitely one of my favorite character. She’s so loving and caring and the best thing about her is how supportive she is. I love afreen and zafar’s love story and was so glad we got to read in hasfatu bebi that their love won .
Broken is literally the best book ever.
A ten out of ten and definitely can not be topped.
I bet we love love broken but more than broken, we love the maker of broken. I look forward to reading more books from her.
Thank you for giving me such moments of joy by writing broken .
🩵🩵🫶
August 29, 2024
⭐️: 1 and a half
I’m so disappointed. But I knew reading this book wouldn’t be a good feeling. The writing was almost good, could do with a little more editing.
I’m so disappointed. But I knew reading this book wouldn’t be a good feeling. The writing was almost good, could do with a little more editing.
October 4, 2024
i cant do this anymore i TRIED SO HARD TO NOT DNF it
lost me when her nipples got hard bro what???? 😭😭😭😭😭
lost me when her nipples got hard bro what???? 😭😭😭😭😭
September 26, 2024
Hmmm
I don’t think I was the target audience for this book. I’m atheist so religion doesn’t really make sense to me. But I have to say this book taught me things about Islam.
So Ahmad and Fai’za how can I say this ? I like them together but I honestly don’t think they’re made for each other. She’s been drowned in religion since birth, he doesn’t care that much about religion (though that changes in the future).
The fact that she slowly became like him while he became like her was interesting and unrealistic to me personally. In real life when people especially men do something like what Ahmad did the relationship never lasts because he’s putting on an act. He’s not really being himself.
He stopped drinking, started praying, fasting and more. They finally got married and i personally believe it won’t work on the long run if it was a real life thing. Like i said people (men) don’t change like that and if they do put on an act they end up resentful and go back to their true selves.
But it’s fiction it’s not supposed to be realistic. I liked the book though i can only imagine how horrifying it must be for women (and men) like Fai’za to read. I can’t understand the sentiment but I respect it. One thing for sure girl if you find a man like Ahmad in real life leave him exactly where he is. If you want to preserve your faith run far away from men like Ahmad. Wait for a man that’s exactly how you want him, exactly as pure (?) and religious as you. (Sorry if what I’m saying is offensive).
Do I believe he was manipulating her ? Yes. He made her do things she wouldn’t have done if she hadn’t met him. He knew she liked him, he knew she was inexperienced and he made sure to take advantage of that. Of course he’s a human being, it’s normal to want to be intimate with the person you like. But that’s lust, desire, sexual attraction not love. It’s just sex (can i say that word here ?).
Thank goodness he ended up « falling in love with her » (Did he really love her though or did he love her innocence ? Her being this perfect wife material woman for him ?). (Also who is she under that perfect wife material veil ? She never got to develop her own sense of being, everything about her is rooted in religion, her parents expectations, shame and guilt). In that sense can i call Ahmad hypocrite for loving her for just that if that’s all she presents ? Hmmmm
Imagine he didn’t, yes that happens a lot in real life. Men like Ahmad use women like Fai’za or they marry them because again they’re « perfect wife material ». If Fai’za wasn’t so « innocent » from the beginning he wouldn’t have cared about her. He said it himself : he hated when he got things too easily. Idk i have a lot to say about this book as it touches on multiple aspects of life and society : misogyny, religion indoctrination, sexism, non critical thinking, subtle manipulation, marriage, double standards, gender roles and a whole lot more.
I also don’t understand why everyone is praising Ahmad on Twitter i don’t think he did anything special. « He waited » For her ? I mean he sure did wait when he was kissing her and fingering her. « He stayed abstinent and didn’t cheat on her » so did she, wow what a huge accomplishment to see a man with self control (he doesn’t have that much) and respect for the woman he’s saying he loves. « He didn’t give up on her » well that’s the bare minimum. And i mean women do more for love. Afreen did more for love.
Also can you guys stop talking as if he was making her a favor by « saving their relationship ? », he did it because he wanted her, he did it because he was selfish and he wanted her. Not because he loved her so deeply that he couldn’t live without her and vice-versa. She actually moved on, he didn’t. There’s nothing special about that (at least that’s what i think). And if anything Fai’za is the person you should be praising, she compromised her morals for him, she tortured herself for him. If their relationship hadn’t worked out SHE had more to lose than him. He would’ve kept living his life while she would’ve been outcasted, humiliated, insulted etc… God the standard for good men is so low it’s irritating to see women foaming over Ahmad.
