Why write Islamic fiction?

What's the point of writing Islamic fiction? Should we bother spending so much time and effort on such an endeavor when the Ummah could be served better through education, dawah, social justice advocacy, and charity work?

Every ounce of effort that we put forth for the cause of Allah (SWT) will be rewarded as long as we are sincere and follow the guidelines in the Qur'an and Sunnah, in sha Allah. We should explore every avenue to promote our Deen. Entertainment is an area that I feel that we can tap into more. Realistically, the average person spends at least a portion of their time on entertainment. Whether we like to admit it or not, we do get affected by the material we consume.

Here are some of the ways I feel that good quality Islamic fiction could benefit our Ummah as well as the greater society:

1. Promotion of an Islamic worldview. As Muslims, we recognize that our sole purpose is to worship Allah (SWT) in a holistic manner, in everything we do. We realize that everything we have is from Allah (SWT). We realize that we have been placed in this world as a test. We realize that the wealth we have is a trust. And more. These messages could be reinforced through Islamic fiction.

2. Improving self-confidence. Reading about brave and strong Muslim characters of different races and nationalities could increase our self-confidence and combat the inferiority complex that many of us have. We do not have to accept Hollywood's notions of what a protagonist looks like.

3. Challenge established notions of beauty. Beauty is a universal concept and is something that we as human beings are wired to be attracted to. However, beauty does not have to be restricted to what one particular society defines it as. It's important to note however that one's inner beauty is the most important.

4. Education. Many concepts of Islam could be weaved into an entertaining story. Muslims could enjoy good stories and learn at the same time.

5. Dawah. This is another avenue that we could use to promote our Deen. We can present Islam in its pristine form to a broader audience. Perhaps Allah (SWT) will guide people to Islam through our work.