About The Author

By Dr. Kristin Kanzari

Lecturer in Gender Studies

“Certainty in God’s decree springs from a well-kept heart; there is then no fear, and there is the reassurance that nothing in the heavens or the earth can take place without His command. If the heart is left without this consciousness and without this care, it becomes hard, unable to cope with the demands of loss, pain and suffering. Our hearts like the great seas of this planet are home to many scenes ”, writes Suma Din in Turning the Tide, a book small in size and great in words of wisdom. Through the water metaphor, Suma Din takes us through cycles and scenes of life, confidently moving along like the steady trickling stream of clear and soothing water, from the beginning of life in the womb, through childhood to old age. The book aspires, as says the subtitle, to “reawaken the woman’s heart and soul”, but I expect that in here sisters and brothers alike will be able to quench some of their thirst for comfort and guidance towards a deeper understanding of the simple and infinite wisdom of God’s words. Each of the book’s ten chapters offer poetic reflections on the eternal problems of life, short streams of thought that we all can relate to, thoughts that are familiar yet fresh in the way the author shares them with her readers. Each of these Myriad Voices introduces one or two of God’s magnificent names, leading on to a careful selection of Qur’anic verses and ahadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him), before the message is exemplified in a brief, yet accurate and rich rendition of the essential examples of great Muslim women, from the Pharaon’s wife Asiya to the Prophet’s wives, Khadija and Aisha, his daughter Fatima (peace be upon them), and several other notable women. I expect young and old readers, female and male, will turn to this book and find themselves wishing to not come ashore again. May Allah (swt) reward our sister abundantly for having laboured to give us this opportunity with God’s help to increase our knowledge and our taqwa.

By Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood
Author & Educationalist

This is a beautiful, valuable and inspiring book, and once I started to read it I could not put it down. The author has done a splendid job of lifting the usual rather dry study of Islam into a presentation of the message as intended, a presentation that enters the heart. The thoughts of the author herself are encouraging and full of insight - and the selection of words from the Source of all Love and Compassion, and His Messenger (pbuh), that have inspired her thoughts are priceless beyond compare.
Women who have been brought up with dull rote-learning of the faith, a preoccupation with rules and regulations that do not begin to touch the heart, and a struggle to cope with a foreign language and numerous technical terms, will find this book a real 'turning of the tide.' The journey from the innocence of a newly-created soul to the anticipation of the soul preparing to return to its Maker, is a journey of hope, love, encouragement and faith.
An excellent book. May Allah bless us all and open our hearts.

  ' This is a beautiful, valuable and inspiring book. Once I started to read it I could not put it down'.

Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood,
 Author & Educationalist
On Turning The Tide.

'...ideal for parents and teachers to use for nurturing altruism and leadership in the next generation.'

Dr Musharraf Hussein OBE,
CEO Karimia Institute UK
on Dr Hany EL Banna - A Servant to the World's Poorest People'