I just want to end this by saying thank you to Fatima Bala. I’m sure writing this wasn’t easy for her but I’m glad she did. I found the writing slow but i really enjoyed reading the book. Thank you for educating me on your religion 🫶🏿
I don’t think I was the target audience for this book. I’m atheist so religion doesn’t really make sense to me. But I have to say this book taught me things about Islam.
So Ahmad and Fai’za how can I say this ? I like them together but I honestly don’t think they’re made for each other. She’s been drowned in religion since birth, he doesn’t care that much about religion (though that changes in the future).
The fact that she slowly became like him while he became like her was interesting and unrealistic to me personally. In real life when people especially men do something like what Ahmad did the relationship never lasts because he’s putting on an act. He’s not really being himself.
He stopped drinking, started praying, fasting and more. They finally got married and i personally believe it won’t work on the long run if it was a real life thing. Like i said people (men) don’t change like that and if they do put on an act they end up resentful and go back to their true selves.
But it’s fiction it’s not supposed to be realistic. I liked the book though i can only imagine how horrifying it must be for women (and men) like Fai’za to read. I can’t understand the sentiment but I respect it. One thing for sure girl if you find a man like Ahmad in real life leave him exactly where he is. If you want to preserve your faith run far away from men like Ahmad. Wait for a man that’s exactly how you want him, exactly as pure (?) and religious as you. (Sorry if what I’m saying is offensive).
Do I believe he was manipulating her ? Yes. He made her do things she wouldn’t have done if she hadn’t met him. He knew she liked him, he knew she was inexperienced and he made sure to take advantage of that. Of course he’s a human being, it’s normal to want to be intimate with the person you like. But that’s lust, desire, sexual attraction not love. It’s just sex (can i say that word here ?).
Thank goodness he ended up « falling in love with her » (Did he really love her though or did he love her innocence ? Her being this perfect wife material woman for him ?). (Also who is she under that perfect wife material veil ? She never got to develop her own sense of being, everything about her is rooted in religion, her parents expectations, shame and guilt). In that sense can i call Ahmad hypocrite for loving her for just that if that’s all she presents ? Hmmmm
Imagine he didn’t, yes that happens a lot in real life. Men like Ahmad use women like Fai’za or they marry them because again they’re « perfect wife material ». If Fai’za wasn’t so « innocent » from the beginning he wouldn’t have cared about her. He said it himself : he hated when he got things too easily. Idk i have a lot to say about this book as it touches on multiple aspects of life and society : misogyny, religion indoctrination, sexism, non critical thinking, subtle manipulation, marriage, double standards, gender roles and a whole lot more.
I also don’t understand why everyone is praising Ahmad on Twitter i don’t think he did anything special. « He waited » For her ? I mean he sure did wait when he was kissing her and fingering her. « He stayed abstinent and didn’t cheat on her » so did she, wow what a huge accomplishment to see a man with self control (he doesn’t have that much) and respect for the woman he’s saying he loves. « He didn’t give up on her » well that’s the bare minimum. And i mean women do more for love. Afreen did more for love.
Also can you guys stop talking as if he was making her a favor by « saving their relationship ? », he did it because he wanted her, he did it because he was selfish and he wanted her. Not because he loved her so deeply that he couldn’t live without her and vice-versa. She actually moved on, he didn’t. There’s nothing special about that (at least that’s what i think). And if anything Fai’za is the person you should be praising, she compromised her morals for him, she tortured herself for him. If their relationship hadn’t worked out SHE had more to lose than him. He would’ve kept living his life while she would’ve been outcasted, humiliated, insulted etc… God the standard for good men is so low it’s irritating to see women foaming over Ahmad.
I just want to end this by saying thank you to Fatima Bala. I’m sure writing this wasn’t easy for her but I’m glad she did. I found the writing slow but i really enjoyed reading the book. Thank you for educating me on your religion 🫶🏿
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2023
Firstly, i was intrigued by the title of the book’s ‘not a halal love story’. Sorry, but i judged. I wondered what msg is being delivered.
