Woke & Loud
Blog Post 19
May 9, 2019
You've read poetry and probably heard spoken word. But what about by Muslims? You're in for a unique journey with a diverse group of spiritual and revolutionary artists!
Muslim young and new adults and older folks have been busy! They’ve been writing and spitting for a while now and although some have gotten accolades and even become famous, many have been in the shadows or are known only to their community or just to family and friends. And several have never even shared what they’ve created before.
Inked Resistance Islamic Publishing’s commitment to publishing young and new adults is for real. That’s why we spent five months working diligently with these authors to get their work into your hands. It’s been a delightful journey of pouring over their writings, collaborating to make sure their work is just right and that the bios reflect what they want you to know about them.
We reached out to known and less known poets and spoken word artists and the response was tremendous, Al-Hamdulillah! What that means to us is there are hundreds more Muslim writers out there, inshallah.
What makes Inked Resistance
Islamic Publishing’s
anthology of Muslim poets
and spoken word artists so special?
The Contributors
We’re reluctant to list the famous authors and spoken word artists here and leave out the less known. A snapshot may help provide a glimpse into the make-up of the contributors.
- There’s 36, from a 14-year-old Muslimah to a 75-year-old Imam.
- Some have only one piece and three have six - the average being three.
- Sisters make up 64%.
- 75% are under 40.
- The madhab mix is almost 50-50.
- All but three live in the west, mostly in the US, Canada and the UK.
- A little over 50% have dual/triple nationalities.
- Two are incarcerated.
- While the most important designation is that each contributor is Muslim, social justice activists, community organizers, published authors, poet laureates, entrepreneurs, university graduates and Ph.D. holders & candidates, mothers and fathers, students, teachers, homemakers, retirees and even several Imams are included.
Countries and ethnicities include:
First Nations and Metis Black American and Canadian Jamaican Kurdish Qatari Indian
West Indian – Trinidadian & Guyanese Iranian East African Sudanese Sri Lankan Malaysian
Ethiopian Kashmiri British Pakistani European American and Canadian
From what we can figure. (Hope we didn’t leave anyone out, inshallah.)
The Work
The authors were given a free reign to submit the works of their choice, as long as they weren’t their most raw pieces. Since we’re publishing young and new adult work, it is imperative the writings don’t contain explicit sexual connotations or racist, discriminatory rants. Authors were also not limited by length or the use of non-English languages.
Topics include:
Oppression, Injustice & Travesties Revolution Palestine Purpose Writing Islamophobia Pain
Dhikr & Salat Colonialism Racism Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) Role Models Staying on the Path
Family, Mother, Father, Grandmother Birth Jihad al-Asghar Leadership Women Hope
Identity Peace Karbala & Imam Husayn (a.s.) Unity Journeys Jihad al-Akbar Resiliency
Martyrdom Taqwa Death Homeland Reality Tranquility Empathy
And of course Love of Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala and Allah’s Promise of Victory and Guidance.
These are general topics. You are bound to uncover many more inspirational, current, heart-warming & heart-breaking reflections within the pieces.
Our Vision
Inked Resistance Islamic Publishing set out to provide a space for poets and spoken word artists to get their voices heard. We had some idea about what Muslim young and new adults were talking and writing about cause we’d read and heard some of it. Since poetry is a staple of Muslim history and it lends itself so well to deep expression, reflection and action, we felt a medley such as this one could reveal Muslim thoughts, worries, solutions, faith and hope, especially those living in the west, to the world. After all, Muslims in the belly of the beast know first-hand who's working behind the scenes and out front masterminding the horrid state of affairs humanity finds itself in. And we understand our role as upholders of truth and justice and have much to offer those who desire to walk upon a holistic spiritual path and engage in resistance against evil, inshallah.
We’ve included a preface and introduction to guide readers in understanding the motivation behind the book and some truths about poetry and its impact on truth-seekers, as well as the often painful process writers go through getting their hearts onto paper, a responsibility that calls out to them unceasingly. There’s also a glossary to assist with non-English words used by the artists.
It’s the first of its kind! Woke & Loud: A Faith-Based Medley of Muslim Poetry & Spoken Word is a 463-page collection of our young and new adults’, along with several older adults', commentaries on their relationships with Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, each other and the world. It is a forever book, one that future generations will read and savour, one that will guide young and new adults yet to be born, one that will, inshallah, send comforting spacious breezes into the authors’ graves and tranquility on their souls. A Barakah Book!
The Results
Sometimes we get so bogged down in the atrocities that are taking place all over the world that we lose hope in the Promise of Allah Subhanahu wa ta’la and begin to wallow in misery and succumb to depressing thoughts. This anthology, inshallah, may help us recognize that Muslim young and new adults are actively seeking a higher purpose and resisting wrongs with moral solutions. They aren’t off the Path no matter what it might look like to others. We should rest assured that Muslims, and not just those within this anthology, are Woke & Loud, Intense & Loving. Their fingers are connected to their hearts and they’re speaking out against injustice and hatred, standing up for the mustazafeen (oppressed), shouting out against the oppressors whoever they may be and using their creativity to bare their souls to make a difference. And they’re sincerely trying to worship Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, thanking our Sustainer daily and resting their heads at The Beloved’s Threshold, inshallah. Al-Hamdulillah!
Don’t Miss Out On This
Ground-Breaking Venture!
Get Your Copy Today!
A Fantastic Life-Changing Gift!
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