My Favourite Duas

Ramadan is only a few days away and I wanted to share some of my favourite duas to read in my prayers. These supplications have helped me in my most difficult times and I hope they are of benefit to you too.

Dua to read on laylatul qadr:

Allahumma innaka afuw-wun tuhibul afwa fa-fu-annee

O Allah you are the forgiving you love to forgive so forgive me

Ibn Majah

Dua for when something is difficult:

Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja’altu sahlan wa anta taj-alul hazna iza shi’ta sahlan

O Allah! There is nothing made easy except what you make easy and you make difficult easy if it be your will.

Ibn Hibban

Dua for beneficial knowledge:

Allahumma innee asaluka ilman naa-fi-an

O Allah! I ask you for knowledge that is of benefit

Ibn Majah

Dua for anxiety:

Allahumma inne a’uzu bika minal-hammi wal-hazani wal-ajzi wal-kasali wal-bukhli wal-jubni wa zala id’daini wa ghalabatir-rijaali

O Allah! I take refuge in you from anxiety and sorrow, from weakness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men

Al Bukhari

Dua for steadfastness in faith:

Ya muqallibal-qulub thabbit qalbi ‘ala deenak

O Controller of hearts make firm my heart in your religion

Tirmmidhi

Dua for when in difficulty:

La ilaha illah anta subhaanaka innee kuntu minazzalimeen

There is no deity except you, glory be to you, indeed I have been of the wrongdoers

Quran (21:87)

Dua for good in this world and the next:

Rabbana aatina fi’d-dunya hasana wa fil aakhirati hasana wa qia azaban-naar

Our lord grant us good in this world and in the hereafter and protect us from the torment of hell

Quran (2:201)

Dua to ask Allah to accept our worship:

Rabbana taqqabbal minnaa innaka antas-samee’ul aleem

Our Lord accept (this) from us indeed you are the hearing the knowing

Quran (2:127)

Dua for a house in paradise:

Rabbibnee lee a’indaka baytan fil jannati

My Lord build for me near you a house in paradise

Quran (66:11)

Dua for confidence:

Rabbish rahli sadri wa yassirli amri wahlul ‘uqdatum-mil-lisani yaf-qa-hu qawli

My Lord expand my breast for me and ease for me my task and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech

Quran (20:25-28)

Dua for repentance:

Rabbana zalamna anfusana wa il-lam taghfir lana wa tarhamna lana ku-nanna minal-khasireen

Our Lord we have wronged ourselves and if you don’t forgive us and have mercy upon us we will surely be among the losers

Quran (7:23)

Dua to be steadfast in prayer:

Rabbij’alni muqeemas-salaati wa min dhurriyaati rabbana wa taqabbal dua

My Lord make me an establisher of prayer and (many) from my descendants our Lord accept my supplication.

Quran (14:40)

There are so many more incredible duas and I recommend using the Fortress of a Muslim and also the app myduaa for more duas.

Once Upon A Ramadan Book Tag

This year Ramadan Readathon is themed around a wonderful anthology, Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslims. So YA Book Corner has created a wonderful book tag inspired by the anthology!

I had the opportunity to read an arc of the anthology and it is full of the most beautiful joyful stories which encompass so many traditions and cultures and how Eid can be so different for each of us all over the world. You should all read this book!

You can read their post here 
Also make sure to use #RamadanReadathon and tag @muslimreadathon on twitter

 

Culture – Name a character that identifies with one or more cultures.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad is full of different cultures and Nafiza completely immerses us in them from food references to clothes and more.

Tradition – Name a book where the character(s) have a tradition.

Yes No Maybe So by Aisha Saeed & Becky Albertalli is set during Ramadan.

Generosity – Name a character that is generous.

Ayesha from Ayesha Dean and the Istanbul Intrigue by Melati Lum is a wonderful character who is kind and generous and I really loved her.

Community – Name a book where community plays an important role.

The Muslim community in All American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney played an important role in helping Allie to discover her faith.

Faith – Name a character who has a strong sense of faith.

Alizayd al-Qahtani from The City of Brass is a character who’s nuanced Muslim rep I will forever be thankful for. He seeks refuge in prayer and has a strong sense of social justice and Shannon showed through him that practicing your faith doesn’t automatically make you a radical.

Gratitude – Name a book you are thankful for.

I will forever by thankful for Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali because this book reminded me of how I met my husband and I am so happy to see a love story with Muslim characters and that they still hold on to their faith too.

Sacrifice – Name a character that makes a sacrifice for another.

An Ember in the Ashes quartet by Sabaa Tahir is full of characters who make sacrifices for each other.

Light – Name a book with light in the title.

The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah came to mind instantly!

Hope – Name a book or share a quote about hope.

Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed is full of inspiring and hopeful quotes and reminders.