Anyway, In Summary:
Abstain from haram or ‘e get as e be’!
This was their Maker testing them for their impatience. Alhamdulillah they didnt get married when the heat was hot, they learnt and relearnt, grew and repented. He valued her more after he suffered all those years.
As much as i wanted them to endup together, a part of me felt like the author should’ve given us a great twist to stick to the title. Let them be broken for good & show the world the wrath of Allah can hurt back too. You know?😉 Well, they are now living witnesses to God’s timing is the best.
When i think of it deeper, if they hadnt gone overboard with haram, the background check might’ve not reached the extent of finding out about nursing mothers to lead to all that pain. I’m not a romantic like that but i was literally heartbroken as they went through that heartbreak too. You know how in movies like “Think like a man”, the intermittent heartbreak they were all struggling through and the sound track “Talking to the moon by Bruno Mars” would go on, that was how it felt the whole time. Damn, the suspense!
I could think of a million things but milk siblings, the genotype results, the haram relationship, Ahmad’s past about the alcohol etc, just anything but definitely NOT milk siblings.
The plot twist was perrfect, wh would’ve known???
As cliche as it sounded, i like how it got realistic too. I could envisage every description clearly!
Also, veryyyy relatable. At this point, i strongly accept bad boys will alwaaays want the good girls. The best one can do is make them better people!
I looove how Ahmad was sooo good to/for her yet soo bad for her but eventually, she turned to the greatest influence he needed. Because Ahmad is such a terrible terrible influence on her but he certainly knew how to treat a lady. Just not based on the rulings of islam. He actually took the deen for granted. So everything he ignored, abandoned and didnt learn and practice all those years till that age, Allah gave him another chance at life. To learn all that he hadnt within those 5 years that’s why he suffered sooo much. Thinking back with what he knows now and then, he was definitely not ready for marriage. He must be grateful, indeed nothing good somes easy. Like he said, Fai’iza is a rare gem to behold. Ga samu ga rashi, she was easily accesible but so so hard to capture. Kai ya ga jarrabawa gaskia!
Afreen and Zafar’s situationship was contradictory and i was glad they ended up together too. Who’d ever think ‘yan arewa in diaspora will consider polygamy💁🏾♀️
I love the emphasis about the prohibitions of the deen. The book was quite expressive on how everyone equally got the fantastic upbringing - this is detailed on ‘Ka haifa da baka haifa halinka ba’
I love how supportive everyone is to one another.
I love the consistency in Ahmad.
All in all, it’s an amazing book i truly loved. I’ll steal my friend’s words ~ she said, “I recommend this book to all teenagers to lookout for the wild uni life they might encounter. A reminder to buckle up, it’s either you make it or you break it!”
Oh! Did i mention that Book trailer made it even more awesome & soo real. Everything, all of it was soo so accurate!
What i stand to question is, how Ahmad never ever got angry. Not to her, friends, family, business acquaintances. Really was expecting that side of him.
Anyway, In Summary:
Abstain from haram or ‘e get as e be’!
This was their Maker testing them for their impatience. Alhamdulillah they didnt get married when the heat was hot, they learnt and relearnt, grew and repented. He valued her more after he suffered all those years.
As much as i wanted them to endup together, a part of me felt like the author should’ve given us a great twist to stick to the title. Let them be broken for good & show the world the wrath of Allah can hurt back too. You know?😉 Well, they are now living witnesses to God’s timing is the best.
When i think of it deeper, if they hadnt gone overboard with haram, the background check might’ve not reached the extent of finding out about nursing mothers to lead to all that pain. I’m not a romantic like that but i was literally heartbroken as they went through that heartbreak too. You know how in movies like “Think like a man”, the intermittent heartbreak they were all struggling through and the sound track “Talking to the moon by Bruno Mars” would go on, that was how it felt the whole time. Damn, the suspense!
I could think of a million things but milk siblings, the genotype results, the haram relationship, Ahmad’s past about the alcohol etc, just anything but definitely NOT milk siblings.
The plot twist was perrfect, wh would’ve known???
As cliche as it sounded, i like how it got realistic too. I could envisage every description clearly!
