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Project Lina: Bringing Our Whole Selves to Islam
The Project Lina book and workshops are designed to bring converts to a place of joyful confidence in themselves, their faith, and their place in their families and communities.
Lina is the Arabic word for palm tree, and the three modules found in this book - Know Yourself, Declare your Independence, and Tend your Ties - provide a springboard from which converts can grow into community members who, like palm trees, have deep roots, strong but flexible trunks, and bear wonderful, life-sustaining fruit.
Whether you're new to Islam or a seasoned convert with tales and advice of her own to share, Project Lina will help us continue to bring our whole selves to Islam. It is the open arms, the spiritual guidance, and the balanced way forward that converts need for a healthy transition from newbies to vital members of their communities - and then to the leaders our communities need.
Lina is the Arabic word for palm tree, and the three modules found in this book - Know Yourself, Declare your Independence, and Tend your Ties - provide a springboard from which converts can grow into community members who, like palm trees, have deep roots, strong but flexible trunks, and bear wonderful, life-sustaining fruit.
Whether you're new to Islam or a seasoned convert with tales and advice of her own to share, Project Lina will help us continue to bring our whole selves to Islam. It is the open arms, the spiritual guidance, and the balanced way forward that converts need for a healthy transition from newbies to vital members of their communities - and then to the leaders our communities need.
- GenresIslam
Paperback
Published December 30, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 11, 2022
"Project Lina: Bringing Our Whole Selves to Islam" by Dr. Tamara Gray and Anse Najiyah Diana Maxfield (published by @daybreakpress) is my latest read - and it was an excellent one!
Intended as a convert support guide, I actually found it quite applicable even to those who come from cultural or not-very-religious background, and have only recently started practicing Islam more deeply.
Project Lina is not a textbook so much as it is a loving guide that gently teaches necessary Islamic information *and* brings up practical issues such as navigating spiritual turmoil, dealing with friends and family, and addressing things like culture vs Islam.
By and large, I found this book to be one of the best convert resources I have ever read!
There was only one section that I disagreed with vehemently: the section on celebrating holidays. While I get that the approach is meant to undo the damage of decades of prior advice telling converts to be harsh with their families during holiday seasons, I found this to go in the other direction - ignoring theological implications in favour of "everything counts as silat ar Rahim." Of course, I'm not a convert myself, so I recognize that I don't have any personal experience in this area. However, I do know many converts who have maintained excellent family ties while establishing boundaries re: celebrating holidays.
Ultimately, I give this book a 4/5 🌟 and would absolutely recommend to new (and not-so-new) converts! (Tho I'd flag the holiday section lol)
Plus, @rabata_org hosts Project Lina workshops - check it out, and you could even get 50% off the book!
#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MuslimWomenReads #MuslimWomenWriters #IslamAndWomenReads #MuslimNonFiction #IslamicBooks #MuslimConverts #ConvertSupport #booksandplants #MyMuslimShelfSpace #IslamicResources
Intended as a convert support guide, I actually found it quite applicable even to those who come from cultural or not-very-religious background, and have only recently started practicing Islam more deeply.
Project Lina is not a textbook so much as it is a loving guide that gently teaches necessary Islamic information *and* brings up practical issues such as navigating spiritual turmoil, dealing with friends and family, and addressing things like culture vs Islam.
By and large, I found this book to be one of the best convert resources I have ever read!
There was only one section that I disagreed with vehemently: the section on celebrating holidays. While I get that the approach is meant to undo the damage of decades of prior advice telling converts to be harsh with their families during holiday seasons, I found this to go in the other direction - ignoring theological implications in favour of "everything counts as silat ar Rahim." Of course, I'm not a convert myself, so I recognize that I don't have any personal experience in this area. However, I do know many converts who have maintained excellent family ties while establishing boundaries re: celebrating holidays.
Ultimately, I give this book a 4/5 🌟 and would absolutely recommend to new (and not-so-new) converts! (Tho I'd flag the holiday section lol)
Plus, @rabata_org hosts Project Lina workshops - check it out, and you could even get 50% off the book!
