PRESS RELEASE: HIJRI — A YEAR-ROUND ACCOUNT OF MUSLIM WOMEN'S LIVES

Bismillah.

Assalamu aleikum!

DALLAS, TX — September 29th, 2022. DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING has officially released the anthology HIJRI: A YEAR-ROUND ACCOUNT OF MUSLIM WOMEN'S LIVES Written by Rumki Chowdhury, Papatia Feauxzar, Sana Khan, Shoohada Khanom, and Umm Afraz Muhammed.

Summary: Hijri is the cornerstone of the Islamic way of life. Without it, Muslims would not be able to observe and perform their religious rituals. Hijri is also a time marker that helps us locate significant events in time, space, history, and in our daily lives. While it may seem elusive to many, we believe it’s a flexible calendar. It easily adjusts to each user’s schedule. For instance, all Muslims will consistently celebrate and observe holy or auspicious days within three days of each other and their ibadahs are still valid.

In this anthology titled HIJRI, acclaimed Muslim authors come together to tell their stories centered and surrounding the Islamic calendar. In their poignant accounts and tales, they share their hopes, their losses and most importantly their wins because the believer is always grateful for every situation.

Above all, HIJRI shows how Muslimah writers have mindfully reclaimed their rightful time frame for the only One that truly matters.

Some of the authors shared their reasons for writing their pieces. Check them out below.

“I wrote a poem focusing on Hajj beginning with the first time I did hajj with my parents and my brother, reminding myself of a cherished memory. I also wrote it for you, the reader, as motivation and a reminder of sorts. All journeys are meant to be taken together, whether physically or spiritually; I hope in reading my work that you are able to take that journey with me. May Allah make it easy for you, Ameen.”— Rumki Chowdhury

"Sister Papatia contacted me at the beginning of the year if I would like to be part of the Hijri Anthology and I was so thrilled. There was only one issue, only one topic remains to be covered: the month of Muharram and Ashura. I knew it was heavy and I committed myself to writing about it. It had led me to research more, both outside and inside of me. What does it mean for me as a born Muslim, a child, an adult Indian Muslim living in Belgium and married to an Algerian man? How does everything intersect and amalgamate in my life? The concoction is this essay. I definitely feel so much closer to Imam Hussein عليه السلام and the events of Karbala after writing this essay.”— Sana Khan

“When I started practicing Islam, I found out that some of my family’s cultural practices didn't align with it. Most were easy to drop. Others, not so much. Women coming out for Eid salah is one of those things. My story, although fictional, touches on the challenge one may find themselves in, trying to put religion first.”— Shoohada Khanom

“We all have memories that are close to our heart in relation to our religion and belief. When these memories and reflection pieces are put together in an anthology format that denotes a specific event or month of the Islamic calendar, that brings a whole new level of connection with the Hijri calendar. The Hijri Anthology is a unique concept that I am happy to have taken part in. May Allah ﷻ bless all those involved in it and forgive us for our shortcomings.”— Umm Afraz Muhammed

"I live the Hijri calendar daily and by contributing to the not so popular months, I pray that we are able to revive this sunnah and our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at the same time.”— Papatia Feauxzar

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

RUMKI CHOWDHURY

 Rumki’s second book “So Complicated” is a romcom that won The 2017 New York Book Festival Honorable Mention, the 2016 Red Ribbon for being an enjoyable read in UK´s The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and runner-up for humor in The 2015 Pacific Writer’s Awards. Her first book, “Her Feet Chime” is the first and only Bangladeshi YA version of a Cinderella story, written in English. Her third book is an anthology of poems which revolve around the misconceptions of the hijab/headscarf. it is poetry with a purpose, rather than profit as all proceeds go to a charity called, Restless Beings, http://www.restlessbeings.org/about

Rumki has a Masters in English Literature from Queen Mary University of London and a Bachelors in English Writing from William Paterson University of New Jersey. She is now a licensed English teacher in Stockholm, Sweden.

Visit her at www.rumki.com . 

