"Muslim Heroes" series by Naima Sohaib

Author: Naima Sohaib
Titles: “Aisha (ra) – A Role Model for Muslim Women,”
“Khalid Bin Waleed (ra): The Sward of Allah"
“Umar Bin Abdul Aziz (ra): The Fifth Rightly Guided Caliph”
English translator: Eeman Asif Misbah
Publisher: Sahar Publishers

The history of Islam has had its share of great personalities. Their piety, achievements and exemplary lives have already inspired many generations of Muslims. Keeping this history alive in the hearts of future generations will provide positive role models to emulate and learn from.

Through “Muslim Heroes Series,” translator Eeman Asif Misbah is introducing to the English readers the life stories of prominent personalities in Islamic history. These series is the translation of Naima Sohaib’s “Tareekh-e-Islami ki Azeem Shakhsiat,” a 500-page book in Urdu about twenty renowned Muslim scholars, reformists, revivalists, and caliphs of the last 1400 years.

Naima Sohaib, the author of the original Urdu book, holds Master’s degree in Islamic studies from University of Karachi and B.Sc. in mathematics from Lahore College for Women. She has also written several storybooks for children.

Eeman Asif Misbah is an MBA from Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. She is an expert in human resources management and general administration and has work experience in the financial sector. She converted from Hinduism several years ago, after serious studies of Islam. She is an eager reader of Islamic books, and her passion of learning about great personalities of Muslim history led her to the present translation work.

Presently, the “Muslim Heroes Series” consists of three books: “Aisha (ra),” “Khalid Bin Waleed (ra),” and “Umar Bin Abdul Aziz (ra).” The layouts of all the books follow the same lines, beginning with a general introduction of the personality, followed by chronological description of the lives and achievements.

The series open with Aisha (ra), the beloved wife of the Prophet (saw). Although much is known about this exceptional woman, she was included in N. Sohaib’s book because of her immense contribution to the Deen and exemplary devotion and sincerity towards Allah. The book leads the reader through the different stages of Aisha’s (ra) life: her childhood, her marriage with the Prophet (saw), and her life as a widow and transmitter of the knowledge she had acquired from the Prophet (saw). Separate chapters address also the abilities of Aisha (ra) as the teacher of the Ummah: her depth of knowledge and insight, her interpretation of the Quran and command over the Arabic, and her caution in acceptance of Ahadith.

“Khalid Bin Waleed (ra),” the second book in the series, introduces the greatest of Muslim commanders. His inspiring valor and complete trust on Allah brought him through more than a hundred battles and gave him success in conquering vast areas for the glory of Islam. Besides the great conquests of Khalid (ra), the reader will also learn about his remarkable skills at warfare: psychological tactics, element of surprise, and exploitation of the enemy’s weaknesses.

“Umar Bin Abdul Aziz,” the third book in the series, portrays the life of the fifth rightly guided Caliph. Along with his biography, the book describes Umar’s short two-and-a-half years rule, during which he revived the period of benevolent rule that prevailed during the caliphate of Abu-Bakr Siddique (ra), Umar Farooq (ra), Usman Ghani (ra), and Ali (ra). The reader will also learn about the process of Umar’s reforms: return of usurped wealth, withdrawal of illegitimate taxes, protection of the rights of non-Muslims, improvement of prisons, to mention a few.

“Muslim Heroes Series” will prove itself as excellent reading material for the whole family. Easily accessible language and attractive narrative style will introduce elders as well as teenagers to the exemplary lives of must-know personalities in Islamic history.

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