#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MuslimWomenReads #MuslimWomenWriters #IslamAndWomenReads #MuslimNonFiction #IslamicBooks #MuslimConverts #ConvertSupport #booksandplants #MyMuslimShelfSpace #IslamicResources
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January 7, 2021I just got this book, but I’m already done inhaling it. Indeed it is a breath of fresh air. It’s written in such a refreshing, inviting way. There is truly no other book out there that addresses the needs of Muslim converts—especially female converts—like Project Lina. It contains step-by-step advice and tangible activities to incorporate into your life. If you work with converts or are a convert yourself, this book is a must have.
February 13, 2021
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be for new converts, but I do know that Dr. Tamara Gray and Anse Najiyah Maxfield explained it with a finesse only a talented author like them possibly could. With a realistic delivery packed with emotion, they explain the difficulties our beloved converts face every single day. I have no doubt that this book would be of great help for many of our Muslim brothers and sisters.
January 31, 2021
Project Lina is a critical beacon of light for convert Muslim women and any Muslim on their personal journey in learning to live Islam as a joyful, fulfilling faith. So many stereotypes, misconceptions and cultural dogmas are addressed head on - even the ones we as born Muslims never knew existed or had blinders on and couldn't see. The authors establish an intimacy with their readers by sharing their own stories throughout the book and provide a wholesome, in-depth understanding of Islamic beliefs and practices. Incredible, eye-opening research is presented in a way that highlights Muslim converts and their unique experiences. The book is rich with personal touches that creates an experience that readers will revisit time and time again... interactive exercises, thought-provoking discussion questions, hilarious comics, engaging charts/graphs and innovative research that sheds light on what truly happens as a Muslim woman accepts Islam. The three modules covered in this book are: Know Yourself, Declare Your Independence, Tend Your Ties. Highly recommended, must-have for personal libraries & perfect for book clubs.
December 23, 2021
Let’s be clear, Project Lina is a groundbreaking book by authors Dr. Tamara Gray and Najiyah Diana Maxfield. It will have a worldly ripple effect for generations.
If I was a recent convert Muslim woman, Project Lina is the first book I’d read after the Quran. This outstanding guide could save me years of confusion about how to be joyfully confident in myself during my transition to a balanced spiritual life.
Project Lina is a remarkable book. It’s insightful, practical, thoughtful, and well-organized. It’s a guide, sometimes cautionary, for coverts to avoid the potential pitfalls of men manipulating women by misusing Islam for their own personal gain. My favorite section is titled “Wed Wisely.” It explains the red flags to watch for in selecting a spouse. One recommendation is, “Don’t marry a loser!”
Project Lina can be used as a valuable guide for people of all faiths to help them examine the life they have and the life they want. I highly recommend it.
Jim Potter, author of Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery
If I was a recent convert Muslim woman, Project Lina is the first book I’d read after the Quran. This outstanding guide could save me years of confusion about how to be joyfully confident in myself during my transition to a balanced spiritual life.
Project Lina is a remarkable book. It’s insightful, practical, thoughtful, and well-organized. It’s a guide, sometimes cautionary, for coverts to avoid the potential pitfalls of men manipulating women by misusing Islam for their own personal gain. My favorite section is titled “Wed Wisely.” It explains the red flags to watch for in selecting a spouse. One recommendation is, “Don’t marry a loser!”
Project Lina can be used as a valuable guide for people of all faiths to help them examine the life they have and the life they want. I highly recommend it.
Jim Potter, author of Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery
February 13, 2021
Careful, thoughtful, and detailed, this book offers such a refreshing perspective on Islamic spirituality and provides a valuable tool for introspection. It is as useful for teachers of Islamic retreats as it is for someone reflecting on their own identities, desires, thoughts, and practices. The authors are to be commended for such a fantastic resource!
December 29, 2024
A must read for all American converts. This really helped me conceptualize what conversion would look long term. Anse Tamara and Anse Najiyah provided smart and important insights.
November 15, 2025
I wish I had this book when I first found Islam!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews