Beacon Books

Read more, be more. Founder of Beacon Books Jamil Chishti has always had a passion for books. It has been an exciting journey for Beacon Books so far.

In fact, before completing a Masters degree in Publishing Studies at The University of Central Lancashire, he spent 20 years as a bookseller. It was after graduating that he established Beacon Books in November of 2013 with a clear vision… Read more, be more. At its core, Beacon Books has an ethos of self-development and self-improvement – a place where people can find books that leave them feelin

g a little better after reading. That could be better informed or better entertained through an adventurous and impressive roster of titles from some of the best authors and academics around. The first title published by Beacon was the Encyclopedia of Hadith Forgeries by world renowned Islamic scholar Dr Gibril Fouad Haddad. The flagship release remains one of Beacon’s bestsellers and paved the way for the publication of a wide range of genres from both the Islamic and non-Islamic world – including religious texts, novels and biographies, to wellness, history and culture. In 2019 Beacon Books launched Beacon Academic, it’s first imprint concentrating, as the name suggests, in an array of specialist books inspired by academic works. Two more imprints were launched by the steadily growing publishing house in 2021; Bright Books focusing on childrens’ titles and Ballad Books focusing on poetry. To those who have joined us along the way, we thank you and hope you will continue supporting us and the work we do, either through reading our wonderful books or getting involved by either becoming one of our amazing authors or joining our growing team. To those for whom this is the first introduction to Beacon Books, we encourage you to take a look at what we have to offer and we hope we can become a regular friend, filling your homes, offices or places of study with books that will educate, entertain and edify your soul.

05/03/2025

📢 New Release – Ramadan Conscience by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland 📢

A poetic journey through faith, fasting, and self-discovery

About the Book:
Ramadan Conscience is a deeply introspective and spiritually charged collection of poetry, personal narratives, and reflections that explore the profound experience of Ramadan. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt storytelling, Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland captures the beauty and struggle of fasting, devotion, and transformation.

"Allah, You are the well that guides us to the well
the oasis in the wilderness guiding us to the oasis."
— Ramadan Quatrains

📖 What Makes This Book Special?
✅ A unique blend of poetry, personal reflections, and spiritual insights
✅ Chronicles Ramadan across different seasons and geographies
✅ Offers a deeply personal yet universally relatable perspective on fasting and faith

About the Author:
Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland, born in Canada in 1947, moved to the UK in 1973 and became a British citizen in 1985. He embraced Islam in 2004 and has since published 19 poetry collections. Founder of the Dream Catcher literary journal, he is also the author of The Servant of Loving One. His New and Selected Poems (Valley Press, 2017) spans 45 years of work. Ramadan Conscience is his second book with Beacon Books. He now lives in Lincolnshire with his wife.

📅 Now Available – Order Your Copy Today!
🔗 https://beaconbooks.net/products/ramadan-conscience
AMAZON: https://amzn.eu/d/aXh6Szk

25/02/2025

Last month at the Sharjah Literature Festival, author Shereen Malherbe and illustrator Sarah Nesti Willard came together to celebrate The Girl Series—a beautifully crafted collection about a young girl navigating her Palestinian heritage while growing up in the West. 📚🎨

Their sessions highlighted how storytelling and illustration can gently nurture an understanding of cultural identity.

Which childhood books helped you connect with your identity? Let us know in the comments! 👇

24/02/2025

Last month, Shereen Malherbe made several author appearances at the Emirates Festival of Literature 2025, sharing insights and captivating stories from her latest Young Adult novel, "Yassini Girls". Here's a throwback to those beautiful moments. Shereen discussed the importance of preserving cultural narratives through literature. Her words continue to inspire and challenge us to embrace diverse stories. Thank you, Sharjah, for the memories and the meaningful conversations!
https://beaconbooks.net/collections/shereen-malherbe

15/02/2025

We were delighted to see the incredible turnout for the recent event with Dr Shamim Miah, author of Ibn Khaldun: Education, History, and Society, at Khizra Mosque in Manchester.

The evening was filled with thought-provoking discussions about Ibn Khaldun’s enduring insights into history, society, and education — ideas that continue to resonate today. Dr Miah’s engaging talk brought to life the relevance of classical scholarship in understanding the complexities of our modern world.

A huge thank you to Khizra Mosque for hosting the event and to everyone who attended. We’re thrilled to see so much interest in this important work.

