They teach, not preach!

At first a lump formed in my throat - it was so hard that I was almost certain that I would choke on it. Then my eyes glazed over, and tears gushed forth. It was uncontrollable. One would have thought that I had heard the news of a relatives' death, or such a similar calamity, but the tears were spurred by a page I had just read; a page in the work of Islamic fiction.

All too often Islamic fiction is deemed a waste of time, but as an avid reader in my teens, I have always had a love for the written word. But when I began my journey back on the path of Islam, I felt that I had no option but to abandon my mountain-pile of novels, as many were simply objectionable in content. Yet in 2006, when I came across a novel that was being touted as Islamic fiction, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on their ends - I was feverish with excitement!

Islamic fiction? I had never heard of such a phrase. In all honesty, it seemed quite odd at first, because I thought fiction couldn't possibly be Islamic, but once I got my hands and eyes on a copy of Echoes by Jamilah Kolocotronis, that notion melted faster than ice.

The novel features characters - both Muslim and otherwise - who are real. The Muslim characters are not trumped up 'super Muslims' who are ever so perfect, rather they are striving ones, like you and me; those who make mistakes, and then seek rectification; those who stray and struggle to get back on track; and most importantly, they are characters who faces issues that we also face.

So why did I cry? Because I had reached a point in Rebounding - another of Jamilah's books - that pointed a finger at me and an issue that I had let slip without even acknowledging, and I was crying because of the joy that it was a novel that made this issue apparent, and taught me a vital lesson. Was I looking for a lesson when I was reading the book? No. Did the author intend to teach her readers? Not explicitly. You see, Islamic fiction is not preachy and nor should it be. Yet as a story unravels, lessons are not only learnt by the characters, but by the readers as well.

It is in this way that Muslim (and even non-Muslim) writers have crafted books that teach, but do not preach. This is the true essence of Islamic fiction: they teach, not preach.