As a British born Muslim, I was intrigued by this book written by Carla Power and her take on Islam as a Western journalist. Carla was raised by a Jewish mother and a Quaker father and due to the nature of her father’s work grew up in various Muslim countries around the world including Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt and India during the 1970’s. This gave her a unique insight into Islam.
As she became a journalist, she often covered stories related to Islam and noticed most stories in the mass media were akin to Islamic terrorists and those who were ‘different’. In attempt to make the narrative more balanced and truly understand the religion and its people she embarked on a one-year journey, studying the Quran with scholar Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi. Some would say this was an, ‘unlikely friendship’ but they realised they were more connected as humans when it came to tragedies such as death. Carla’s father was murdered in a case of mistaken identity in Mexico and when she told Sheikh Akram, he consoled her with a Pakistani poem he had taken comfort in at the time of his mother’s death. He recited the poem by the Pakistani philosopher/poet Muhammed Iqbal. It was an elegy to his mother: “Who will wait for my letters now? Who will wait for me in the night to return now?”
Reading this book at first I felt it was coming from a place of privilege but I acknowledge that perhaps this is the angle which needs the most focus. I respect what she has tried to do with this book but of course Islam is complex, and this book can only scratch its surface. This award-winning memoir explores all the difficult questions Muslims are always asked by non-Muslims, and some questions quite frankly even Muslims ask each other but struggle to answer – not being scholars of the Quran.
Having spent a year studying the Quran she has come to the conclusion that terrorists are modern products of a post colonialist society – they want power, fame, money and land. These are not traits of spiritual Islam which believes this duniya (world) is only a temporary space. The media often takes verses out of context which causes misunderstanding.
Carla had permission to go into the Sheikh’s life without boundaries and ask whatever she wanted, as well as attending his classes. Nothing was off topic. Discussions varied from women’s rights, to war and the afterlife. Carla did not shy away from asking the difficult questions.
It is impossible to discuss all of the details of the Quran in such a small space but I think this book does a great job in asking important questions and providing viewpoints which may otherwise never been seen. The context of questions and answers is highlighted as the Quran and rules of Islam often lose meaning when read in isolation.
An interesting perspective, probably easier to swallow for a Western audience. Bringing much needed dialogue regarding common misconceptions of Islam into the West. Worth a read, hopefully it will inspire more people to read the Quran for themselves.
