Love and Loving Islam

Dear Reader,

I could claim that I did not blog last week because I was oh so busy with my revision, but that won't be entirely true. As part of my upbringing and my in-built what-ever-you-may-call-it, I have always deemed it better to tell the truth - as you might have already guessed. So, in truth, I just forgot. It's an inherited disorder, this forgetting, passed directly from mother to daughter.

But never mind, all excuses and apologies aside. What I really want to blog about today is this extraordinarily ordinary autobiography that I've just finished reading, Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Z. Janmohamed. I can't seem to stop going on and on and on about it to whoever comes within 2 meters of me. So I've decide to write down all my thoughts, just to get it out of my system once and for all.

Reading this book has completely changed my life. Okay, okay, I know that's a bit too overly dramatic. Nothing overtly radical happened, like all of a sudden deciding to wear a headscarf. Hold on a moment - I already wear the hijaab! Let me re-phrase. Reading this book has subtly changed my perspective of life. And I didn't even realise it until after I had turned the last page and began looking... no, seeing the world that I live in. It also...:

1. made me ask question about my own cultural values and traditions, and how much they seem to differ from the teachings of Islam.
2. gave answers to some of the questions above. But also answered questions I hadn't thought to ask.
3. reminded me of the stories I vaguely remember being told to me in childhood. Reading about them with adult's eyes, I felt a surge of rediscovery within in, seeing deeper in to those simple stories, recognising ways of applying them to my own life. 
4. most importantly, increased my understanding of Islam and what it truly meant to be a Muslim, a servant of Allah (swa). 

I was about two-thirds of the way through the book when it clicked that this story isn't just about the conventional romantic love that the title brought to mind. It's about all of the kinds of love one encounters in one's life, only through the eyes - or rather the heart - of a muslim woman. It's about the Love of the Divine, the love for the Divine, the love for one's parents and friends, the love for humanity, all human kind and justice ... the love for yourself. And Shelina's journey to find love takes her from the London suburbs to the highest peak in Africa and to the Ancient city of Petra; all of which is, surprisingly enough, approved and encourage by the Holy Qur'an.   

Another reason why I absolutely adore this book is because, simply put, I can relate to it. I know exactly what it's like to grow up a British Asian Muslim woman. I have also experienced being torn between my "multiversal" identities. And to top it all off, I'm at exactly same point in life as Shelina was when she begins her story. 

And since I'm writing about the beginning, I would also like to mention how hilarious the book is to begin with. Although the humour is maintained throughout the prose, as the story progressed, it also became more mature, with sections of deep insightful thought. I felt as if I was also growing older with Shelina, watching as she increased in experience, confidence and wisdom. It feels like Shelina and I have been good friends for a long time. And as with all my other good and great friends, I remember her in my prayers, wishing her the best of luck with whatever she's doing right now.     

And because of this connection and relatability, Shelina success story has instilled in me a secret hope that maybe, one day, I'll find my 'one' as well. There is something quite Austen-esq about it all. 

For some unfathomable reason, I was reminded of the song "You've got the love" by Florence and The Machine, when I read this book. Only the love in the song has taken the form of the Divine Love, "with a capital l", that Shelina talks a lot about. As yet I haven't worked out how to upload a .mp3 clip onto a blog, or even a video. So, for now, here is the link to youtube for the song - if you which to hear it.   

Maybe I'm being a bit obsessive, maybe I'm completely biased, but I believe that everyone, not just Muslim men and women, should read about Shelina's incredible and inspiring journey. It's a stand for feminism if nothing else. Well, no matter, the second sentence of the book made me promise not to keep this story a secret and that's exactly what I'm doing. I've even brought three or four copies of the book to distribute amongst my friends after exams.    

Anyway, I must get some shut-eye now (seeing as it is 1:20am) if I want to be even remotely conscious during the last official day of my academic year.  

Nida