How Not to Write Muslim Characters Part 1

I 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 […]

The Ink that made me

Every 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 […]

Tarnished Heart

Last year I ended Ramadan with a reflection. This year, I want to up the ante and finish with a reflective poem. Three hundred and thirty days a year, Has blackened my tarnished heart, For the thirty days of Ramadan, Immersed myself in fasting, Supplications and recitation, Remembrance of His Names Salutations on His Beloved, […]

Monday

A poem that I wasn’t looking for, but I found it as I stepped out for work on Monday morning. Warning: it may be awful. What if Monday never came?And the weekend just continued? What if all our hours and minutes were for family?And we put down our phones? What if we stopped stressing the […]

Why Am I On A Spiritual retreat?

Last year it was FOMO, this year it’s something else If you are a regular reader, you’ll know that I am currently sitting in itikaf. The word itikaf comes from the root of akafa, which means to stick, cling to or devote oneself to something. It is a religious practice that the Prophet Muhammad (peace […]

COVID DIARY DAY 9130

It’s been 5 years since the lockdown. The human world was virtually under house arrest. The natural world 🌎 took a sigh of relief. Dolphins were spotted swimming in the Bosphorus, deer and mountain goats were seen roaming the streets of Britain and nature reserves saw a boom in animal populations. Introverts were supremely happy […]

Ramadan Days

We are half-way through Ramadan. I thought it maybe interesting for you to gain an insight into what my days look like currently. Work days start with sehri (breakfast) at 4am in the morning. My go to is porridge and dates. After breakfast, I brush my teeth thoroughly and perform ablution for prayer. The fajr […]

Ramadan 2025

Wow. It feels like its only been a short while since I wrote my last Ramadan post. So many people who were with us last year at this time have passed from the world. As a Muslim, I am grateful for every Ramadan that I am alive to experience. Each one is another month to […]

2025 Projects

Its been a pretty good year for me. But for the world, It’s been a tumultuous and disturbing one. Humanity seems to be losing … to itself. Despite the best efforts of scientists and science fiction authors, we continually move towards self-destructive tendencies. Climate change, wars, human rights violations, famine. And Donald Trump is yet […]