If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran Paperback – April 7, 2015

In her yearlong study under the guidance of renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi, journalist Carla Power gained profound insight and clarity of the Qur’an’s humane message of peace and inclusiveness. Her memoir is a remarkably moving tribute to the great knowledge and compassion that echo forth from the true teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Through her experiences, we can gain a deep appreciation for the beauty, complexity, and humanity of the Qur’anic verses. Power highlights how the Sheikh’s studies bear testament to the manifold contributions and significant influences women have made throughout the history of Islam. In fact, no religion has women playing so vital a role in its development than Islam. Too often over the centuries, it has been radicals and extremists who have polluted the true message of the Qur’an. In doing so, they have chosen to exploit laws and customs to carry out oppression, violence, and terror.Power learned from the Sheikh how to return to a close examination of the Prophet’s sage words and deeds, which reveal the inspiring faith and universal values of the Qur’an. In its essence, Islam advocates devotion to prayer, focus on charity, and closeness to God. Islam espouses equal rights and justice, and an empowering form of humanity can be found in the life of the Prophet’s wisdom and actions. To be a true Muslim one must show loyalty to the Prophet’s words and deeds, the hadith and sunna. Through the Prophet’s vision and message, one finds a call for moderation of actions, acceptance of others, equality of all people, and piety towards God. Muhammad’s community of Muslims was to spread peace, feed the hungry, and honor kinships. The Prophet preached never to force beliefs on anyone. His hopes were to bring learning and understanding. He knew his limits and he taught to avoid anger, power, and wealth. He also taught his followers to be generous and demonstrate a gentle character. These attributes will ultimately help people relate to the true message of Islam. In fact, nowhere in Islam do hierarchies or divisions exist. Nor does compulsion. Islam not only tolerates differences, it values them as part of God’s design. The Qur’an stresses how no singular group has exclusive salvation, and it questions any group that claims only a singular path exists to reaching paradise.So why is Islam viewed with suspicion and fear? The Sheikh explained to Power how obsessive rules and laws have too often devolved into punitive measures and acts of extremism, which directly defy what the Prophet taught and stood for. Sadly, abandonment of Islam’s true message occurred over centuries with the decline of the traditional madrasa system. The intellect and moderation of Islam slowly deteriorated into the harsh words and practices of radicals. Extremists now conduct misguided readings of the Qur’an and settle on reckless interpretations. The Sheikh explains how Islam is about justice and how all fighting and protesting should be redirected into time spent on prayer and honoring God. Extremists have made Islam about political struggle, when they should be focused on piety. By making political power the only goal of Islam, extremists abandon the way of the Prophet’s teachings. Their quest for radical law destroys their piety towards God. Real piety requires a commitment to one’s individual belief in honoring God and following the Prophet’s message of peace and understanding. State-endorsed Islam is nothing more than hypocrisy. Problems arise when Muslims chose identity politics over piety.Returning to a loyal reading of the Qur’an reveals a great humanity based on reason and tolerance. Islam began with a command to recite and read, so any call to arms is misguided because Islam demands its followers to think, pray, submit, and be patient in their quest to gain a closeness to God. This knowledge of returning to God is the cycle of life that the Prophet pursued. Carla Power learned through her studies with Sheikh Akram that the piety rooted at the heart of Islam calls for the defense of human rights and a devotion to individual consciousness over laws imposed by the state. Power’s memoir celebrates exactly what Islam teaches: that to practice true humanity, one must learn to see the whole of the world and learn to accept and understand others. If the Oceans Were Ink is an enlightening book that offers us knowledge and insight about the great humanity of Islam.

Many Americans are very interested in learning more about Islamic culture and religion, particularly as they relate to Western values. This book is a great place to start. I was impressed by the diversity and depth of views described here, as well as the author's thoughtful examination of her own biases as she absorbed surprising statements from the Sheikh. Ms. Power would do well to understand Christianity a little more, but all in all, I found, as she did, a deeper understanding of my own beliefs. I heartily recommend this book and am inspired to learn more about Islam and how all religions affect their intercultural relationships worldwide, both in conflict and compatibility.

I should get a commission for the number of times I have recommended this book. If you want a sane and sober view of Islam, without trying to convert you to how wonderful it is or how horrible, if you seriously want to understand a different point of view without feeling you are being attacked, this is it. Gently written, with great compassion and yet without losing a point of view, this book walks you through some of the major questions that most westerners have without being aggressive or dismissive. II likened this book to my grandmother's fudge. My grandmother made fudge that was so rich, taking a bite would probably have put your system into terminal shock. You scraped little bits with your teeth, and let the richness melt in your mouth. This book, for me at least, was like that. I would read for a little, and then put the book aside to digest what I had read. It took me a while to get through, not because it was complex or difficult but because it was so rich, and provided so much stimulus for my own thought and reflection.I continue to recommend this book, and this will be a book I will re-read several more times, I know. I am grateful to the friend who recommended it to me, and I am confident in recommending it to others.

I tried reading the Quran and got nowhere. I found a copy of this book in our local library and enjoyed reading it. It's as much a look into the Muslim world as it is a look at the Quran. I would not consider it a 'study guide'. I keep buying copies and giving them away to friends that have an interest and seem receptive to different ideas.