PAPATIA FEAUXZAR 

Papatia is the Founder of Djarabi Kitabs Publishing and Fofky’s Bookclub. An American author, barista, and publisher of African descent, she lives in Dallas, Texas with her family. She is the Online Editor at Hayati Magazine and has been featured in the Dallas Morning News, DFW Child and Voyage Dallas.

She blogs at:

- www.papatia.wordpress.com 

- www.aducktrinormom.wordpress.com  

SANA KHAN

 Sana is a Motivational Speaker, Writer, Host and a Confidence and Breakthrough Coach. With an Engineering background and a Masters in International Business, she has more than 15 years of experience working in Corporates. Loves to inspire and empower people through her writing, videos and coaching. She has been writing for more than 5 years on her blog: fromadaydreamersdiary.wordpress.com. She likes to write spiritual poetry as well. She is currently working on her first fantasy fiction YA novel which she hopes to finish by December 2021. Dreamcatcher Framework is her Debut non-Fiction work. Sana lives in Belgium with her husband and their son.

For more information about Sana and her work, visit www.talkwithsana.com

SHOOHADA KHANOM 

Shoohada Khanom is a Children’s author, writer and home educator. She has published several Muslim faith picture books and a couple of journals. She has written for Amaliah and Hayati magazines, and has a short story and poem published in an anthology. Shoohada was born and raised in London, UK, and lives a busy life, splitting her days between home-educating a few of her children and other responsibilities. When she’s not writing, she likes to spend time with her family, read and sip tea. Shoohada believes representation is important, and by sharing her lived experiences and the layers of her British, Bangladeshi and Muslim identity, she can inspire empathy and connection amongst people.

In her rare free moments, she likes to read, write and sip tea. Connect with her on www.shoohadakhanom.com  

UMM AFRAZ MUHAMMED

 Umm Afraz Muhammed is an Indian settled in the Emirates with her husband and three children. She is a Psychology-graduate, an Islamic Studies post-graduate, and a Certified Life Coach following the principles of Islam and the International Coaching Federation. She has authored her debut fiction, Here With You, and her debut children’s picture book, Zaynab bint Jahsh: The One with the Longest Hand.

She blogs at https://ummafraz.wordpress.com and is available in Instagram and Facebook at:

- @redefinedmuslimahcoaching.  

She can also be contacted at:

- ummafraz@gmail.com or

- redefinedmuslimahcoaching@gmail.com

HIJRI is available in paperback on Amazon, DKP’s Bookstore, and Fofky's Online Book Café. You can also find the book on Goodreads.

CONTACTS

Djarabi Kitabs Publishing

PO BOX 703733

Dallas, TX 75370

USA

Email: editor@djarabikitabs.com

3 Books by Muslim Women to Inspire You in Marriage and Life

Muslim women continue to unveil their true identities to the unbeknownst outside world which concluded what they are is simply oppressed and staid.

Here are three poignant anthologies that work to dispel the prejudice, show the Muslim woman’s pride, reclaim the Muslim woman’s narrative and reassert the Muslim woman’s voice in the process. Read your sisters’ words, be inspired and validated.

1. The Things I Would Tell You: British Muslim Women Write



From established literary heavyweights to emerging spoken word artists, the writers in this ground-breaking collection blow away the narrow image of the Muslim Woman.

Hear from users of Islamic Tinder, a disenchanted Maulana working as a TV chat show host and a plastic surgeon blackmailed by MI6. Follow the career of an actress with Middle-Eastern heritage whose dreams of playing a ghostbuster flounder while being repeatedly cast as a jihadi bride. Among stories of honor killings and ill-fated love in besieged locations, we also find heart-warming connections and powerful challenges to the status quo. From Algiers to Brighton, these stories transcend time and place revealing just how varied the search for belonging can be. 

Triska Hamid’s short poem “London” is justifiable selfish. The reader realizes that while she may not call herself an English woman, she rightfully associates with being British. She loves London.

Fadia Faqir’s story “Under the Cypress” deals with bigotry, the circle of life and compassion among other things including magical realism.

In Amina Jama’s poem “Home, to a Man,” we relate to the advices and behaviors of moms and aunties. Immigrants will relate to the poem “The Things I Would Tell You” by Hibaq Osman. In all, this anthology is an eclectic writing style, testimony and non-monolithic sampling of the Muslim women of this era.

