Mother of the Believers: your purchase benefits in part LCC (click image to buy)Reviewed by Dina Abou Salem

"I will name her Aisha," Abu Bakr said.
A name that Talha knew in the old language meant "She Lives..."

There is more to the Muslim woman than meets the eye. Beneath her chiffon veil and wide eyes of kohl is a fighter waiting to be unleashed to lead, devise, and take charge. All intensify once passion dwells her heart.

In Aisha, the youngest wife of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, lies a paragon of the Muslim woman, not just by virtue of being the Mother of the Believers, but by being a leading figure in shaping the history of Islam thanks to her multifaceted attributes.

Aisha caught the attention of Hollywood screenwriter Kamran Pasha who delivers here an idiosyncratic debut novel illustrating the birth of Islam through her eyes. Mother of the Believers: A Novel of the Birth of Islam (Washington Square Press. April 2009), is written in epic style-narrating the heroic deeds of legendary figures whose fervent faith and bounteous sacrifice rocketed a religion, an empire, a culture, and a language into time.

"I am the harbinger of joy and anger. The queen of love and jealousy. The bearer of knowledge and the ultimate fool. I am the Mother of the Believers and this is my tale," says Aisha.

Author Kamran PashaA well-researched work of historical fiction, Pasha's novel is intended for "Westerners as a glimpse of the richness that exists within the Muslim historical tradition..., to learn more about Islam and draw their own conclusions," as described in the author's introductory note.

Highlighting the story of the birth of Islam not just through the eyes of Aisha, but through her deeds, leadership, resilience, and her inner thoughts can be construed as a feminist approach on Pasha's part, whereby he traces the continuity of one of the most popular faiths in the world to the Prophet's most favorite wives. Also, in her narrative of the story of Islam to her nephew Abdallah, Aisha is keen on bringing to light other women figures key to early Islamic history. "History follows the deeds of men, but often ignores the women who influenced momentous events, for good or for ill," she says. The latter are presented as equally involved in the formation of events as their male counterparts, and as such defied stereotypical portrayals of disempowered Muslim women.

Aisha is depicted as perhaps the most powerful known female figure in Islamic history. Pasha's narrative prowess realistically shares with us Aisha's perspectives of the life of Muhammad ranging from mundane occurrences to compelling spiritual moments. It reconstructs details of her day-to-day cherished interactions with the Prophet so coherently that it renders a seemingly truthful and accessible account of 7th century Islam. Soon after the Prophet's death, Aisha, driven by her passion to her faith, love for her husband, and belief in fulfilling his will in spreading the word, functioned as advisor to the Caliph of Islam while advocating and fighting for civil and women's rights. She gradually became a teacher and a commander strategizing on the battlefield.

Aisha's beauty, unyielding piety, acumen, and unfaltering memory promoted her to a notable figure amidst her milieu-possessing first hand religious knowledge from the Prophet, memorizing the entire Qur'an, and bearing witness to much of the early history of Islam and the evolution of Muhammad to Prophet and statesman.

"As the truth [of Prophet Muhammad's death] finally sank into our souls, the claws of panic released their grip on our hearts, and then the flow of tears began in earnest. Tears of loss, but not of despair. We knew now that the journey of Muhammad had come to an end. But the journey of Islam was just beginning," says Aisha.

In response to Pasha's introductory note—"To the extent that I have succeeded [to invite readers to learn more about Islam], the credit belongs to God alone. The failures, however, are all mine"—there are no failures. Islam through Aisha's eyes matures into a real life experience thanks to the vividness of the narrative, the passion it evokes, and the accuracy it offers.

Visit Kamran Pasha's web site.

Dina Abou Salem is a writer in Los Angeles. Originally from Beirut, she will be working on a Master's in Public Diplomacy from the Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism at USC.