If you haven’t yet explored Ibn Khaldun: Education, History, and Society, the book is available now through www.BeaconBooks.net

13/02/2025

Prophetic Grappling' challenges readers to consider the relevance of prophetic practices, like wrestling, in today's modern world. The book argues that these ancient practices offer timeless lessons that can still be applied to address contemporary challenges. What do you think about the application of prophetic practices in modern life? Are there specific teachings from the past that you find particularly relevant or beneficial today? How can we adapt these ancient wisdoms to modern contexts without losing their essence? Engage in the discussion https://beaconbooks.net/products/prohetic-grappling

04/01/2025

Prophetic Grappling' examines how martial arts can play a crucial role in shaping the character and leadership qualities of Muslim youth today. This chapter provides insights into how the discipline and respect inherent in martial arts training can help young Muslims navigate modern challenges while staying true to their faith. Join the discussion https://beaconbooks.net/products/prohetic-grappling

14/12/2024

CM43:
Ignorance. Ziauddin Sardar claims that in the final analysis we are all ignorant things, Bruce B Lawrence tackles Franz Rosenthal's monumental study Knowledge Triumphant, Linsey McGoey asserts the importance of ignorance studies, Shanon Shah examines ignorant dimensions of climate chaos, William Franke explores Muslim traditions of learned ignorance, Alireza Doostdar suggests Jinn are a metaphor for unknowability, Gordon Blaine Steffey asks who is afraid of critical race theory, Colin Tudge argues that we can never know anything for certain, James Brooks urges we cannot rely on contemporary knowledge to bring about positive change, C Scott Jordan denies the right to ignorance, Robin Yassin-Kassab discovers the key to all conspiracies, and Alev Adil relates her personal history of forgetting and ignorance.
Also in this issue: Hussein Kesvani quits from tweeting, Samia Rahman has reforming conversations, Giles Goddard thinks there is something special about Virgin Mary, Said Mohammed Ismail scrutinises the sham spirituality of Sadhguru, a short story by Tam Hussein, poems by Steve Noyes and Miran Gulzar, and our list of top ten political fibs. https://beaconbooks.net/collections/critical-muslim

11/12/2024

CM44:
History. Iftikhar H Malik reflects on his career as a historian, Ebrahim Moosa unpicks the Muslim notion of history, Joshua Lupo dissects the history of religions, Robert Irwin is amused by historic predictions of Muslim futures, Jeremy Henzell-Thomas is not amused by radical 'cancel culture', Abdelaziz El Amrani brings religious anticolonial resistance in Morocco to the fore, Khairudin Aljunied highlights the role of ignorance in the thought of the celebrated Indonesian scholar Hamka, Raza Ali is fed up with Pakistan's constitutional upturns, Anna Gunin recalls the suppression of memory in the Soviet Union, Sunera Thobani argues that all three waves of feminism promoted Islamophobia, Hassan Vawda wants to rethink how Islam is presented in Museums, Masuma Rahim remembers Karbala, Leela Prasad sets out to find Anna in the grand annals of nineteenth-century colonial India.
Also in this issue: Ziauddin Sardar is haunted by Iason Athanasiadis' photographs of refugees, Shanon Shah is bowled over by a future vision of Malaysia, James Brooks listens to world music, Medina Tenour Whiteman charts the rise and fall of Granada, Susannah Tarbush meets female musicians from Afghanistan, poetry by Arif Ay, Adrianna Kalfopoulou, and Tawfiq Zayyad, Youshaa Patel's brave defense of taqlid (imitation), and our list of the Queen and ten historical others. https://beaconbooks.net/collections/critical-muslim

10/12/2024

In every era, sport has shaped cultures and built bridges between them. 'Prophetic Grappling' delves into the rich tradition of martial arts within Islamic culture, emphasising how sports like wrestling were not only a means of physical edification but also spiritual development during the time of the Messenger of God ﷺ. This book offers a profound look at how these practices were much more than physical activities; they were a way to cultivate discipline, character, and spirituality, aligning closely with Islamic teachings. Explore how 'Prophetic Grappling' inspires a modern reconnection to these noble arts. Learn more https://beaconbooks.net/products/prohetic-grappling

02/12/2024

CM48:
Saliha. Robin Yassin-Kassab extolls the virtue of translations, Ebrahim Moosa explores the virtues of the Prophet, Ziauddin Sardar recalls the virtuous life and untimely death of his wife Saliha, Abdelwahab El-Affendi attempts to sort out virtue and vice in knowledge, Colin Tudge suggests a set of bedrock virtues will save the planet and the rest of us, Gordon Steffey outlines three departures on anger, Jinmei Yuan illustrates the ways Confucius shows how to live a virtuous life, Jeremey Henzell-Thomas wrestles with virtuous words, Aamer Hussain reflects on the life of Muhammadi Begum, the pioneering nineteenth-century Urdu writer on female virtues, Naomi Foyle is moved by the struggles of the Irish singer and songwriter Shuhada Sadaqat (Sinead O’Connor), Liam Mayo gets a haircut from a senior citizen, C Scott Jordan returns to a memorable dinner with Saliha, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown remembers her virtuous mother, and our critique of ten virtues generated by ChatGPT.
Also in this issue: Zain Sardar dissects philosophy’s pathologies, James Brooks watches a film about Arab Spring, Yuri Prasad reads a major history of blacks in Britain, Mansur Ali studies commentaries on hadith, Safia Latif’s enchanting paintings, a short story by Gwen Burnyeat, and poems by Farid Bitar and the legendary Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini. https://beaconbooks.net/collections/critical-muslim

