Fantasy With a Hint of Asian Spices
This is the message the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him, delivered on the Day of Arafah, in the 10th year after the migration (632AD) to Madinah from Makkah. It is widely narrated in the books of Hadith (oral traditions of the Prophet Muhammad). The message was not just delivered for the people […]
Read More The Last SermonThe Hajj is annual pilgrimage that draws nearly 2 million people every year and has been the literal mecca for pilgrims since the time of Ibrahim (Abraham), peace and blessings be upon him, which is some 4000 years. In this post, I will share with you 5 things you may or may not know about […]
Read More 5 Things to Know About the HajjYes, but its more than just a practice for me. Its a way of life and a way of thinking. My students often ask me my opinion on controversial things. I respond by saying that my view is what my religion states. I am not homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, racist, anti-semitic or any other type of […]
Read More DAILY PROMPTI launched a podcast today titled … Fantasy and Faith. The first episode was just an intro episode looking at some of my history and the challenges I’ve faced as a writer. Its available on Substack and also on YouTube Podcasts. I would really appreciate your support on either channels. I’ve also published a collaborative […]
Read More Fantasy and FaithToday, I’m treating this blog post as therapy. I’m feeling over-stretched and out of sorts. As usual, I have taken on too much. My new day job is very demanding and often leaves me feeling exhausted at the end of the day. I’ve also made a commitment to my old job, to help tie things […]
Read More Stretched ThinMuslims, like Christians, have formed various denominations and splits. This post will give you a lightspeed understanding of what they mean and how that may relate to your character. One Ummah Muslims have a lot of similarities to each other, and there is this over-riding concept of One Ummah (roughly translates to nation). The Ummah […]
Read More How Not to Write Muslim Characters Part 3That’s a little misleading. It should be, the Art of Not Juggling Too Many Projects Introduction I, like any other writer, dream of seeing my work in print (or e-ink). I have half-a-dozen ideas that I want to get down on paper or onscreen, but with too many things on the go, I’m going to […]
Read More The Art of Juggling ProjectsIn the last post, we explored the different stereotypical characterizations of Muslims. In this post, we will look at how to write a Muslim better. Muslims are like any other human being. They have needs and wants, they have family and friends, they have aspirations and goals. Therefore, ground your character in these qualities. The […]
Read More How Not to Write Muslim Characters Part 2I was recently asked to beta read a book for a writer friend that featured Muslim characters. It is always a difficult task writing about a diaspora that you are not from or intimately familiar with. So, the aim of this article is to provide you with a foundation to avoid the common mistakes. All […]
Read More How Not to Write Muslim Characters Part 1Every hero (and writer) has an origin story, here is mine… I tell people that my aspirations for becoming a writer began when I heard my teacher read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis to the class. That story got me into reading and wanting to write. It makes for […]
Read More The Ink that made me