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Blood of the Levant by Abdullah Yousef (Book Recommendation)

As a Muslim reader and a fan of fantasy/science fiction, I am naturally drawn to novels such as Blood of the Levant. It's so refreshing to see a strong Muslim character as the main protagonist of the story, a hero with a tragic past who one can empathize with. As you read the tale, Omar's enemies will become your enemies, and Omar's successes will be something that you too will be able to celebrate. Aside from his enhanced strength, I found Omar's sheer determination, both as a boy and a mature adult to be one of the main draws of the story. The visions that Omar has throughout the story are intriguing. So many questions are left unanswered at the end of the novel, which I am assuming will be addressed in the next book in the series! Overall, Blood of the Levant presents an amazing story with writing that is absolutely stellar!! I wish there were more books like this when I was younger. I strongly recommend this novel for avid readers of historical fantasy, particularly

Vanguard of the Four Kingdoms

I have removed the link to my story for now.

Planning to Query My Novel!

Salaam everyone! I finished the second manuscript of my novel on September 17, 2023. Since then, I made some additional revisions. My new word count is near 86,000 now. I plan on querying my novel for the first time on October 14th! I am very excited and hope that it goes well!

Chapter 1: Black Guardians - Scene 4

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Chapter 1: Black Guardians - Scene 3

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Chapter 1: Black Guardians - Scene 2

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Chapter 1: Black Guardians - Scene 1

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First Manuscript Completed

Alhamdulillah! I have completed the first manuscript of "Vanguard of the Four Kingdoms". I have started the revision process but as of now I am not certain how long it will take. I would definitely like to have it finished by the end of 2024 if not sooner.

Islamic Novel Progress

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Prologue

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The Sultan's Sword by Badees Nouiouat (Book Recommendation)

A Wonderful Islamic Adventure Series Continues!! In The Sultan's Sword, book two of The Adventures of Nur Al-Din, Farid returns, wiser and more experienced. He is tested throughout the novel with leadership, ruthless enemies, betrayal, and even temptation. Trusting in God Almighty, Farid struggles against his challenges and arises victorious! Muslim readers will be able to relate to the protagonist and will in sha Allah be inspired to improve themselves! The Islamic messages in this novel are very deep. A few of my favorites are: (1) the importance of conquering one's self (2) God may allow good to be done through us but it is our intentions that determine our reward (3) if we want God's help, we have to take the first step. Overall, this novel was an excellent read - nice plot, well-written, and full of action. Most importantly, the novel promote an Islamic worldview and Islamic principles. I look forward to reading more novels from the author. You can purchase  The Sultan

The Adventures of Nur Al-Din by Badees Nouiouat (Book Recommendation)

Islamic Fiction Novel Full of Adventure! Farid, a young Tunisian man joins an infamous pirate crew to struggle against the Spanish Colonialists. Too often, the evils of the Colonialists are glossed over, so it is refreshing for a novel to represent them as they truly are. My favorite part about this novel is that it is written from an Islamic worldview and is full of Islamic lessons. I highly recommend this book, especially for the younger Muslim reader. You can purchase The Adventures of Nur Al-Din on Amazon.

The Enchanter's Counsel by Thalib Razi (Book Recommendation)

Beautiful Fantasy World with Islamic Principles and Values The Enchanter's Counsel presents a beautiful fantasy world with influences from classical fantasy (e.g., goblins, elves, dwarves) and modern concepts (e.g., metaverse) and combines them in a very creative manner. Similar to our world, the people in Quatrain are faced with secularism, racism, and elitism. The characters are very relatable and the plot is expertly executed. As a reader, I was able to empathize with Mizan and the struggles he faced. My favorite aspect of the novel is the Islamic principles and values tied into the story in a manner that is neither preaching nor distracting. The name "El" is used for God instead of Allah. The "Way" is used for Deen (and perhaps Shariah). Mizan learns to trust more and more in the will of God. The phrase "Leilaliel" is used quite a bit by the followers of the Way. I highly recommend this novel, especially to Muslim readers who love fantasy! You can

IslamCan.com (Recommended Website)

Salaam! These may be a mix of true stories with some fictional stories, or perhaps they are all true stories. Either way, the following website has a bunch of nice Islamic short stories: https://www.islamcan.com/increaseiman/index.shtml Asif

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 everythi

Face to Face: Maqrur of Paradise & Masrur of Fire by Ahmad Bahjat (Book Recommendation)

Salaam! This is a book about a pious individual named Maqrur who repented from a life of sin and an evil tyrant named Masrur who greatly resembles Firaun. Masrur conspires to have Maqrur killed but he ends up dying as well. The book takes the reader on a journey through the events that will occur on the Day of Judgment strictly using the Qur'an and Sunnah. It also zeros in on the reckoning for both Maqrur and Masrur. I came across this story when I did a Google search for "sirat". You could read or download the book on the following website: https://www.islambasics.com/book/face-to-face-masrur-of-paradise-maqrur-of-fire Asif