Turning the Tide : Reawakening the Woman's Heart and Soul

DESCRIPTION:

The reader is taken on a journey through the stages of a woman's life, from the inception of the soul to the end of life on Earth. Words of wisdom, guidance and compassion from the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pave the way, and inspire the reader to reawaken their heart and soul. With contemporary thoughts and voices flowing through the book, this voyage is one of contemplation, discovery and self-knowledge.

‘Through the water metaphor, Suma Din takes us through cycles and scenes of life, confidently moving along like the steady trickling stream of clear and soothing water, from the beginning of life in the womb, through childhood to old age. The book aspires, as says the subtitle, to “reawaken the woman’s heart and soul”, but I expect that in here sisters and brothers alike will be able to quench some of their thirst for comfort and guidance towards a deeper understanding of the simple and infinite wisdom of God’s words. Each of the book’s ten chapters offer poetic reflections on the eternal problems of life, short streams of thought that we all can relate to, thoughts that are familiar yet fresh in the way the author shares them with her readers. Each of these Myriad Voices introduces one or two of God’s magnificent names, leading on to a careful selection of Qur’anic verses and ahadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him), before the message is exemplified in a brief, yet accurate and rich rendition of the essential examples of great Muslim women, from the Pharaon’s wife Asiya to the Prophet’s wives, Khadija and Aisha, his daughter Fatima (peace be upon them), and several other notable women. I expect young and old readers, female and male, will turn to this book and find themselves wishing to not come ashore again.’

This is a beautiful, valuable and inspiring book, and once I started to read it I could not put it down. Women who have been brought up with dull rote-learning of the faith, a preoccupation with rules and regulations that do not begin to touch the heart, and a struggle to cope with a foreign language and numerous technical terms, will find this book a real 'turning of the tide.' The journey from the innocence of a newly-created soul to the anticipation of the soul preparing to return to its Maker, is a journey of hope, love, encouragement and faith. An excellent book.

‘The book is structured according to the ages of woman, and accompanies each age with beautiful and appropriate imagery linked to water, ‘reflecting facets of our selves as well as reminding us of God’s miracles surrounding us’. The English is clear, simple and readable, even in the translations of Qur’an and Hadith. The author shows remarkable understanding of all the stages of woman’s life, including those she herself has not yet reached. For me one of the best was her treatment of ‘The Heart’ but the chapters on marriage, childbearing, health, and ‘The Age of Wisdom’ (over sixty according to one ‘voice’), are equally good and useful in providing a clear framework of values for women in today’s confused world, where they are expected to be all things to all people.… by the time I had finished I felt that perhaps an inner eye really had been opened and that I could look at the world with a new sense of life and wonder.’

DETAILS:

ISBN: 9780860377580
AUTHOR: Suma Din
BINDING: Hardback
PAGES: 256 pages
DIMENSIONS: 22.5 x 1.5 x 15.5 cm
PUBLISHER: The Islamic Foundation