There is never a bad time to amplify the works of Muslim writers and the significance of Islamic heritage, but it feels especially appropriate now with the start of Ramadan quickly approaching. Ramadan is a holy month during which observant Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and engage in religious study and reflection, all to mark the revelation of the Quran and the founding of Islam. It ends with a celebration, Eid, which involves food, prayer, and making charitable gifts.
It goes without saying that Muslims are not a monolith but a diverse group with a multitude of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and personal histories. These essential, engaging memoirs written by authors who identify as Muslim get to the heart of the breadth of these such diverse lived experiences.
Though queerness and faith are often viewed as opposing forces, Hijab Butch Blues demonstrates that such discord is not always the case. This memoir—one of our picks for 2023’s best memoirs in audio—follows teen Lamya’s coming-of-age journey and her confusion and shame surrounding her burgeoning interest in women. It is only when she looks more closely at specific passages of the Quran (which, along with the rest of this deeply stirring listen, are read with deep emotion by Ashraf Shirazi) that she grows to understand who she is as both a Muslim and a queer person.
Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai first gained international attention and acclaim after she was shot by the Taliban at only 15 years old for publicly supporting girls' right to education. Since then, she has become a symbol of resilience and principled strength in the face of violent oppression. In I Am Malala, listeners are gifted with more about her incredible story, all told in her own words and narrated with heart and grace by actor Archie Panjabi.
Ibtihaj Muhammad has long loved fencing, but fencing did not always love her. In this memoir, authentically performance by Muhammad herself, she details how she overcame widespread prejudice and the intense loneliness of being the only Black Muslim on the US Olympic fencing team to achieve her dreams. Proud serves as a potent reminder of just how harmful discrimination is and that, above all else, a person’s identity should have no bearing on their treatment—or put limitations on just how far they can go in their chosen field.
Samra Habib was born in Pakistan and later came to Canada as a refugee. As an Ahmadi Muslim and a queer person, they never felt truly safe in either country. With no role models to turn to, Habib had to forge their own path to self-acceptance and thereby find the courage to be themself at last. We Have Always Been Here is a Lambda Literary Award-winning memoir read by Parmida Vand, an Iran-born actor living in Toronto who likewise identifies as queer.
Exquisitely narrated by celebrated actor Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, John Wick, Boyz n the Hood), The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a critical work by and about one of America's most prominent—and often misunderstood—civil rights and Black empowerment leaders. Malcolm X converted to Islam in the late 1940s, and his faith continued to inform his political opinions and his relationships with others until his assassination on February 21, 1965. Exceptionally insightful, this paradigm-shifting memoir remains timely and painfully resonant.
As a child, Ayesha S. Chaudhry would steal her mother's hijabs to wear for herself. As a young adult, she stopped wearing them altogether when she went to college for the first time. The Colour of God is a frank, heartfelt memoir narrated by the author that seeks to chronicle her shifting opinions and evolving expressions of faith from her fundamentalist upbringing to today. Like any religion, Islam is neither immutable nor a monolith, and Chaudhry's thoughtful work demonstrates just that.
Leah Vernon has never fit in anywhere. If it wasn't her family situation or her faith that marked her as an outcast, it was her weight or the color of her skin. After a lifetime of being made to feel embarrassed and "less than," Vernon decided to take back control of her story. The title, Unashamed, says it all—she is now proud of who she is, without apology. And thanks to Vernon's vibrant, confident writing and Sisi Aisha Johnson's rousing narration, you can learn from her life and adopt such positivity for yourself.
The Khan family first entered the public eye in 2016, when Khizr and his wife Ghazala took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to rebuke the Islamophobic rhetoric of the opposing party’s candidate. In particular, the moment when Khizr held up his copy of the United States Constitution and offered it on loan made headlines nationwide. In his self-narrated memoir An American Family, Khizr Khan tells the story of his journey from a Pakistani farmer's son to a proud American patriot and father.
Growing up in a strict, religiously conservative family in a poor and dangerous East London neighborhood, Mohsin Zaidi felt different but feared that his parents would reject and disown him if they ever found out he was gay. In A Dutiful Boy, which he narrates himself, Zaidi shares how, with determination, he became the first person from his school to go to Oxford University, where he found the support and courage he needed to come out. Yet, it would take years of struggle and continued success before he secured his family's acceptance.
Go Back to Where You Came From uses humor to tackle an unfunny reality—Islamophobia. Despite growing up as an all-American California boy, Wajahat Ali was often treated like an unwelcome foreigner, especially after the events of 9/11. Along with detailing his personal experiences, Ali takes on the larger issues of immigration and bigotry and reveals how to find your place right where you are. A public speaker and columnist renowned for his incisive wit, Ali offers an engaging performance, making this one-of-a-kind memoir all the more enjoyable and effective.
Mansoor Adayfi was barely an adult when he was sold to the United States and imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay for 14 years—even though he had committed no crime. While many of his fellow inmates understandably lost hope, Adayfi managed to stay focused on self-improvement and resistance until his release. Narrated by Adayfi and Roxanna Hope Radja, Don't Forget Us Here is a reckoning, an uncomfortable but necessary inside look at the consequences of the inhumane, unethical repercussions of the “War on Terror.”
When Dr. Ayaz Virji learned about the shortage of doctors affecting healthcare in rural communities, he decided he wanted to help and took a job in a small Minnesota town. Rather than being welcomed, he and his family faced hostility. He fought back against the rising tide of hatred with a series of lectures, aiming to teach people of other faiths the truth about Islam and how Muslims contribute to and benefit communities across America. Dr. Virji recounts his journeys in his awe-inspiring, deeply human memoir, Love Thy Neighbor.
Eileen Gonzalez is a freelance writer from Connecticut. She has a Master's degree in communications and years of experience writing about pop culture. She contributes to Book Riot and Foreword Reviews.
