Salaam Love

From the editors of the groundbreaking anthology Love, InshAllah comes a provocative new exploration of the most intimate parts of Muslim men’s lives Muslim men are stereotyped as either oversexed Casanovas willing to die for seventy-two virgins in heaven or controlling, big-bearded husbands ready to rampage at the hint of dishonor. The truth is, there are millions of Muslim men trying to figure out the complicated terrain of love, sex, and relationships just like any other American man. In Salaam, Love, Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi provide a space for American Muslim men to speak openly about their romantic lives, offering frank, funny, and insightful glimpses into their hearts—and bedrooms. The twenty-two writers come from a broad spectrum of ethnic, racial, and religious perspectives—including orthodox, cultural, and secular Muslims—reflecting the strength and diversity of their faith community and of America. By raising their voices to share stories of love and heartbreak, loyalty and betrayal, intimacy and insecurity, these Muslim men are leading the way for all men to recognize that being open and honest about their feelings is not only okay—it’s intimately connected to their lives and critical to their happiness and well-being.

This heartfelt and humorous YA contemporary follows Dua, who spends the month of Ramadan making unexpected discoveries about family, faith, and first love. "Beg beautifully crafts a comforting tale filled with fun characters and excellent Muslim representation.”--Aamna Qureshi, author of The Lady or the Lion "[A] love letter to Islam, capturing all the wonderful nuances of faith and culture."--Adiba Jaigirdar, author of Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating Being crammed into a house in Queens with her cousins is not how Dua envisions her trip to New York City. But here she is, spending the holy month of Ramadan with extended family she hasn’t seen in years. Dua struggles to find her place in the conservative household and to connect with her aloof, engaged-to-be-married cousin, Mahnoor. And as if fasting the whole day wasn’t tiring enough, she must battle her hormones whenever she sees Hassan, the cute drummer in a Muslim band who has a habit of showing up at her most awkward moments. After just a month, Dua is surprised to find that she’s learning a lot more than she bargained for about her faith, relationships, her place in the world—and cute drummers. . . . Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it.

This “book that strips off the traditional trappings of Islamic womanhood to expose the special strengths and vulnerabilities that lie beneath” (The Washington Post) affirms the reality of the romantic lives of Muslim women. Romance, dating, sex and—Muslim women? In this groundbreaking collection, twenty-five American Muslim writers sweep aside stereotypes to share their search for love openly for the first time, showing just how varied the search for love can be—from singles’ events and online dating, to college flirtations and arranged marriages, all with a uniquely Muslim twist. These stories are filled with passion and hope, loss and longing: A quintessential blonde California girl travels abroad to escape suffocating responsibilities at home, only to fall in love with a handsome Brazilian stranger she may never see again. An orthodox African-American woman must face her growing attraction to her female friend. A young girl defies her South Asian parents’ cultural expectations with an interracial relationship. And a Southern woman agrees to consider an arranged marriage, with surprising results. These compelling stories of love and romance create an irresistible balance of heart-warming and tantalizing, always revealing and deeply relatable. “A beautiful collection that reminds us all not only of the diversity of the American Muslim community, but the universality of the human condition, especially when it comes to something as magical and complicated as love.” —Reza Aslan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of God: A Human History “Portraits of private lives that expose a group in some cases kept literally veiled, yet that also illustrate that American Muslim women grapple with universal issues.” —The New York Times

"Janna Yusuf and her friends are planning for her brother's nikah. But what started as a simple marriage ceremony is turning into the biggest event of the summer-and a chance for Janna to finally reveal her crush...or so she thinks"--

An illustrated song celebrating life and encouraging readers to spread peace on earth. Salam Alaikum or Assalamu Alaikum, means "Peace be upon you." It is the greeting that Muslims around the world use to say "hello" and "good-bye." International music sensation Harris J has taken that greeting and created a call to action. Using the lyrics to the hit song of the same name, and accompanied by heartwarming illustrations that depict the power of paying it forward, this sweet and charming picture book celebrates kindness and community.

Two neighbors—one Jewish, one Muslim—have always been best friends. When they both fall on hard times, can they find a way to help each other? In Fawzia Gilani's retelling of this folktale—which has both Jewish and Arab origins—differences are not always causes for conflict and friendship can overcome any obstacle.

Inspired by true events, ISIS: A Love Story weaves real-life details of the Syrian Civil War into a fictional romance between two of its combatants. The story is concise but complete- written to be taken in one sitting. The unlikely protagonists are two star-and-crescent-crossed ISIS Fighters - Majnun and Ali fighting a jihad across Syria during the Syrian Civil War. As bombs boom around them so does their battlefield bromance. When a chance encounter starts to grow into something more the two young radicals struggle to reconcile their identities. Passions and tensions swell, tearing Majnun and Ali between the two things they are - battle-hardened Salafi mujahideen and gay lovers. Forced to confront these conflicting identities, the star-and-crescent crossed ISIL fighters have to decide what matters more - Islamic extremism- or each other. Painted not as a view from outside looking in but from the inside looking around, the tale strips away the absolutism of the black flag and relayers it into shades of grey. With an unprecedented view, ISIS: A Love Story showcases a time and place, love and war, beauty and barbary, and life and death. The first of its kind, this exciting straight-from-the-headlines narrative offers an unparalleled view of ISIS through the eyes of ISIS. It's like nothing you've ever read.

Shalom/Salaam: A Story of a Mystical Fraternity is a groundbreaking study introducing To The popular reader, The story of respectful and loving interfaith relations between Sufis (Islamic mystics) and Jewish spiritual thinkers for nearly one thousand years. From the inception of Islam, To the Golden Age (8th-12th centuries) Jewish-Sufis of Arabia, North Africa and Spain, through the Kabbalists in Spain And The Holy Land, and then into 18th century European Hasidism, Islamic and Jewish ideas commingled to influence both paths, As well as strongly influencing the Jewish mystical system. This story is important to understanding contemporary Jewish-Muslim relations. As Egyptian Ambassador Sallama Shaker notes: "Block's narrative is an eye-opener for peace activists and politicians who are in search for genuine peace built on mutual respect – This is a 'must read book'." Many medieval Jews interacted with and were influenced by the Sufi way. Moses Maimonides, considered the pre-eminent Jewish medieval thinker, Solomon ibn Gabirol, whose "piyyut" are still sung during the Sabbath liturgy the world over, Judah Halevi, whose work, according To The chief Rabbi of Palestine in the early 20th century, contains that which is most precious about the Jewish soul and hundreds of other seminal Jewish thinkers often read Sufi treatises in Arabic, wrote Islamic-inspired mystical odes and sometimes even based their interpretations of Jewish tradition on Sufi thought and practice.