Also, veryyyy relatable. At this point, i strongly accept bad boys will alwaaays want the good girls. The best one can do is make them better people!
I looove how Ahmad was sooo good to/for her yet soo bad for her but eventually, she turned to the greatest influence he needed. Because Ahmad is such a terrible terrible influence on her but he certainly knew how to treat a lady. Just not based on the rulings of islam. He actually took the deen for granted. So everything he ignored, abandoned and didnt learn and practice all those years till that age, Allah gave him another chance at life. To learn all that he hadnt within those 5 years that’s why he suffered sooo much. Thinking back with what he knows now and then, he was definitely not ready for marriage. He must be grateful, indeed nothing good somes easy. Like he said, Fai’iza is a rare gem to behold. Ga samu ga rashi, she was easily accesible but so so hard to capture. Kai ya ga jarrabawa gaskia!
Afreen and Zafar’s situationship was contradictory and i was glad they ended up together too. Who’d ever think ‘yan arewa in diaspora will consider polygamy💁🏾♀️
I love the emphasis about the prohibitions of the deen. The book was quite expressive on how everyone equally got the fantastic upbringing - this is detailed on ‘Ka haifa da baka haifa halinka ba’
I love how supportive everyone is to one another.
I love the consistency in Ahmad.
All in all, it’s an amazing book i truly loved. I’ll steal my friend’s words ~ she said, “I recommend this book to all teenagers to lookout for the wild uni life they might encounter. A reminder to buckle up, it’s either you make it or you break it!”
Oh! Did i mention that Book trailer made it even more awesome & soo real. Everything, all of it was soo so accurate!
What i stand to question is, how Ahmad never ever got angry. Not to her, friends, family, business acquaintances. Really was expecting that side of him.
March 5, 2025
I didn’t love it but can’t say I hated it.
The beginning of the book was dragging and the ending felt rushed.
I know that the book came with a disclaimer saying it’s not a halal story but I just feel like it conveyed the wrong message and was overly romanticised at the end.
I feel like Ahmad was a master manipulator, who in the beginning disguised himself as this super understanding and boundaries respecting guy. (Which newsflash: He wasn’t.) This guy was a walking red flag.
Who eventually redeemed himself but still..
Our good sis Fa‘iza was blinded by his looks, while he was dragging her into the pits of Jahannam (Hell). What do you mean you just throw your morals and values out of the window just because he gave you some attention ughhh. I know she was really young and that’s why I tried to give her some grace but sometimes I just wanted to scream at her like …. GIRL STAND UP!!
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October 10, 2024All I can say is Ahmad is manipulative person. This isn’t romantic in my opinion, this is basically a guy that is well established in his life looking for a innocent young naive woman to manipulate.
September 9, 2024
4.75 rounded up… I’m so pleased.
What a wild ride this was. When we got to the twist I was so stressed I had to rush back from work to finish this book. It consumed me.
I loved how the author took her time developing the love story. I was so stressed the whole time because I knew something was coming. I am so pleased with how it ended.
I feel so blessed to have experienced Ahmad and Fa’iza’s love story(also when will it be my turn🥹🥹🥹).
My only gripe with this book was the timelines. I never knew what year we were in and I still don’t know how old Ahmad is.
What a wild ride this was. When we got to the twist I was so stressed I had to rush back from work to finish this book. It consumed me.
I loved how the author took her time developing the love story. I was so stressed the whole time because I knew something was coming. I am so pleased with how it ended.
I feel so blessed to have experienced Ahmad and Fa’iza’s love story(also when will it be my turn🥹🥹🥹).
My only gripe with this book was the timelines. I never knew what year we were in and I still don’t know how old Ahmad is.
October 1, 2023
Broken. Not a halal love story is an interesting story that I found also to be educational. Fa'iza Mohammed is from a very conservative Muslim family in Africa. Ahmad Babanginda is also from a Muslim family but lives in Canada and is not as conservative as the Mohammed family.
A relationship between the two blooms and the lines are blurred between halal and haram. Unexpectedly, a decision is made by their families and their relationship ends. After five years is it too late for their love?
I think anyone who grew up in a very conservative religious family could relate to Fa'izs's struggles.
The last 20% of the book felt a little too unrealistic but otherwise it was a great story.
