Customer Reviews

Mother of the Believers: A Novel of the Birth of Islam

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Ohhh....so good! What an amazing Epic; fiction based on fact. This book was excellent and enlightening. I'm so glad I read it. I am a Catholic and know little about the Islamic faith with exception to the basics. This book opened my mind to the belief system of millions around the world. I am more sympathetic to Muslims. I now have a greater understanding of where the fighting stems from with the Sunnis and Shiites. I've learned so much while enjoying a great story and fun read. I couldn't put it down. You will not be disappointed!

Pasha's book is a true page-turner! His style of writing is captivating and engaging from beginning to end! His ability to bring to life the story of Islam through the eyes of Aisha is creative, bold and intentionally strategic.

I respect and admire his disclosure at the beginning of the book that it is purely a fiction novel. That his intent was to shed light upon such a passionate and uplifting story of struggle, patience, persistence, trust and love for humanity and most importantly God.

His reference to non-fiction works from Islamic scholars and of course the original reference the Quran is not only smart but responsible. Kamran makes it very clear that he wrote a fiction which is only made to inspire others to learn more about Islam - rather then turn them away.

I applaud his efforts and hope that millions of people get a chance to read such a wonderful novel.

In the seventh century in the Arabian Desert, Muhammad has surfaced as a prophet who is gaining a loyal following. He envisions a woman as his wife and arranges with her father to marry Aisha, who may be his youngest wife, but by far the most intelligent and spirited of Muhammad's dozen. She is his favorite, but loses her place when the other wives accuse her of adultery to the Prophet. She tries to prove her innocence, but he receives a revelation from God that regains her position. When Medina is attacked, Aisha's bravery and leadership help save the day, but the Muslim men prefer docile women so she earns some respect but also perhaps more loathing. Muhammad becomes more than just a prophet as he becomes the Prophet uniting the Arabian tribes. However, God works in mysterious ways as soon after he succeeds in conquering the holy city of Mecca, Muhammad dies.

His nineteen year old youngest widow Aisha earns a position as advisor to the Caliph of Islam pushing for universal civil rights. Aisha becomes a teacher and a commander as perhaps the most powerful known female in the Muslim Empire. However, her efforts for the rights of women lead to civil war.

This work of biographical fiction is a great historical tale that brings insight to the early growth of Islam, the Muslim Empire, and the role of women in that society. Aisha is a brave person who does what she believed is morally right; which led to the "least" wife becoming the most spouse through conviction and courage. Ironically as Islamic women placed her on a pedestal as their champion, Aisha had become less confident that she chose right and suffered remorse for those who died for her cause. Readers will appreciate this excellent historical fiction that depicts the key Muslim woman during the cradle years of Islam.

Harriet Klausner

Mother of the Believers is a loving, yet eyes-wide-open look at the dawn of Islam. Kamran Pasha's writing is deeply respectful of traditional Islamic values. That said, he presents Mohammed (peace be upon him), his wife Aisha, and their companions as full and real humans, and does so with humor and great compassion.

I am a Muslima, and I have read many scholarly books on the early days of Islam but this one got my heart pounding at times, made me laugh, made me cry. It fleshed out beloved Sahabah (companions of Prophet Mohammed) in a way no dry history book could do, while remaining true in story and in spirit.

Good historical fiction transports readers to a different time and place. Wonderful novels immerse their readership in worlds so realistic that it is disorienting to stop reading and re-enter day-to-day life. Kamran Pasha takes his readers to the seventh century in the Arabian peninsula. It is an uncommon time and place for novels, but one that provides rich dramatic material.

The subtitle accurately describes this as "a novel of the birth of Islam." Pasha tells his tale through the eyes of Aisha one of Muhammad's wives and who had been born into a family of believers. The followers of Muhammad and his faith were still quite small at the beginning of the story, but they were being watched closely by the powerful families in Mecca.

This small band of followers were viewed first as an amusement, later as an annoyance, and finally as a threat by the power elite. There were assassination attempts, plots to isolate and oppress them economically, and later outright declarations of war against the Companions of Muhammad.

Pasha wove a beautiful tale showing the humanity of these historical figures. This novel is designed to be enjoyed by Muslims and non-Muslims alike as the customs of Islam are subtly explained in the text. It is a wonderful story detailing the history and culture of one of the great religions of the world.

