Big Little Steps: A Woman's Guide to Embracing Islam

Product Information

In this portion author mentioned reason of writing this book is to communicate with like minded women. The wide margin on all the pages gives the reader enough space to note down her thoughts, insights, and any other points that needs to be written. Big Little Steps is a little handbook for Muslimahs (or those interested in Islam) on taking the big steps in their life. Womankind takes the reader from the creation of woman, to the stories of impactful women of Islam, to woman’s rights, and to the role of women in Muslim society. So I felt like I could make a difference by making the book visually appealing to the female audience with a pale colour palette and hand-drawn illustrations to bring my stories to life – the visual aspect meant just as much as the content I was writing,” Loujayne explains.

She also shares “10 groundbreaking sharia laws that improved women’s status after the rise of Islam”, and another section features excerpts written by modern-day Muslim women, including a motivational speaker, Miss Universe contestant, artist and fashion designer. Mathilde weaves her own personal story of conversion to Islam, into this accessible manuscript in which personal anecdotes mix with more formalistic descriptions of religious practice.To hear her personal experience really made me feel less alone in my journey and that I am not the only one who is facing hardships.

The book shares such a beautiful quotes and anecdotes that were such a delight to read, and it reminds you of the key foundations of your faith.A ‘self-help’ book for Muslims, which seeks both to inspire Muslim women, but also to educate those outside the faith. Through Mathilde Loujayne's personal experiences - grief, high school, moving abroad, work, marriage, and motherhood - she addressses women's common concerns as they take the big, little steps towards finding a balanced lifestyle and a glowing heart in Islam. I had concerns with certain concepts and issues related to the religious aspect in the book, which I have written about in my blog https://ummafrazblog.

Mathilde is a French thirty-something woman who has lived a life filled with faith and spirituality from a young age. Written by French Muslim convert Mathilde Loujayne, it offers a breath of fresh air for someone seeking an easy-to-read, engaging and informative take on the religion. I remember going into the sister hall and sitting with the other teenage girls as they recited the Quran. Readers are kept engaged with quirky watercolour illustrations, such as of constellations when describing the history of the Quran, and of a woman praying.This would, insha Allah, bring up their spirituality, and with Allah’s Guidance they would be guided aright. This is a different approach than a book that is written for/by someone who was brought up learning that Islam is the truth. My entire journey has been filled with hardships but one thing that did not change was my devotion and faith in Allah. By sharing her own issues, grief, high school problems, moving to different country, marriage, motherhood, work and how to balance with those responsibilities; in short she points out women's common concerns while they take big little steps in their day to day life to find a balanced life style and glowing heart in islam.

As a teenager, I was eager to learn about Islam and to have my questions answered, but it was nearly impossible back then to find books that were adapted to me as an audience. There’s also an undeniable focus on women, as Loujayne highlights Islamic Hadith and practices that relate to females.When you are absolutely clueless about Islam, or you only know about what the media wants you to know (which isn't good. Even though I was already reading it, I feel really proud to own this informative and educational book. There are a few things I do slightly disagree with (I am not the biggest fan of PETA but see why she used them as a source). Personal notes to the reader are also scribbled in the margins, giving it the appearance of a well-kept journal or diary, as opposed to a heavy book on religion.