Salaam Dear Reader,

So few grains of happiness
Measured against the dark
And still the scales balance
— The Weighing by Jane Hirshfield

This year will be remembered for the atrocities that rained down on the civilians of Gaza in Palestine. Scenes of horror upon horror light our screens by day and by night. While it is important to be informed, we have to look away before reaching the point that our hearts become desensitised and turn dark. Such a heart perceives only despair and interprets only cynicism. But a heart that remains faithful knows that Allah’s blessings are beyond measure, no matter the contingencies. A faithful heart is a hopeful heart.

After a certain point, more is lost than is gained from further attention to our screens. Rather, dear reader, we should turn to books as the medium of choice for learning about the world and for renovating our selves.

E.B. White said that the role of the writer — he meant the writer of books — is to ‘lift people up, not lower them down’. As booksellers our primary task is to identify books that do just that; to sift the substantive from the superficial.

This year, a shining example of a book that ‘lifts people up’ is Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti’s Depression & Anxiety: The Causes & Treatment According to the Quran published by Nawa Books. Among other things, it reminds us of our priorities and responsibilities as believers.

As is our custom now for several years, at the start of December we start a poll for you to decide collectively the most significant books of the year. The poll is open now and closes on 8 December. We will announce inshaAllah the Readers’ Choice a week after that on 15 December.

Click here to vote

Top Books of 2023 (not in order)

• Quran Trace (Fayrouz Media)
• Khasais Al-Muhammadiyyah (Imam Ghazali Institute)
• The Sirah of the Prophet (KUBE)
• Stories of the Prophets (Turath)
• Your Lord Has Not Forsaken You (KUBE)
• Sex, Soul and Islam (Claritas)
• A Handbook of Accepted Prayers (Ibn Daud)
• Depression & Anxiety: The Causes & Treatment According to the Quran (Nawa Books)
• When Hearing Becomes Listening (Qalam USA)
• Dear Broken Soul, Return Home to God (IMAN)