I began reading Lasting Prayers of the Quran & the Prophet Muhammad in Ramadan alongside another book as a "religious, Ramadan read". I knew I wanted to read a book when I wasn't reading Quran but wasting precious Ramadan minutes on a novel felt like a bad idea, and so I chose this as one of my main books. Unfortunately I stopped reading the book as Ramadan ended, and just completed it a few days ago.
Dr. Hammad surprised me with this fresh approach to an Islamic text. His work is clear, concise and easy to read without being patronising. This is not a text that is trying to convert but rather it explains a fundamental tenet of Islam. It explains the value of making du'a (supplicating) and its place in history, through Quranic examples, and in the life of the final Prophet (pbuh). Hammad describes the strength of prayer and how it is a vital core for the believer. This is while he gives brief yet precise insights into Islamic spirituality and belief. There is no shortage of examples of prayers, all in English, and the layout felt rather fun, despite the book itself feeling and appearing rather grand. Hammad shares small hadith or Quranic verses in the margins of the text, as extra gems to adorn your reading, however this sometimes diverts from the main text.
Each chapter of the book is well researched and while I have a few favourite ones I especially appreciated the chapter on 'Women of Prayer'. Despite the fact that prayer is gender neutral and the preceding chapters were equally applicable and relevant to me, the chapter on women underlines this as well as highlights some virtuous women in our history that also have a strong heart of prayer. Their valuable stories were not ignored and their steadfastness is what inspires both men and women alike.
A quick word on the physical format of the book because I feel it deserves a little mention. It is a hardback book with a deep purple fabric/ cloth cover with a gold and purple dust jacket. The main text is 287 pages while further notes, appendices and the bibliography take the total page count to 357. What I secretly enjoyed about this book, along with the actual content of course, were the thick, "lush", acid-free pages. This was a particular pleasure while reading because even after reading a short section it feels as if you've made great progress from where you left off (thanks to the ribbon bookmark) as the pages are thick and thus give you a visual illusion of having read a lot; I found this is really encouraging.
I learnt a few new things from reading the book and was reminded of many others but most importantly it inspired me to renew my intention and my attachment to prayer (or supplication). Often we are distracted, or distract ourselves, with all sorts of activities or forms of technology seeking some sort of fulfilment, which ultimately results in void. However taking those same short moments to turn to God, meditate and call out to Him may well be what we're missing or neglecting. I found the text to be refreshing and despite its depth and seriousness, a light read, meaning that I felt lighter and happier after each interaction with the text. I would recommend everyone interested in faith to read this book, whether you come from an Islamic background or not, whether you are Muslim or not, whether you're researching Islam or not. As long as you're interested in faith and spirituality, and would appreciate an insight into the Islamic world, this book is perfect. I know that I ought to re-read this book or even just certain chapters regularly to renew my faith and keep me inspired.
Book details:
Lasting Prayers of the Quran & the Prophet Muhammad, Dr. Ahmad Zaki Hammad, ISBN: 0-9650746-1-7
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