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Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World

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Do you think you know who first thought of the theory of evolution?
Have you ever wondered who created the oldest university in the world?
Is Joan of Arc is the only rebel girl who led an army that you've heard of?

If so, then you need this stunningly illustrated treasure trove of iconic and hidden amazing Muslim heroes!

You'll find people you might know, like Malala Yousafzai, Sir Mo Farah and Muhammad Ali, as well as some you might not, such as:

Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham: the first scientist to prove theories about how light travels, hundreds of years before Isaac Newton.

Sultan Razia: a fearsome female ruler.

G. Willow Wilson: the comic book artist who created the first ever Muslim Marvel character.

Ibtihaj Muhammad: the Olympic and World Champion fencer and the first American to compete in the games wearing a hijab.

Noor Inayat Khan: the Indian Princess who became a British spy during WWII.

There are so many more amazing Muslim men and women who have changed our world, from pirate queens to athletes, to warriors and mathematicians. Who will your next hero be?

208 pages, Hardcover

First published July 16, 2020

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About the author

Burhana Islam

5 books13 followers

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5 stars
92 (50%)
4 stars
58 (32%)
3 stars
28 (15%)
2 stars
2 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Annie.
665 reviews18 followers
March 15, 2021
This fantastic book is now my book love of the year. As a Muslim reader I ponder - where was this book my entire life!? So inspiring and insightful, this book I feel is a wonderful opportunity to for Muslim and Non-Muslim readers alike to read about notable Muslims whom made their mark on the world. This book casts positive light and what I love the most is how the stories include Muslims from ancient history, modern history and current times. I learnt a lot reading this book and I was left wondering how I didn't know about these people until now? This book is now a valued treasure in my household. Highly recommended.

Please note: This is not an anthology but a non-fiction text found in the junior fiction section, compiled by one author.

Amazing read!
Profile Image for Luz.
829 reviews8 followers
September 30, 2021
I loved this book so much that I read it in one go. It’s beautifully written and the illustrations are stunning. The author brings to life so many inspiring Muslims and tells their stories enchantingly
Profile Image for Rania T.
536 reviews22 followers
September 1, 2020
I can't fault this one at all. Well written, beautifully illustrated, multicultural and multiracial with some great kids activities in the back. A great addition for school classrooms and libraries.
Profile Image for Mus✨.
87 reviews9 followers
May 22, 2023
What an inspiring read !!!

This Ramadaan I decided to learn more about my fellow Muslims.Although I knew about most of the people in this book it was still just as engaging as if I had been reading about these wonderful people for the first time.

So many brilliant, wonderfully talented people whose achievements and sacrifices deserve to be celebrated and respected such as ibn Al haytham,Mohammed Ali,fatima Al Fihri to name a few.The people in this book range from both men and women of different backgrounds,ethnicities and professions.

What I loved was how this book shows that women achieved and continue to achieve great feats just as men did like Razan from Palestine, Khawlah Bint Al-Azwar etc and is a wonderful example of how Islam was of the first religion to give women the rights and respect they deserved.It shows those who believe otherwise that muslim women throughout the ages prospered and were highly successful in their respective fields and that made me proud of my religion.

I loved the last few chapters about unity,peace and education (Malcom X).Lastly the illustrations were simply exquisite and made the reading experience all the more better.
Profile Image for Faisal Amjad.
8 reviews3 followers
March 21, 2022
Well illustrated, engaging for my children and I learned a few new things too, some questionable figures in here though.
Profile Image for Soumimi ✨.
15 reviews18 followers
March 31, 2021
On en apprend énormément sur plein de femmes et d’hommes musulmans qui ont marqué le monde à leur manière. J’ai adoré la diversité qui au final représente totalement la communauté musulmane qui est plurielle et le fait qu’on ait des portraits contemporains et plus anciens. J’ai découvert plein de personnes que je ne connaissais pas et j’ai adoré la manière dont le livre est conçu :
On a 2-3 pages par personnes, une illustration, une petite biographie et une anecdote. Je conseille à 100%
Profile Image for Sophia I.
132 reviews36 followers
January 20, 2022
So many amazing Muslims, so many inspiring tales. The Masked Knight was my favourite.. but I have a soft spot for the last few stories, including Malcolm X and Malala. Education and unity. I cannot recommend this enough. I’m so glad I started 2022 with this wonderful book.
Profile Image for Muhannad Sheikh.
54 reviews1 follower
September 2, 2023
A short sweet book about iconic Muslims throughout history, geared more towards kids with some of the language, but still readable for adults who want a good introduction of some of the people. Although, there are some debatable selections, most I would agree had a positive impact worldwide.
10 reviews
August 3, 2020
Great book with lovely illustrations. Although aimed at older children & young adults I found this book really interesting & I would certainly recommend. It should be in every school library
Profile Image for Edwin Setiadi.
292 reviews12 followers
April 8, 2022
The inspiring short stories of incredible Muslims