“This world cannot break you—unless you give it permission. And it cannot own you unless you hand it the keys—unless you give it your heart. And so, if you have handed those keys to dunya for a while—take them back. This isn’t the End. You don’t have to die here. Reclaim your heart and place it with its rightful owner: God.”

Love – Name a book with an epic love story.

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin! I absolutely loved the romance and misunderstandings and it was just perfect!

Forgiveness – Name a character who is the forgiving type.

A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby is a story about forgiveness and coming to terms with their grief.

Memories – Name a book that holds special memories for you.

Yes, I’m Hot in This by Huda Fahmy is a book that my husband gifted to me on behalf of my cat, Sherlock. He had Sherlock ‘give’ it to me and everything.

Belonging – Name a book or character that struggled with belonging.

One of the main characters in Mirage by Somaiya Daud struggles with finding her place as she comes from two different cultures and doesn’t fit into either.

Family – Name a book that features strong family bonds.

We Hunt the Flame has a great found family and I love the family bonds between Zafira, Yasmine and Deen.

Joy – Name a book that brought you joy.

That Can be Arranged by Huda Fahmy had me grinning and laughing the whole way through the book and I have already read it multiple times.

I hope you enjoyed the tag! I tried to use books my Muslim authors and I highly recommend checking out their books!

Everyone is welcome to do the tag!

Books To Give You A Spiritual Boost in Ramadan

Growing up I didn’t have much access to attending classes for Islamic studies past learning to read the Quran as a kid so the main way I learnt about Islam was through reading and over the years I have read a lot of books that helped me to learn about Islam.

While I have been attending Islamic classes for about 10 years now I still love reading these books and learn so much and they have helped me get through some really difficult times. So I thought I would share these books and I hope you all benefit from them too!

Spiritual Boosting Books

Prayers of the Pious by Omar Suleiman
Allah Loves by Omar Suleiman
Patience and Gratitude by Ibn al-Qayyim
The Eternal Challenge: A Journey Through the Miraculous Quran by Abu Zakariya
Love and Happiness byYasmin Mogahed
Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed
Signs of the Day of Judgement by Ibn Kathir
Diseases of the Heart and their Cures by Ibn Taymiyyah
The Heart of the Quran by Asim Khan
Al-Ubudiyyah: Being a True Slave of Allah Ibn Taymiyyah
Weakness of Iman – It’s Signs of Weakness, Causes and Cures by Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid
Revive Your Heart by Nouman Ali Khan
Morals and Manners in Islam: A Guide to Islamic Adab by Marwan Ibrahim al-Kaysi
The Abandoned Prayers by Adanan Aali Uroor
Light Upon Light by Nur Fadhilah Wahid
The Relief From Distress by Ibn Taymiyyah
Dua: The Weapon of the Believer by Yasir Qadhi
Lesson from Surah Kahf by Yasir Qadhi
Muhammad: How He Can Make You Extraordinary by Hesham al-Awadi
Children Around the Prophet by Hesham al-Awadi

History Books

Lost Islamic History by Firas Al-Khateeb
Muhammad The Last Prophet by Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi
Misquoting Muhammad by Jonathan A.C. Brown
Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary
Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Mir
Ibn Battuta: The Journey of a Medieval Muslim by Eduardo Albert
Child Companions Around the Prophet by Sameh Strauch
Sala ad-din and the crusades by Qaiser M. Talib
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf
When the Moon Split by Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri

Books About Women

The Forgotten Queens of Islam by Fatima Mernissi
Al-Muhaddithaat: Women Scholars in Islam by Akram Nadwi
Beyond the Veil by Fatima Mernissi
Women in Islam: Challenging Narratives by Ismail Adam Patel
Islam: The Empowering of Women by Aisha Bewley
Muslim Women: A Biographical Dictionary by Aisha Bewley
It’s Noy About the Burqa edited by Mariam Khan
Women in the Quran by Asma Lamrabet
The Veil and the Male Elite by Fatima Mernissi
Golden Stories of Sayyida Khadijah by Abdul Malik Mujahid
A History of Islam in 21 Women by Hossein Kamaly
Believing Women in Islam by Asma Barlas
Gendered Morality by Zahra Ayubi

Other

Secrets to a Successful Marriage by Afshan Khan
Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet by Abdul-Matin
The Unchallengeable Miracles of the Quran by Yusuf Al-hajj Ahmad
Slavery and Islam by Jonathan A.C. Brown
Hadith: The Foundations of Islam by Jonathan A.C. Brown
Islamic Medicine: Key to a Better Life by Yusuf Al-Hajj Ahmad
Worship During Menses by Muhammad al-Jibaly
The Quest for Love and Mercy by Muhammad al-Jibaly
Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet by Ibn Qayyim
The Productive Muslim by Mohammad Faris
Scents and Flavors by Charles Perry

I hope you’re able to find something you want to read and I am always happy to answer any questions or give you other book recommendations if you’re looking for something specific!

This isn’t all the books I own but ones I definitely recommend!