 2. Riding the Samoosa Express: Personal Narratives of Marriage and Beyond 

Riding the Samoosa Express is a metaphor to refer to the process of courtship, love, marriage, and beyond. It’s a well written tale sampling the diversity and the different faces the Indian Muslim women contributors experienced.

These personal narratives range from very funny tales like Farhana Ismail’s father’s izzat (honor) demands and Somayya Hansrod’s mishaps in the kitchen, to soul searching and self-actualization stories such as the ones of Yasmin Denat and many other anonymous and non-anonymous contributors. A very thought provocative compilation, Riding the Samoosa Express tell us that what may be true for one Muslim woman is not necessarily true or the norm for another Muslim woman. 

Each Muslim woman has a different life and a different culture. So, some of these stories mirror the lives of other Muslim women around the globe while many don’t. Many of the stories spoke to me. For instance, I felt the struggles of Zaheera Jina when she wished to be “Only Oomi” to her son while battling a PhD career in Mathematics.

Another story that spoke to me is the one of Nabeela Patel because of her open mind and religious tolerance of other faiths. I enjoyed her critical thinking and the way she ended her piece, “First, I need to blossom into a flower from a bud and settle into my own life. In this big, bad world I don’t know where I’ll end up, or who I will be, but I need to find that out first. I need to fathom the complex me, settle into my skin and breathe…”

3. Saffron: A Collection of Personal Narratives by Muslim Women

Saffron: A Collection of Personal Narratives by Muslim Women is an anthology of writing that draws on the lived realities of Muslim women.

Food and cooking, hardship and conflict, intimacy, baby-making, children, living with in-laws and self-esteem are some of the experiences unpacked in this collection of poignant personal narratives. This collection will remind and reassure that, although life brings with it many challenges, you as a woman are never alone in what you go through – many women share your experience.

Truly, in this anthology you will definitely realize that women all around you walk similar journeys with you. The testimonies are cryptic at times for the sake of privacy and revealing at other times for the sake of cautionary advice.

In all, all the stories complement one another. If you feel like one story left you thirsty, another will give you the closure you need. You will see an equal amount of beware-of-narcissistic-spouses and praise-able Muslim husbands like in “Khidmat in the Kitchen” by Aneesa Bodiat-Sujee.

There is also a healthy and classy dose of intimacy like in “Sublime Strawberries” by N. Moola. That’s essay 39 by the way, you have to read this sultry and cryptic romantic tale! From dealing with in-laws with diplomacy to infertility struggles, the WHOLE book rang true to me and here are some of the quotes I had to jot down:

Don’t let cooking takeover your life and don’t let the kitchen enslave you.” — Somayya Hansrod

This is a promise I made to myself before getting married. And I’m a good cook and a foodie.

“Food forces us to be present and connected in our marriages.” — Gouwa Gabier

In “Saffron,” Sumayya Mehtar said that, “… no marriage is all smooth sailing.” And I agree, you will simply realize that food has the power of mending relationships and helping you as a couple get passed the storm.

“Every newly married woman naively thinks that they are the first victim, history repeats itself with no solutions and deep sadness with no cures.” — Yumna Samaria

This is exactly where you see that other women work the journey with you and you aren’t alone. Reading the book will make you feel better and enjoy this group therapy it provides.

And of course my favorite, “Being a Muslim woman involves a perfect blend of saffron, rituals and philosophies.” —Dr. Zaheera Jina

Definitely! Without routines like daily plans, rituals like duas and dhikr, flavors like spices & teas and philosophies like inspirational quotes; I would be an unproductive mess and fit the stereotype about the Muslim woman as being a closed-minded individual.

There are many more passages in the book I found inspirational, and I hope you come to say the same too. These women hail from Africa, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Their common denominator is Islam and that alone makes their struggles and their wins relatable, and their book a must-read.

book reviewBook RecommendationsIslamic literatureMuslim authorsgreat marriage adviceBook SuggestionsThe Things I Would Tell You: British Muslim Women WriteSaffron: A Collection of Personal Narratives by Muslim WomenRiding the Samoosa Express: Personal Narratives of Marriage and Beyond

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