This is an inspiring book about Muslims that have made their mark in the world. It is beautifully written and beautifully illustrated, with mini biographies long enough to give us the complete picture, but short enough to make it neat and concise.

The extraordinary characters mentioned in the book range from both men and women, from many different ethnicities, who come from various occupations or roles in society throughout history. They vary from well known historical figures such as Salah Al-Din and Zheng He, to contemporary icons such as Muhammad Ali, Mo Farah and Malala Yousafzai, to several previously-little-known characters that turn out to be exceptional human beings, such as Rufaida Al-Aslamiyah, Khawlah Bint Al-Azwar, Sayyida Al-Hura and Ayuba Suleiman Diallo.

Fittingly, the book is mainly written for young Muslims who are seeking for inspiration from “their own clan”, but adults can also learn a lot from reading it, as have I while enjoying the beautiful but simple narrations.

And boy, what an inspiration. The book serves to show that Muslims can become anything we want to be without hard limitation, from becoming an actor, to athlete, architect, baker, warrior, explorer, healer, badass queen, scientist, senator, gold medalists, poet, DC and Marvel cartoonist, social justice movement leader, to the inventor of algebra and algorithm, and so much more, even becoming a real-life spy.

Now, although the heroes in the book are almost equally divided between men and women, I get the general feel that this book also wants to show that Muslim women are brave, powerful, and can take matters into their own hands (and rightly so in the eyes of Islam) and does not have to fit into the stereotype of oppressed women. Hence, with this in mind, this is a perfect book for my children to read and learn from, especially for my little daughter.
Profile Image for Sai ☾ ⋆.
169 reviews1 follower
March 29, 2023
Some of my favourites stories and this book had BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS !

Rufaida Al-Aslamiyah , Saudi Arabia

Rufaida even trained and led groups of female volunteer nurses on to the battlefield to help the casualties of war. In the suffocating heat of the desert, when there seemed to be little life left, Rufaida and her trainees protected the dying from harsh winds and burns, and eased their pain in their final days.


She also started working on preventing sickness by drafting the world’s first code of Nursing Conduct and Ethics, a modern technique which is still practised across the globe today.

Interesting fact: Medical University of Bahrain awards the Rufaida Al-Aslamiyah Prize to one student every year.

Dr Hawa Abdi
The Saint of Somalia
1947–Mogadishu, Somalia

Noor Inayat Khan
Lost Indian Princess and British Spy
1914–1944

Khawlah Bint Al-Azwar
The Masked Knight „600–649 CES saudi.

Razan Al-Najjar
Palestine’s Woman in the White Cape
1997–2018Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip

I think some biography summaries were too short or didn’t concentrated on important parts of their lives like Malcom x.
Profile Image for Sharfaddeen Ilah.
9 reviews2 followers
March 16, 2022
Such an amazing book. Written in simple and plain language that it will not bore adults nor be difficult for the kids to comprehend.

The stories are indeed summary of summaries hitting directly at the most important lessons from the lives of the individuals in the book.

I read through half of the book while waiting for my wife to serve me noodles 🍝 😄.

I bought a copy to gift it to a young lad whom I want to baptize into the culture of reading books. Now I think I need to buy another copy for my bookshelf too.

I will surely recommend it to any child, parent, or school looking for a good book full of historical knowledge. The last part of the book has exercises that will be helpful to young readers to remember the key ideas and other important lessons from the read.

