All praise be to Allah, who promised that “Those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God- truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace.[1]” Peace and blessings be upon his messenger Muhammad ﷺ who said, “Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts.[2]” The heart is the king of all organs; if it is obedient then the rest of the body will follow.
The book under review is Revive Your Heart, Putting life in perspective. Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan delivers detailed reminders to encourage us to be mindful of our duties to Allah. The subtitle of this book, Putting Life in Perspective, is about reminding ourselves not to forget the true nature of our reality. This book is a selection of Ustadh Nouman lectures transcribed and edited by Kube publishers. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy listening to Ustadh Nouman’s lectures as this book corresponds to his speaking style. The contents of this book as summarised in the preface to be a presentation of:
‘Profoundly personal questions of how we should approach Allah in our prayers, and how we should never think ill of our prayers, and how we should never think ill of our fellows; to communities have towards daughters, despite the explicit teachings of the Prophet that honour daughters, and women generally.’
The respected author concentrates on the words of the Prophet (saw): al-din al-nasihah– “The din is about giving sincere counsel.” The author reiterates how ‘in an age of distraction and pervasive negativity, positive and constructive reminders are essential to our spiritual well being.’ This book accentuates the need of spiritual reminders in our lives through five parts the chapters are broken up as follows: Connecting to Allah through Du`ā’, creating a cohesive Muslim community, our financial dealings, some contemporary issues and focusing on the Ākhirah. The author includes integral reminders appropriately, educating the reader the vitality for reminders in our age of distractions. Not only does the author highlights the challenges but also provides a solution to the issues through the examples of the Ambiyah (as). The addition of stories, and references to Qur’an heighten its importance and relevance in the modern society amongst youngsters and elders.
It is mentioned in the preface:
‘We have arrived at a time when being distracted from our duties to Allah has been institutionalised: the entertainment industry is undoubtedly one of the most imposing industries of modernity. [Hence] with such levels of distraction and crisis, it is difficult to stay spiritually centred.’
I have heard the speeches of Ustadh Nouman in alignment to the Surahs mentioned in this book and personally I preferred them more than the written work. I have found that similar content is mentioned in Ustadh Nouman’s tafseer sessions. However, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Ustadh Nouman’s speeches and wish to read his work written in the same style.
Ustadh Nouman is a popular Islamic speaker in the English language who provides regular travelling talks and sermons in order to channel the importance of understanding the Qur’an to which he has dedicated his life. Additionally his running translation of the entire Quran is available in Bayyinah alongside his deeper look at the Quran series currently ongoing. May Allah accept all of his efforts. Ameen
Halima Bint Muhammad Abdul Hannan
13th Shawaal 1442AH
Tuesday 25th May 2021
[1] Quran 13:28
[2] Sahih Muslim 2564