In these troubled times, it is important to remember that what unites us is greater than that which divides us.

I recommend this book highly.

I approached this book with skepticism, as I am not a religious person and was expecting a "puff piece" for Islam. Instead I discovered a thoroughly engaging book with three dimensional characters and a well-paced story. The historical references were plentiful, elucidating but never plodding. This was an enjoyable read, and I will be watching for this author's next book.

Both enlightening and supremely engaging, Pasha manages the incredible feat of simultaneously presenting a largely unfamiliar world and its history, while breathing intimate life into the characters who populate that world. "Page turner" is the hoariest of praise, but never more applicable to a book than here. A screenwriter by trade, Pasha always keeps the thrust of the story moving urgently forward.

Highly recommend for people who don't know the history of Islam, and even more so for those who think they do.

And highly recommend for anyone who wants to lose themselves in a story as intricate and lush as a Persian carpet.

In today's polarized world, writing a novel about Islam -- and especially a Muslim woman -- invites potential criticism from both inside and outside the Islamic community. People are very attached to their personal view of religious figures, and to challenge or even imply a difference of opinion can call up a maelstrom of negative reaction. What Kamran Pasha has done -- successfully, for the most part -- is to write a good novel that provides a valuable insight into the origins of one of the world's major religions. The narrator is Aisha, Mohammed's youngest (and by all accounts, favorite) wife. Married to the founder of Islam at nine (the consummation of the marriage is handled delicately by Pasha), by the time Aisha has reached adulthood, she's seen her family and fellow believers persecuted, banished and attacked, all for believing that Mohammed is the last prophet of the one 'true' god. Pasha really captures Aisha's childish innocence and her love for her husband; her jealousy as Mohammed marries other women, for both personal and political reasons, is realistic, as is her constant battle to personify the "Mother of the Believers" role thrust upon her and all Mohammed's wives. Pasha doesn't diminish the religious aspect of the novel -- he is Muslim, after all -- but you don't have to have extensive knowledge of the religion to follow the major plot points. What's lacking in the novel is what's contained in the interview with Pasha at the end: he extols Aisha as "A scholar, a poet, a statesman, and a warrior.." (Interview at the end, no page number) However, Pasha doesn't articulate these roles in detail in his narrative. Nothing about Aisha's poetry or scholarship is conveyed in the novel, at least that I could find. In addition, at times Aisha seems to bear the brunt of many of the traditions Muslim women face today, such as being veiled in public: it is apparently her foibles that lead to the segregation of women (at least Mohammed's wives). In Pasha's narrative, Mohammed does come across as an extremely spiritual man, who inspires a handful of believers in the beginning of the novel, to thousands by the end. What's interesting, at least to me, is that there are several instances where he desire for other women is obvious (and painful) to Aisha; the novel itself contains quite suggestive sexual instances, especially in the character of Hind, the wife of a powerful Meccan noble who hates what Mohammed stands for. Worth reading, but you'll probably get more out of it if you share the religous beliefs of the author.

What a wonderful book.This is the story about the prophet Mohammad as told through the eyes of his second wife Aisha.The story spans over a 65 year period in which you as the reader are transformed back to the year 613AD.In this book you will see the beginning of the birth of a man who will change the world.War,love,diplomecy,courage,betrayl,compassion and much much more are all a turn of the page away.I stood up late every night until I finished this book (there aren't any slow parts it's all good).Also I want to thank you Karman for letting me see another side of the Muslim religon ....P.S. Faith is dynamite !!

I was skeptical at first because I thought this book was going to be just another ignorant book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really fell in love with the book because firstly it is written very well. Kamran Pasha is a smart and entertaining writer. He knows how to keep his readers interested. As for the content in the book, I assure you it is rich and full of beautiful descriptions. Prior to reading this book, I read a few books about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but this is the first book that I was able to read like a normal novel rather than a historical biography, which tend to be a bit dry for my taste. It is not sacrilegious or offensive, and it certainly does not add unnecessary fluff. The novel reads beautifully and Pasha has put great effort into being as true to the facts as possible. From the first page, the story pulls you in, and you find yourself willing to let it do so. Like I said, it's beautifully written and very visual. A masterpiece. I can't wait to read Pasha's next book!