May Monthly Wrap Up

Another month has gone by and honestly I cannot believe it’s the end of May already!

This month is Ramadan so my timetable has changed quite a bit (even though I cannot fast) but I have loved every second of it! It will be Eid in a few days and I am simultaneously sad to see Ramadan go but also excited for Eid! Honestly Ramadan is my favourite month in the whole year and every single year it always comes and goes so quickly. I’ve also written a couple posts about it which I will share at the end.

I also got to meet Ashley Poston and Susan Denard this month! I absolutely adore the Geekerella books and I am so glad I got to meet Ashley! They were both so lovely and the event was so much fun!

I also took part in the Ramadan Readathon again this year which I love! Nadia is an amazing host and it was also so great to take part in the twitter chat with Yasmin Rahman who is the author of All the Things we Never Said (out in July). We spoke about representation in books and having Muslim characters and own voices stories and mental health as Yasmin’s book deals with mental health issues.

So what books did I read this month, you ask? Well I had a pretty decent reading month and read some really great books!

So the books I read this month are:

1 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – this was a reread as an audiobook and I still absolutely adore this book!

2 Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly – I really loved this retelling and I ended up really rooting for the “ugly” sister. You can read my full review here

3 The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala – I really enjoyed this book and I’m really looking forward to reading the next book. You can find my review here

4 The Chosen by Taran Matharu – I love the Summoner books, so I was excited to read this, and I really loved it! You can read my review here

5 The Sharp Edge of a Snowflake by Sif Sigmarsdottir – I have mixed opinions about this book, I did like it but I was disappointed by the ending

6 The Weight of our Sky by Hanna Alkaf – This book deals some very heavy issues and does so really well. Highly recommend reading this!

7 Light Upon Light by Nur Fadhilah Wahid – I really loved the short inspiring letters and they really resonated with me

8 Prayers of the Pious by Omar Suleiman – I absolutely loved this book! Full of inspiring and uplifting gems and a book that I will come back to time and time again

9 I Will Not Be Erased: Our Stories About Growing up as People of Colour – I related to the stories in this book so much! Some of the stories are written by Muslim women and one of the stories brought me to tears.

10 Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford – This book is really funny and sarcastic and made me want to tear down the patriarchy!

11 All The Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman – I read this book in one sitting, basically stayed up until 5am to read and I have no regrets! The mental health rep in this book is so relatable, and I was a sobbing mess just by reading the first chapter.

So these are the books I read this month. Have you read any of these books? What were your favourite books you read this month?

I also wrote reviews for these books:

My So Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
Nocturna by Maya Motayne

You can also read my posts about Ramadan here:

It’s Ramadan but I can’t fast
What you can do if you can’t fast
Favourite books by Muslim authors

These are my Ramadan Readathon posts:

Non-Fiction books
Non-Western setting

So that’s everything for this month!

My Favourite Books By Muslim Authors

I am absolutely loving that there are more books being released by Muslim authors so I thought I would share some of my favourites and ones I highly recommend you all read! They range from non-fiction to fantasy to contemporary books.

This month is also Ramadan and you can also take part in the Ramadan Readathon taking place on Instagram and twitter and these books are perfect for many of the prompts!

1 Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed – a book that I will recommend to every single person until the end of time! I adore this book and it’s written in such a way that it feels like it’s written just for me. This book has gotten me through so many difficult times in my life.

2 The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty – I am completely and entired in love with and totally obsessed with this trilogy! It is absolutely amazing and you all need to go read it. If you want to know more you can read my review here

3 Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin – a Pride and Prejudice retelling with Muslim characters and I absolutely adored it! The banter and slow burn romance was done so well! You can read my review here

4 Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed – a book that deals with a topic I am so passionate about, girls rights to an education. I really loved how Aisha dealt with the issue and highly recommend you all read it. You can read my review here

5 An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – this book is brutal and intense and will keep you on the edge of your feet right until the end!

6 Revive Your Heart by Nouman Ali Khan – a book that deals with many important societal issues faced by Muslims today. Highly relevant and really inspiring.

7 She Wore Red Trainers by Naima B Robert – a halal love story that I absolutely adored! You can read my review here

8 Ayesha Dean – The Istanbul Intrigue by Melati Lum – a Muslim teenage detective who ends up solving mysteries while she is on holiday with her friends. If you enjoy Nancy Drew type books then I highly recommend it! You can find out more by reading my review here

9 Kick the Moon by Muhammad Khan – dealing with toxic masculinity that is still very much prevalent in todays society and that it is okay to be you. You can read my review here

10 Prayers of the Pious by Omar Suleiman – this is a short concise book but full of inspiring duas and how amazing Muslims in the past knew the power in dua. It’s such a great book and perfect as a Ramadan read.

So these are some of my favourite books!

Do you have any favourite books by Muslim authors? Or books by Muslim authors you want to read?