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299 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2021
‘‘He performed ablution and then headed to the mosque to pray the Fajr prayer in congregation for the first time in months — hoping that God would grant him success in his meeting with Abu Azzam, and that this would be a partial compensation for the Friday prayer he would miss today!’’I am still moved to tears when I remember the tender and genuine relationship Amjad and Asim have with their mother. It was a beautiful portrayal of the immense love we Muslims have for our parents and they have for us. This is something I greatly miss in other books. One of my favorite excerpts was this:
‘‘His mother had been his entire life in the recent period, after he had withdrawn from his studies and devoted his time to caring for her—taking her to the hospital, showing her tenderness, reciting the Qur’an aloud to her, and comforting her by chatting with her about memories of the past and her memories with his father. His mother had been his in those final days; he had lived with her in a way that outweighed all the years before. There was nothing left with which he could honor her heart that he had not done… and yet he had not had enough of the looks of contentment he read in her eyes.’’Whoever thinks that an Islamically grounded novel will be boring or at least less exciting than ‘‘regular’’ novels is truly mistaken. I have encountered more interesting characters, events and plot twists than in many popular titles. I didn’t see it coming that Inas, the true definition of a candle that burns itself to give others light. The writing was deeply moving and effortlessly inspiring, some of the best I encountered so far.
‘‘I must bear it, for the end of my story is not sorrowful… and its twists are the labor pains of a new birth…’’I will read this book again, as an official translation or when my Arabic skills are good enough to read the original in sha Allah, whichever comes first.