3 stars. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was the editing. The story was a 5 star story. The writing was clunky at times. The transitions were not good many times. There were abrupt changes in the story. I feel like a story edit could have helped overcome these weaknesses and resulted in a stronger book.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchanged for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A relationship between the two blooms and the lines are blurred between halal and haram. Unexpectedly, a decision is made by their families and their relationship ends. After five years is it too late for their love?
I think anyone who grew up in a very conservative religious family could relate to Fa'izs's struggles.
The last 20% of the book felt a little too unrealistic but otherwise it was a great story.
3 stars. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was the editing. The story was a 5 star story. The writing was clunky at times. The transitions were not good many times. There were abrupt changes in the story. I feel like a story edit could have helped overcome these weaknesses and resulted in a stronger book.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchanged for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 9, 2025
Honestly, I REEAAALLLY DESPISED this book, I mean thank u for the TW or wtv but COME. ON! If ur gonna make it THIS bad just don't make them Muslim girl...?
something that really bothered me abt this book is the way it portrays Islam, or the way SHE portrays Islam, honestly what exactly is she trying to do? imagine a non-muslim who knows nothing about Islam reads this. They'll probably start seeing Islam as this very controlling religion or maybe they'll think its very hard to practice because of how low some of the characters morals are... honestly this was just disgusting to read. Once again NEVVEERRR trust booktok, they don't know what they're on abt.
something that really bothered me abt this book is the way it portrays Islam, or the way SHE portrays Islam, honestly what exactly is she trying to do? imagine a non-muslim who knows nothing about Islam reads this. They'll probably start seeing Islam as this very controlling religion or maybe they'll think its very hard to practice because of how low some of the characters morals are... honestly this was just disgusting to read. Once again NEVVEERRR trust booktok, they don't know what they're on abt.
September 6, 2024
I find the plot of the book to be very unrealistic- especially in relation to Ahmad’s character. The writing and timelines are hard to follow sometimes.
Overall I think it is a lax read. Not as impressive as twitter users make it out to be
Overall I think it is a lax read. Not as impressive as twitter users make it out to be
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February 8, 2025Infinity times 0
PATHETIC!!! This book is seriously Pathetic! This is the worst book I have read since I started reading, I'm not even kidding, this book is literally me figuring out what the actual hell is going on!
The characters are awful and disturbing. People who can relate to them should seek some good therapy! This author should literally stop writing its so bad, believe me!
The number of times I have screamed!!! I wanted to throw my phone away when I was reading some scenes, nothing about this book is making sense to me! What was the point of this book? Naah! Nothing! The author just wanted to write a muslim-not-so-halal-lovestory. Congratulations you failed with flying colours!
Please anyone who is going to read it don't read it! The worst FMC and MMC i have ever read!
I wish i could go back in time and not start it! The number of astagfirullah I have said because the romance was forced and Did I mentioned "ewwww" there was ZERO chemistry between the characters.
All MMC Oh! I just remembered his name, Ahmad. So all Ahmad wanted to ro do was to touch her after every two second, like bro you kiss- her without her consent and then you go like I thought you will be comfortable, I mean- if this is not sick then what it, and its just the beginning!
The FMC she has zero self respect, she is so dumb that I wanted to kill her for her decisions.
Please and please dear author if you are not clear with your vision stop writing, It will save your and mine so much time.
Astagfirullah!!!
PATHETIC!!! This book is seriously Pathetic! This is the worst book I have read since I started reading, I'm not even kidding, this book is literally me figuring out what the actual hell is going on!
The characters are awful and disturbing. People who can relate to them should seek some good therapy! This author should literally stop writing its so bad, believe me!
The number of times I have screamed!!! I wanted to throw my phone away when I was reading some scenes, nothing about this book is making sense to me! What was the point of this book? Naah! Nothing! The author just wanted to write a muslim-not-so-halal-lovestory. Congratulations you failed with flying colours!
Please anyone who is going to read it don't read it! The worst FMC and MMC i have ever read!
I wish i could go back in time and not start it! The number of astagfirullah I have said because the romance was forced and Did I mentioned "ewwww" there was ZERO chemistry between the characters.
