Books & Audiobooks
Being Muslim Today is a book that I read hoping to get a better understanding of Islam and what it means to be a Muslim. As a non-Muslim, I had a lot to learn. I hadn’t read the texts central to the religion before 2024 and largely relied on empathetic interpretations rather than cultivating my own by reading the texts.
I walked away from the book with a depth of appreciation for Saqib Iqbal Qureshi’s writing, storytelling, and willingness to share so much of his faith with readers. It is a kind of honesty and authenticity from an author that makes books like his such a delight to read.
I found it more instructive than its equally un-put-downable memoir-meets-faith genre contemporaries: We Have Always Been Here, Praying to the West, and Hijab Butch Blues. Nevertheless, Qureshi has written a must-read volume. Being Muslim Today was helpful to understand the nuances of the faith wherein there are challenges and conflicts coming from within it, as well as those facing it from beyond it.
Throughout 2024 I spent time reading about Islamic philosophy (spoiler alert: it is so cool!). After reading or paging through about 50 of these kinds of books, I returned to Qureshi’s tome for its astute synthesis. He explores key texts, and beliefs of the faith so that readers understand the challenges facing Muslims within it. One of the strengths was the way that Qureshi took the West to task for its characterizations of Muslims (i.e. the negative stereotypes and generalizations that inform Islamophobia). Mainstream media representation, and even TV and film can often limit how we view a community. While these depictions have improved, there are still tropes used despite their exhausted application. Between Praying to The West and Being Muslim Today, I was taken aback by the beauty of Islam, which runs counter to what is often said about it.
Qureshi examines the historical contexts informing the emergence of Islam as well as the nuances that reveal the humanity of the faith. Threads to the present weave contemporary struggles for recognition together with Islam’s peaceful orientation to tell the story of Qureshi’s experience of a truly beautiful faith. It wasn’t just informative; It was a moving illumination of the haven that Islam offers many people. If you are looking for a book to spend time with as a way of reading through another person’s eyes and experience, Being Muslim Today is an excellent place to start.