Revive Your Heart, Nouman Ali Khan | Book Review

Happiest of happy release days to Revive Your Heart by Nouman Ali Khan. 

A stunning collection of spiritual lectures that are both current and thought-provoking, Revive Your Heart: Putting Life into Perspective is Nouman Ali Khan's first book and I'm so glad it exists. I've followed his lectures and conferences on Youtube for a few years now and he is hands down one of my favourite Islamic teachers.

Revive Your Heart was written to suggest how Muslims can find peace in chaotic times. In a world that revolves around technology, social media and globalisation, it is easy to get distracted and disheartened by every day life. As a Muslim myself, Nouman Ali Khan's book was as much comforting as it was eye-opening. His thoughts on the way Muslims continue to favour sons over daughters as appalling was a refreshing thing for a young woman who has been exposed to such experiences whilst his call to collectively condemn terrorist attacks that hijack the name of Islam was a reassuring confirmation that the Muslim ummah (community) could be unified under this global issue.

Divided into five key parts, Revive Your Heart delves into the issue with Connecting to Allah through Du'a, Creating a Cohesive Muslim Community, Our Financial Dealings, Some Contemporary Issues and finally, Focusing on the Akhirah. The chapters are very short therefore I would recommend reading the book in parts. This way, you're able to treat each topic individually, allowing time to process it, maybe even discuss with those around you, just like as if you were to watch one of his youtube videos. I really felt like reading Revive Your Heart became a brief period amongst the assignment deadlines every week where I could spend valuable time reflecting on myself, my behaviour towards those around me and most importantly, my connection to God. 

Favourite parts! 

This is a book that interestingly works much like the format of Nouman Ali Khan's youtube videos. Just as easy as it is to copy>link>share his talks, I found myself snapping pictures of poignant passages midway through reading and either posting them on Snapchat, Insta-story or sending them to friends. Some of my favourite quotes are:

The believer recognises that whatever Allah gives you, whatever food He puts on the table, whatever job you found, whatever business you're doing - not only is it good enough, you desperately needed it. You don't get to be fussy with Allah and tell him, 'Ya Allah, I don't know if I want this one'. You don't get to tell Allah, 'I know You provided me this rock or this tree to sit under but if You could provide me some kind of bedding, it would be better'. 'I know You gave me this water over here but maybe some coconuts might help.' No, no, no. Whatever You have given me, is exactly what I needed and I desperately needed it. 

- from A Prayer for Desperate Times p. 15.

It's an honour Allah gave to these girls that are born in our households... I'm reminded - Allah has blessed me with four daughters... but I will tell you something: I had two daughters in a row, and then when my third daughter was born I was really happy. And I got a bunch of doughnuts and I went to the masjid. For I'sha, I'm just going to give everybody doughnuts because we had a girl again. This brother came outside the masjid and he said, 'Oh doughnuts? What happened? Good news?' I said 'Yeah, it's a girl' and he said, 'in sha Allah, next time.' That's what he said - 'in she Allah, next time' - and I wanted to slap him!'

- from It's a Girl! p. 158.

And any people, any people including Muslims when they are insulted, when things they hold sacred are insulted, they have a right to be offended. We have a right to be offended. We have a right to be insulted that is part of our dignity. If it didn't hurt our feelings it would mean we have no dignity... I have a right to be angry but those are two separate issues. What's happening in the media now is these two are being made into one issue... No, no, no; for the Muslim it's not that simple... we are against people who are killed unjustifiably and we stand against those who killed them unjustifiably... but at the same time we have a right to be offended by that kind of ignorant and hateful speech; and we will speak out against it and we will stand against it. 

- from Thoughts on Paris (Charlie Hebdo) p. 179.

One thing I have always appreciated about Nouman Ali Khan is his honesty. You can tell when something seriously grieves him in his videos just from the way he talks or when something ridiculous cracks him up. It's the same for Revive Your Heart. 

This book is the perfect addition in your life to reflect during the quiet hours. Get your copy from Amazon or Kube Publishing now. 

*** Will you be getting a copy? What other spiritual/lifestyle book have you read? ***

*A copy of Revive Your Heart was provided for review. Words are my own. 

