Hamzah Zahid

God of the Silent Spaces

God of the Silent Spaces: An Iʿtikāf Journey is a spiritual story of ten days spent in Iʿtikāf-a sacred sojourn in a mosque conducted during the climax of Ramaḍān. Written from the vantage point of a working professional, this book immerses the reader in the wonders of the final ten days of Ramaḍān. The Sacred Month's majesty is vividly described-long nightly prayers, the legendary Night of Power, and contemplating the Qur'ān-and enlivened by quieter, human moments-death, grief and healing. The spiritual ebb and flow of the author and his companions are laid bare as they all flee from life's vicissitudes into the rhythm and ritual of Ramaḍān, guided by one erudite and personable "Mufti Saab". In journeying into this mosque, one will find a candid and non-adversarial conversation between the depths of the Islamic tradition and the precarity of our modern condition. "What can be sensed across this book is Zahid's honesty, sincerity and deep wisdom. Instead of a spiritual to-do list, Zahid shows us through his own experiences how Islam can be lived, and lived well, in modern Britain." - Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Founding Director of the Islam-UK Centre "The book is a testament to the power of words as a new generation of British Muslim writers, away from the glare of sensationalist headlines, take on the mantle of telling their own stories and, by doing so, confidently stake their place as faithful believers in an increasingly fractured society." - Dr Riyaz Timol, Research Fellow in British Muslim Studies, Cardiff University "Zahid has elegantly written a memoir describing a lesser known ritual associated with the month of Ramadan, along with articulating the spirituality and inner dimensions of the practice. A unique contribution within the genre of literature." - Shaykh Saleem Seedat, Managing Director of Chaplaincy For You