28/11/2024

CM49:
Scotland. Robin Yassin-Kassab travels to the most northerly mosque in Scotland, Jeremey Henzell-Thomas confesses his affection for all things Scottish, Leila Aboulela identifies three Scotts who influenced her novels, Saqib Razzaq outlines the Muslim heritage of Scotland, Nayab Khalid tries to save the Scottish environment, Arusa Qureshi falls in love with hip hop, Kirsty MacDougall attempts to revive Gaelic language and culture, Robin Ade goes fishing, Alycia Pirmohamed meanders around Scottish coastline, James Brooks sits through the films of Ken Loach, William Holmes (Mohammad Ameen) paints the Galloway uplands, and our list of ten Scottish things.
Also in this issue: John O’Donoghue reads a refreshing novel about refugees, Abdullah Geelah is impressed by Todd Webb’s photographs of Africa, Steve Noyes shifts through five Muslim memoirs, short stories by Shah Tazrian Ashrafi and Parand, poems by Zahra Wadia, Deema K Shehabi, and David Pollard, Mishal Saif’s analysis of blasphemy in Pakistan, and Amandla Thomas-Johnson’s American Diary. https://beaconbooks.net/collections/critical-muslim

21/11/2024

CM50:
Halal. Hassan Mahamdallie faces a halal/haram backlash; Isham Pawan Ahmad argues that much of what goes under the rubric of halal is not ethical; M Iqbal Asaria thinks halal finance is up the gum tree; Mohammed Aslam Haneef confesses he and his Islamic economist colleagues do not know how to teach halal economics; Adnan Delalić shows what halal and haram now means in German law; Christopher B Jones outlines three tomorrows of halal; Shaheed Tayob suggests that halal certification can be detrimental to small businesses; Zaynab El Bernoussi is astonished at the expansion of the halal market; Raza Ali just can’t understand those who see music as haram; Nayab Khalid promotes halal degrowth; Zahira P Latif finds British Muslims have a difficult time navigating a halal lifestyle; C Scott Jordan considers the limits of a false sense of importance and ego; Shazia Mirza leads a cast of halal comedy queens; Asim Siddiqui witnesses the birth of UK’s Halal Food Authority; and our list of ten halal/haram debates.
Also in this issue: Boyd Tonkin is overawed by Edward Burtynsky’s exhibition Extraction/Abstraction; Robin Yassin-Kassab is appalled with Arab world’s Thugocracy; Humera Khan studies the leadership qualities of the Prophet; Sadek Hamid remembers British orientalist explorers; Naomi Foyle’s verdict on recent poetry collections; short stories by John O’Donoghue and Juniad Ashraf; and poems by Mevlut Ceylan and Samantha Terrell. https://beaconbooks.net/collections/critical-muslim

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Our Story

After 20 years as a bookseller our Director, Jamil Chishti enrolled onto a Masters degree in Publishing Studies and upon graduating he setup Beacon Books in November of 2013. Our first book was written by the world-renowned scholar Dr Gibril Fouad Haddad on the Encyclopedia of Hadith Forgeries and since then we have steadily grown to publish books in a wide range of genres from Quranic Studies, biographies and children’s books. We have a small but expanding team of full time and part time staff and sometimes as many as three trainees at a time. We have been blessed to have published some key landmark books already such as the Encyclopedia of Hadith Forgeries which was the first comprehensive catalogue and study of hadith forgeries in English. We have also entered into our first international joint publishing agreement with the University of Brunei Darussalam with the Light for the Seeker being an academic study and partial translation of al-Baydawi’s famous tafsir book. Joint publishing is something we would like to do more of in the future, not only with universities but other publishers as well. In May 2017 Beacon Books took part in the International Sufi Conference in the historic Moroccan city of Fes, by holding its first overseas book launch of Pure Gold from the Words of Abd al-Aziz al-Dabbagh. This was a book that we published under exclusive license from EJ Brill, one of the oldest university publishers in the world. We have exciting plans to start a number of series including classic and original new poetry and an academic series on Islamic Education in the West. This last project will see us jointly organize our first academic conference on the history and development of Islamic Education in Britain. We plan to organise other conferences including an exciting project on Islam and Science. Beacon Books is still at the start of an exciting journey which we hope you will join us on either through reading our wonderful books, writing for us or getting involved in the company to produce books that will educate, entertain and edify your soul.