All MMC Oh! I just remembered his name, Ahmad. So all Ahmad wanted to ro do was to touch her after every two second, like bro you kiss- her without her consent and then you go like I thought you will be comfortable, I mean- if this is not sick then what it, and its just the beginning!
The FMC she has zero self respect, she is so dumb that I wanted to kill her for her decisions.
Please and please dear author if you are not clear with your vision stop writing, It will save your and mine so much time.
Astagfirullah!!!
August 6, 2025
Was this a morally grey book? Absolutely! But the Author never claimed this book would portray a halal relationship. I actually think there’s a lot to learn from this story. So many points in the book you’re able to think through the situations the mc was in and rationalize how you would approach it differently. It exposes the slippery slope of Zina. While it was cheeky at times I felt like the intention was always to make the reader think critically about these situations. The reality is some people go through/ experience this. I really loved how it depicted the religious guilt the main character experienced. In the end especially you could see how Allah was at the remembrance of the story. I also appreciated a lot of the distinction between culture/ religion. From other Muslim authors these lines can sometimes become blurred. But I feel like the author did a great job of discussing the nuance and portraying the story from the lens of a West African Muslim woman.
September 22, 2024
This book is honestly over hyped. I was curious about how Islamic people are in the north since a friend of mine say they're different from the south.
It just felt like a whole lot of info dump on paperback.
Was more or less entertained when reading,but I just wanted it to end. It was dragged out for far too long.
And the people on TikTok who say that Ahmad is the ideal book boyfriend should really need to see a psychiatrist. The dude is a red flag. Are they blind to it?
He manipulated Fa'iza with his words a lot. I just hope the women who say that realize that that kind of man isn't needed in society.
Plus the novel was also unrealistic. Too unrealistic and it honestly hurts my head just reading it.
Also you do realize that Nigerians have type four hair right? Running his hands through her hair made me lose interest even more.
It just felt like a whole lot of info dump on paperback.
Was more or less entertained when reading,but I just wanted it to end. It was dragged out for far too long.
And the people on TikTok who say that Ahmad is the ideal book boyfriend should really need to see a psychiatrist. The dude is a red flag. Are they blind to it?
He manipulated Fa'iza with his words a lot. I just hope the women who say that realize that that kind of man isn't needed in society.
Plus the novel was also unrealistic. Too unrealistic and it honestly hurts my head just reading it.
Also you do realize that Nigerians have type four hair right? Running his hands through her hair made me lose interest even more.
October 19, 2024
I'm definitely too irreligious for this book.
I'm glad I read something outside my comfort zone though.
While I don't believe I am the target audience, I still have an appreciation for this book.
Broken is a well-written book (it needed better editing, which was obvious)
I enjoyed the use of language
It's easy to root for Fa'iza and Ahmad (when you don't focus on Ahmad's very RED flags).
Their story of love and loss highlights how important it is to be with someone who shares your values, culture, and religion.
While I will never understand a religion that would prohibit you from being with someone for a reason as simple as being breastfed by the same wet nurse, I will also not belittle people's faith.
Overall, I had a good time with the book
It's a 3🌟 read
I'm glad I read something outside my comfort zone though.
While I don't believe I am the target audience, I still have an appreciation for this book.
Broken is a well-written book (it needed better editing, which was obvious)
I enjoyed the use of language
It's easy to root for Fa'iza and Ahmad (when you don't focus on Ahmad's very RED flags).
Their story of love and loss highlights how important it is to be with someone who shares your values, culture, and religion.
While I will never understand a religion that would prohibit you from being with someone for a reason as simple as being breastfed by the same wet nurse, I will also not belittle people's faith.
Overall, I had a good time with the book
It's a 3🌟 read
August 21, 2024
I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it. I can see why people do, it was a nice read. I sometimes found it long? Gave details that weren’t necessary to the story (example her replying to her friends sending memes?)
It wasn’t a long read but some parts made it seem like it was.
I liked Ahmad and Fa’iza was good for him, I’m glad he found God for himself. Their romance was cute especially at the start, and I liked how Ahmad never gave up on them.
It wasn’t a long read but some parts made it seem like it was.
I liked Ahmad and Fa’iza was good for him, I’m glad he found God for himself. Their romance was cute especially at the start, and I liked how Ahmad never gave up on them.
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