If the Oceans were Ink
This book literally covered every single controversial topic surrounding Islam and deconstructed it beautifully and seamlessly for the reader. Although we’re discussing heavy topics ranging from the role of women to the concept of jihad it never felt like a heavy read since the narrative was a story of Carla and Sh Akrams conversations. I think this is a perfect read for anyone interested in knowing a bit about what Islam is. And, definitely for the Muslim to understand what their own religion is really about!
- SYNOPSIS -
If the Oceans Were Ink is a memoir by Carla Power, an American journalist who sets out on a yearlong journey through the Quran with Sheikh Akram Nadwi, a madrasah-trained scholar. An unlikely friendship, but together they challenge their worldviews as they debate and clarify controversial verses, discussing them from cafes and lecture halls in London all the way to Mecca and India.
3 things I absolutely loved about this book. Firstly, how unapologetically Muslim Akram Nadwi was. Facing all the difficult questions and refusing to sugar coat answers is not an easy feat. Especially now where we’re seeing a rise of people trying to make Islam ‘fit in' with the social norms and change the interpretations of verses according to what society thinks is right today. But Sh Akram was having none of that! He told it how it was meant to be, and gave Carla the choice to agree or not.
That’s the second thing I absolutely loved; the conversation. This is how interfaith dialogue is meant to happen. Where both parties put down their preconceived notions of the others and provide a safe space for debate and disagreements, where there are respect, understanding and compassion. That’s the only way we can break away from the hate created by our polarising newsfeeds and build bridges.
Another thing was, just reading about who Sh Akram was. It was rather fascinating! About his childhood in a small village, to his madrasah life, to working in Oxford and being an Imam. It’s not exactly a biography but we get small snippets of it all and that was really nice. Also, I loved his emphasis on holistic Islam, where we're not Muslim (noun) just as an identity but Muslim (verb - those in submission to God) as a lifestyle.
I learnt a lot from this book, but I wanted to share one of my favourite lessons. It was from his seminar on Surah Yusuf that Carla attends.
On the whiteboard next to him, the Sheikh drew a line. Next to it, he sketched a circle. The line represented your space, the environment in which you find yourself. Space could be anywhere—a well, a prison cell, a state ruled by a despot, or a foreign country.
Next, he pointed to the circle. That symbolized the cycle of a Muslim's life, the steady beat of night and day, ticking away, for as long as God chose to keep you on this earth. The space you found yourself in was not in your control, said Akram. The cycle was.
"Any condition, even the worst condition of life, will result in something better if you keep the cycle going on." To change your situation, tend to the cycle, resist temptation and pray to God. Once you do that, "any space will be turned in your favour."
Don't focus on what you have no control over - changing the situation. Instead, focus on changing yourself, and the situation is bound to change.
Some of my other favourite quotes that really stayed with me after closing the book -
For the Sheikh, Heathrow's Terminal 5 was no different from the rest of the planet. He regarded this world much as many people do airports: a way station to endure in order to reach one's true destination. A place to navigate, as best you can, through its lines and officialdom, to get where you're really going. "We belong to God," says the Quran, "and to God, we return."
He said, 'I can't teach you everything, but I can teach you how to think, and if I know that you are at the stage where you can reason through your arguments, and use the sources correctly, then you will have to go away and discover for yourself all the things that I haven't taught you.'
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Reviewer
Thasneema is a book lover, a collector of deep quotes and a keen learner who reads as an avenue to discover more about the world and herself. She is particularly interested in books that give her new perspectives and allows her to grow spiritually. To find more of her reflections on different books follow her Instagram page @neemu.reads
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