Is an English Degree Useless? | Responding to Outlander's Diana Gabaldon

Dear Poodles,

I'd like to get something off my chest (figuratively). A few weeks before, Outlander author Diana Gabaldon replied to a fan on Twitter asking advice on her selection of a major. She claimed she was an aspiring writer hoping to study English to which Gabaldon tweeted: 

English major = “Want fries with that?” 🍟. Pick something that will give you enough money to write what you want.

As an English undergraduate in my third and final year, I took serious offence. I may just be overly emotional since my last ever seminar as an undergraduate was this Friday and so the next time I see my lecturers and friends will be on the day of our graduation but. that. was. not. okay. I'm more disappointed with Diana Gabaldon than angry because I love her Outlander book series (the two that I've read so far) and I used to thank her every other day for blessing the fictional universe with the character of Jamie Fraser.

To add insult to injury, Gabaldon decides to explain herself (badly) on twitlonger.com:

ENGLISH MAJORS, in 140 CHARACTERS (or less) So, yesterday, as I was driving from Santa Fe to Scottsdale, I (cont) http://tl.gd/n_1spmnl5 

Everything wrong with what she said:

> The insult to food service industry:

For some employers in this industry, the job is their main source of livelihood. 

> Highlighting that two of her children completed English degrees but one took a nursing degree soon after and the other is a successful novelist and comic book writer despite not viewing the degree 'of value [...] to someone who wants to write for a living.' 

While I am an aspiring writer - have been since the age of ten - I did not necessarily choose to study English because it would make me an overnight bestselling author the second my graduation cap was flung into the air. That's not what happens. Nor does it happen to any other degree - unless you have an internship secured at Penguin or KPMG in the months prior (good on you).

> Suggesting any occupational degree is better than one in English because the practical skills are desired for employment. 

The critical and analytical skills that I have honed at university mean that I can read or hear a piece of information from the news or social media and form my own judgement. My ability to skim/speed read or balance reading several texts play to my advantage when it comes to deadlines as a journalist or presenter. Knowing also how to tailor my writing in an email or letter or over the phone comes from assignments set up as blogs, essays or blurbs.

> Boasting the 'five university degrees' between her husband and herself and the abundance of choice her children had before going to college. 

It's clear that Diana Gabaldon comes from a privileged background and that's grand and all but many students do not possess the luxury or funding to be so carefree. In the current political and economic climate, university fees are only getting more expensive making the choice of 'the degree' even more important (and stressful).

> Thinking the content of her dabble in an English minor from the 70s has remained somewhat similar to English degrees in 2017.

After three years at it, I can proudly say that my degree has been one of the most valuable things I've done so far. I'll explain how. Yes, we read three or four novels, plays or poems a week that range from the Medieval, Renaissance, Postcolonial (my favourite) and modern age but the exposure to the 'cultural history' as Gabaldon phrases it is far greater now in a world that is demanding more diversity in literature and institutions alike. This representation varies across universities but it is the one that I attended in East London that made me 'woke'. A popular term originating from the 2013 'Black Lives Matter' movement, 'woke' is used to describe someone who thinks for themselves and is aware of how racism, classism and sexism affects our daily lives.

Some of the best books that I've discovered came through my degree (and I'll update this post-graduation). They are:
- Dreaming of Baghdad by Haifa Zangana (about the psychological trauma of Iraqis under Saddam's regime)
- Things Fall Apart by China Achebe (breaking racial prejudice surrounding rural Africans)
- The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (which highlights the beauty and difficulty of migration).

Was anything she said right?

Diana Gabaldon should have saved herself the trouble and just replied to the aspiring writer in 140 characters that no degree guarantees immediate stardom (if I just did it, she can). An English degree is as useful as any other degree. The world needs scientists and engineers just as much as it needs historians and artists. 

I've always known that writing is a precarious lifestyle but if you've made it, YOU'VE MADE IT. However, having spoken to and being friends with several rising authors through my Instagram account, they frequently advise to have a stable job unless you're happy to eat takeaways for a long time. That's all sound, USEFUL, advice but discouraging a fellow writer from studying English is not. Especially when for many, the desire to write stemmed from a love of literature. How can you separate the two?

Study English. Or study what your heart (and reason) wills.

*** Did you study or are you studying an English degree? What did you make of Diana's tweet? ***