Rating: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Cara (Wilde Book Garden).
1,141 reviews64 followers
June 2, 2022
Absolutely beautifully told and illustrated! I learned so much: there were a few people I was familiar with but not many, so I loved learning more about the people covered in the book (Noor Inayat Khan was someone I had read about before, but was so glad to read more about; and I don't think I'd heard of al-Jahiz at all, despite the fact that he was developing ideas on evolution centuries before Darwin was even born!)

And this book would be especially great to read with kids (as I think it's intended) because the bios are told in more of a story style, and there's a short activity section at the back.

Such a wonderful and important book - I can't recommend this enough, for readers of any religious background!

CW: Islamophobia, racism, grief
Profile Image for Fatima.
86 reviews1 follower
March 15, 2023
Really enjoyed this book, as did the kids - my eldest remembers the names of all the people in the book and their stories ma sha Allah (unlike my own good self haha...).

Very impressed with this book, probably because I had very low expectations of it (sorry, but true).

Some of the illustrations are better than others, and felt there was disparity in the illustrations used within each chapter, realised this was because several illustrators were used for this book.

Some of the people mentioned are more interesting than others, with some having more investment in Islam, whilst in other stories, the impact of Islam on the individual is barely mentioned.

Activities at the end of the book are a welcome addition for kids.

One to invest in for the bookshelf for sure.
Profile Image for Morgan.
91 reviews
October 8, 2021
I really enjoyed this and think this is a must-have for any school, library, or home-book collection. Great for both children and adults to teach them about important Muslim figures. I learned a lot! Additionally, all of the illustrations are very beautiful and while they are done by a few different people, they all flow really well and all fit in the book! The only thing I was confused about is the order for all of the people in the book - it seemed to be randomized which is fine but I probably would have preferred to read it year wise - however, it could just be that I did not pick out the order. Overall, I recommend this to everyone and learned a lot from it!
Profile Image for Μαρία Ν..
219 reviews
February 2, 2022
This book was very eye opening to me. As someone who tries to learn more about different cultures, this was a nice introduction to Muslim faith and culture through the lives of inspiritional Muslim people. The lovely writing and the beautiful illustrations makes it perfect for children and adults alike.
April 1, 2022
The book exemplifies the tales of extraordinary Muslims around the world. Few of the stories and characters I read for the first time. I loved learning how their struggles and contributions impacted the world. The British-Bangladeshi author used elegant illustrations and incredibly simple language for narration. Not a single line felt tedious!
Profile Image for Rossa..
88 reviews
April 23, 2023
This book is such an informative book for those who want to know and learn about Amazing Muslims, and also for those who want to read about Muslims who had been role models.

Through this book, I have learned many things and this has helped me open my mind, this book educates you, and this book helped you.
Profile Image for Julie.
471 reviews5 followers
August 7, 2020
Super book full of short biographies of Muslims who achieved great things. There were several names that I did know but also many that I didn't. The biographies are clearly written and full of factual information alongside gorgeous illustrations. A must for any class bookshelf.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
265 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2022
Interesting stories that will inspire many. It is so nice to be able to learn about rulers, innovators, scientists, etc. who don't fit into our stereotypes of Muslims. There's a good mix of ancient and modern.
1 review
October 25, 2022
من اجمل الكتب الي قرأتها ما أعجبني بهذا الكتاب المُميز انه تحدث عن عدة شخصيات في مجالات مختلفة مثبته ان المسلمين يستطيعون الابداع بأي مجال ولك تقتصر على عظماء العصور القديمه من المسلمين بل حتى عصرنا الحاضر والرسومات كانت مريحةً للعين ، شكرًا لكم🤍.
Profile Image for Lamyaa.
11 reviews1 follower
July 3, 2023
This inspiring book showcases the achievements and impact of Muslim trailblazers throughout history, empowering children to recognize and appreciate the vast accomplishments of individuals from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Amazing book to get some insight!
Profile Image for Los.
6 reviews
July 31, 2021
Such an amazing book to treat all of the greatest Muslims over the world from many centuries ago unit now A day , wish that’s the book never end ❤️
Profile Image for Nomattersword.
80 reviews11 followers
September 10, 2021
Mesmerizing story with amazing illustrations. i really liked it. It can be good legacy for my children in the future
Profile Image for Faiza Mallick.
31 reviews
Read
April 21, 2022
A great book for kids. Representation is important. So many influential Muslims to learn about.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

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