Book Reviews

Before I review this book, I would like to admit that the review you're about to read is no where close to how good the book is. Period. Nouman Ali Khan is otherwise a very good mufassir and how well he addresses the issues of muslim youth and community as a whole is comendable. The way he connects daily life to Quran would make you want to connect to the book of Allah. Coming to the book, it has five sections and each section has further chapters. The first section revolves around the concept of dua. Brother Nouman explains how we are in need of every little that Allah gives us. This book would definitely change your perspective of duas that are not answered on your terms. Section two sheds some light on creating a cohesive muslim community. The author discusses how we are used to giving critisism all the time, rating everything and everyone. He emphasizes the importance of giving and taking advice. He further sheds some light upon the fact that Islam has discouraged making assum...

Ayesha Shamsi is a poet by passion, her family, along with her grandparents, shifted to Canada after her father died. She is a witty woman with strong opinions but is a little confused as to what she wants for herself from life. Though she is a poet and wants to do a lot but settles for the secure career of becoming a teacher. There is one thing that she knows for sure however, that is she will never settle for an arranged marriage. She gets the job of a substitute teacher at a high school. Her younger cousin, Hafsa, keeps getting proposals and is all set to get married, reminding her constantly that she is still single. Ayesha bumps into a couple of men too, who might be likely prospects for a husband: Khalid- a conservative looking Muslim, who strongly believes in arranged marriage and love after marriage; Masood- who is a life coach for wrestlers, seems open and progressive. A modern version of pride and prejudice, not just modern, desi with an Islamic touch. A good ligh...

A witty and an addictive fiction by deWitt. Frances is a sixty five year old beautiful widow, who lives with her thirty two year old son and a cat named small Frank after Frances' husband, Franklin Price. After her husband's death, Frances starts running out of money. Her best friend Joan lends her an apartment of hers in France to stay for a while till her property is illegally sold and the money gets back into her account. She goes to France along with her son Malcom and small Frank. Enroute France, the trio meets Madeleine, a medium who later proves to be of great help. Upon reaching France they get to meet Mme Reynard, who is looking for a friendship, Frances lets her in. Malcolm observes that his mother changes in a sense that she is no more rude to strangers, she is acceptive and friendly. Malcolm's girlfriend, who his mother hates and he leaves because he has to accompany his mother, gets engaged in his absence. Towards the end of this addictive novel, Susan alo...

A grasping story of General Zia's plane explosion in August 1988. The author lets you meet the alleged suspects of General Zia's murder. One of the suspects is Ali Shigri, a junior under officer whose father was a colonel in the army and served in the Afghan war. Colonel Shigri was found dead, hanging down the ceiling fan one morning. Ali suspects military of killing his father and wants revenge from General Zia. His roommate Obaidullah is found missing one day along with a plane, which is the beggining of hard times for Ali. General Akhtar who was the then chief of ISI is another suspect who could've been involved. A number of questionable deaths mentioned in the story;Brigadier TM points out a hidden camera at general Zia's residence and meets death afterwards. Zainab who is a blind girl gets prisoned on account of adultery which was a gang rape. She curses whoever prisoned her to have his innards eaten by worms and that his children may never see his dead face. Wa...

Before I start the review, I can’t really hold my say; I love this book! A book written for the people who want to live their life, without letting their life own them. A great book for people who have experienced pain and disappointment in this world and have questions regarding various chapters of life. Sister Yasmin touches different subjects of our lives like attachments, love, hardships, relationship with the Creator, women’s status, Ummah and the last portion is dedicated to poetry. Sr. Yasmin discusses attachments before love to make us understand that a lot of things, people, places, thoughts ideas are not loved by us, we are simply attached to them. We live in a mirage of love. Our need to feel whole can only be fulfilled by God and not these attachments. To fill love of God in our heart, we need to empty it of all the attachments. She goes on to discuss love; how a person or a thing cannot be our reason of existence. Something temporary, fading will break us sooner or lat...

Miss Mary Morstan comes to Sherlock Holmes with a strange story of her missing father, Captain Arthur Morstan. She narrates that Captain Morstan served in the 34th Bombay Infantry and came to London on a twelve months leave. He sent a telegram to his daughter to visit him at the Langham Hotel. When she arrived , however, he had gone out somewhere and did not return afterwards. Four years after her father's missing, she found an advertisement in the newspaper requesting for her address, which she did publish. Afterwards she started recieving a precious pearl every year. Miss Morstan shows a letter without any address to Holmes and Watson that leads the three of them to Thaddeus Sholto, who is the son of Major John Sholto, Captain Morstan's dear friend. Thaddeus enlightens Miss Morstan as to how she is an heiress of a fortune and that her father died during an argument over the division of the treasure Sholto's father posessed, that belonged to both of them. Although M...