Reading List

الليلام الكُتُبُ بَسَاتِينُ العُلَماءِ
IMAM ALI (A.S.) SAID:
BOOKS ARE THE GARDENS OF SCHOLARS.
Ghurar al-Hikam, page no. 54

Books can be a beautiful way to connect with perspectives and stories that resonate with your own journey. Here are some recommendations:

​

1. A Dutiful Boy – by Mohsin Zaidi

Publisher description (Penguin / Vintage):

A Dutiful Boy is Mohsin's personal journey from denial to acceptance: a revelatory memoir about the power of love, belonging, and living every part of your identity. Growing up in a devout Muslim household, it felt impossible for Mohsin to be gay. Unable to be open with his family, and with difficult conditions at school, he felt his opportunities closing around him. Despite the odds, Mohsin's perseverance led him to become the first person from his school to attend Oxford University, where new experiences and encounters helped him discover who he truly wanted to be. Mohsin was confronted with the biggest decision he would ever make: to live the life expected of him or to live as his authentic self.

5. Works by Ziba Mir-Hosseini

General publisher description:

Ziba Mir-Hosseini’s works examine Islamic law, gender equality, and reform within Muslim societies. Her research combines anthropology, Islamic jurisprudence, and feminist scholarship to explore how interpretations of Islamic law affect women’s rights, family law, and social justice.

2. Mehndi Boy – by Zain Bandali

Publisher description (Annick Press):

An artistic, fashion-loving boy unlocks a new talent—and learns to stand up for it—in this chapter book perfect for fans of the Sadiq series and Meet Yasmin. Tehzeeb drew curvy clouds, grand galaxies, squirmy squiggles, and delicate dots. He made charming checkerboards and perfected paisleys. When he tries mehndi for the first time, his passion for the art blossoms. Soon he is creating designs for friends and family and dreaming of becoming the most in-demand mehndi artist in town. But when his uncle says mehndi isn’t for boys, Tez is hurt and confused. When a crisis before his cousin’s wedding puts his talents to the test, Tehzeeb must find the courage to be his true creative self.

6. Homosexuality in Islam: Critical Reflection on Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims – by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle

Publisher description:

In this pioneering study, Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle combines historical research, Qur’anic interpretation, and contemporary Muslim experiences to examine homosexuality in Islam. The book challenges dominant interpretations that condemn same-sex relationships and argues that Islamic ethics can support dignity and justice for LGBTQ Muslims.

3. All the Parts We Exile – by Roza Nozari

Publisher description (Penguin Random House / Knopf Canada):

From a queer Muslim woman and artist, a generous, heartfelt and insightful memoir about family and finding the path to one’s truest self. The youngest of three daughters and the only one born in Canada after her parents emigrated from Iran, Roza Nozari grows up longing for belonging and connection to her family’s homeland. As she grows older, this longing becomes a search for understanding and liberation. Through feminist ideas and conversations with her mother—who reveals more about her past—Roza braids her mother’s story with her own journey toward identity, belonging in queer spaces, and the truth about why her family left Iran.

7. Islamic Law and Muslim Same-Sex Unions – by Junaid Jahangir and Hussein Abdullatif

Publisher description:

This book explores whether Islamic law can recognize same-sex unions. Through a detailed analysis of Qur’anic texts, classical jurisprudence, and modern legal thought, the authors argue for a re-examination of traditional rulings and present an Islamic framework that could accommodate same-sex partnerships.

4. Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards – by Afsaneh Najmabadi

Publisher description (academic publisher summaries):

This groundbreaking work explores gender and sexual anxieties in modern Iranian history. Through visual culture, literature, and historical analysis, the book traces how concepts of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality changed in Iran during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It examines how modernity reshaped ideas about beauty, gender norms, and desire in Iranian society.

8. Works by Amina Wadud (e.g., Qur’an and Woman)

Publisher description:

In Qur’an and Woman, Amina Wadud offers a groundbreaking rereading of the Qur’an from a woman’s perspective. Through linguistic, historical, and theological analysis, she argues that the Qur’an promotes gender equality and challenges patriarchal interpretations that have shaped Islamic thought.