Sofia Khan is Not Obliged (2015)

The 480-paged novel Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged was written by Ayisha Malik, a British Muslim woman and was published in 2015 by twenty7. I came across it as a suggestion by someone, perhaps @pardonmywritings, on Instagram. I downloaded and read the Kindle edition. The chapters are divided into months which are accompanied by headings. Each chapter then is subdivided by specific entry dates (and times) of the given month, as the novel is in the format of an informal personal journal/ diary. The events span from September 2011 to August 2012. 

Prior to reading the book I was rather sceptical and had low expectations because I doubted the quality of contemporary writing and perhaps even dreaded the representation of Muslims. I guess I've also read so many classics that I tend to grant them a higher status. In any case, I was not disappointed with this novel at all, rather it blew me away. It was such a pleasure to read and I have to say an amazing piece of work on so many levels, which I will outline briefly below. I read the book within a few days and it had me laughing out loud as well as crying real tears. 

I'd like to begin with Malik's characterisation of Sofia as well as in general. Sofia was immediately a character that felt normal and while I personally don't quite approve of bad language, I cannot deny that people swear, and Muslim women also swear. Sofia is a practicing Muslim (i.e. she tries to implement her faith in her daily life including praying her five daily prayers as well as wearing a headscarf). Yet she is flawed, she makes mistakes and she isn't the "ideal" or "perfect" Muslim woman either. Rather she is perfectly imperfect. She is still likeable and doesn't claim or pretend to be some saint though she tries her best to do what's best, as most Muslim women do in normal everyday life. Every Muslim woman (and man for that matter) has their own set of struggles and weaknesses but that doesn't mean that they're not Muslim nor less worthy of our respect. Sofia also smokes and I value this attribute because it is fairly taboo and frowned upon. Some Muslim women also smoke, albeit a bad habit it isn't reserved for men. Some of those Muslim women happen to wear a hijab. I identified with Malik's suggestion for us to try to be a little more forgiving and look at the human behind expectations. Malik beautifully captures Sofia's increasing frustration and grumpiness as the pressure around her augments. I found the characters in the book to be so real and raw. They are quirky in their own ways but they're real. For example the Pakistani parents, especially Sofia's, are rather typical in their way of being but they are still cute and funny. They're definitely not perfect, nor political correct, but Malik illustrates a vast array of different types of Muslims and personalities overall. There is a sense that everyone is just trying to do their best in their own way, just like in real life I guess. 

A little word on writing style before I discuss some of the themes raised in the novel. Malik's style is witty and humorous. It is also touching and the narrative voice is authentic. I found it interesting that she decided not to italicise the Punjabi words, practically adding them to the English language. Her style is also concise, and yet she is able to rapidly capture the awkwardness of a whole range of everyday (and not-so-everyday) situations. Her use of slang alongside the expectations of good standard English and correct grammar are not only realistic but reflect the fluid nature of language and what its use says about us. 

In terms of the themes in the novel, I have to say I found that Malik provided a rich variety of valuable material. Not only was she brave but she was brutally honest in raising so many of the issues that exist in the Muslim Asian community but aren't necessarily acknowledged or dealt with appropriately. This romantic comedy managed to raise these issues carefully, delicately and tastefully and despite the gravity of some of the matters, allowed one to laugh or at least take a moment to think about them. Just to name a few of the issues raised, we have racism, sexism, colourism, islamaphobia, culture conflicts, difficulties with in-laws, exoticism, polygamy, homosexuality, misunderstandings concerning religiosity and infertility amongst some of the main ones that struck me. However what I loved about this book was that it was perfectly honest about these issues and didn't hide them. I think it was my first time reading about a homosexual Muslim in fiction in a sympathetic fashion, and I felt Malik did well in this respect as I found the story touching and important to be acknowledged amongst the Muslim community. 

Overall, I have to say that I was thoroughly pleased with the novel and glad it exists. I want to thank Malik for taking the time out to write it and doing such a good job. I'm also quite eager to begin reading the sequel, The Other Half of Happiness. I wanted to write these thoughts up before reading the sequel, in case I become disillusioned or disappointed as to where the story is taken. I'm secretly sacred of being disappointed again but also have pretty high expectations now too. This first book in itself is definitely one that, in its own way, has given a pretty authentic illustration of desi Muslim matrimonial issues in Britain without feeling the need to create a protagonist that chooses to compromise core Islamic values or practices to be more "relatable". I finally felt it was a novel that wasn't whitewashed but rather of genuine struggles Muslims faced in white (western) societies. Definitely a book I'd recommend, especially to fellow young Muslim women.