God of the Silent Spaces: An Iʿtikāf Journey

God of the Silent Spaces: An Iʿtikāf Journey is an intimate account of ten days spent in iʿtikāf—the sacred retreat observed during the final nights of Ramaḍān—written from the perspective of a young, working professional.

Set inside the hushed interior of a mosque, the reader is drawn into the author's inner world as he partakes in ritual worship, studies the Qur'ān, and anticipates the momentous Laylatul Qadr. But this is not a quiet, solitary journey; the mosque is a hub of communal activity, enlivened by mosque attendees and erudite scholars, each bringing lessons of their own.

Drawn directly from diary notes, Zahid’s voice is vivid, bringing spirituality into conversation with the lived experience of Muslims living in a minority context. In the words of Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray, the book has "piercing insights into Muslims in Britain" combined with "timeless insights about the human condition and our relationship with the Divine".

Unlike instructional or devotional works on Ramaḍān or iʿtikāf, God of the Silent Spaces is a literary spiritual memoir. It is ideal for readers who want books that are:

• reflective and honest
  
• spiritually uplifting
• grounded in Islamic teaching
  

"Zahid writes with honesty, sincerity and deep wisdom [...] and shows that it is still possible to have a meaningful spiritual life in the chaos and madness outside."

- Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Founding Director of the Islam-UK Centre

"The book is ultimately a testament to the power of words as a new generation of British Muslim writers, away from the glare of sensationalist headlines, take on the mantle of telling their own stories and, by doing so, confidently stake their place as faithful believers in an increasingly fractured society."

- Dr. Riyaz Timol, Research Fellow in British Muslim Studies, Cardiff University

About the author

Hamzah Zahid is a social scientist and has been a student of the Islamic Tradition for over ten years. God of the Silent Spaces, based on his dissertation on MA Islam in Contemporary Britain at Cardiff University, is his first published book.

👉 Ideal for readers of spiritual memoir, Islamic non-fiction, and contemplative literature.