An Interview with Janette Grant, a Muslim Woman Author.

 

Janette Grant Collected PoemsJuly 29, Delina and I had the honor to interview a Muslim Writer/Published Author via Skype. She is a well written and well known

Muslim Writer living in Texas, USA.  Not only is she the owner of Mindworks Publishing Inc. she is a mom, a wife and a Muslim too.

In the midst of her health issues she is able to spend time with her family and participate in several writing gigs in cyberspace aka the internet, such as Examiner.com and Muslimah Voices. Her educational background in journalism from Boston University inspired her to become a founding member of Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA). It is collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates. They have a mission to mediate negative opinions and incorrect perceptions about Islam.

Of the several books she has written such as Hannah Habibi Learns about Modesty and Sameerah’s Hijab and The First Day of School are just a few of her Muslim books for youngsters that she wrote based on her own experience with her child. Sameerah is a young Muslim girl, and the story tells about how she becomes accustomed to wearing her hijab at public school after migrating from a Muslim country to the U.S. As a writer Ms. Grant sometimes struggles with having patience when encountering some of the obstacles that can exist when trying to break into the publishing industry but has found self-publishing to be a welcoming solution.

Her latest one is a compilation of her poems – Redemption Song – reflects her thoughts about things we all face at one point throughout our lives.  Although some of her writing is inspired from external situations, persons, circumstances deep down her inspiration and perspective is drawn much from what she or her family are going through. Which can range from severe health conditions to issues and scenarios her children or family member are going through.

I personally love this poem.  If you wish to read more kindly purchase the book from her collection of poems: Redemption Song.

Excerpt of her work:

Uncovering

Who am I?

I am a believer

And I am not alone

I am not without Allah

I

AM NOT

without Allah

I cannot exist without Allah and His Grace I live for Allah

I live by Allah’s permission

And I find myself-

uncover myself-

when I encounter Allah

I must continue to strive

Who am I?

I am a believer

I seek to submit

I submit

and I live to praise the Lord

I am uncovering myself

Discovering myself

learning my religion

daily

five times a day

and thankfully living this life with every breath I take

Redemption Song / 9

Copyright © 2013 Janette Grant

In reading this poem, I think this is so very close to what we are all feeling as Muslims.  The religion isn’t a quickie fad but it is something in which we must learn step by step, like an onion that has layers upon layers before getting to the sweet middle. And as those onions peel away, our tears clear up our eyes and our eyesight.  As does Islam.

Below is a blurb of our brief conversation with her….

.…My given name is Janette Grant. I was born a Christian to a Christian family and learned Islam through my husband who I met while we were in college.  We were both practicing Christians when we met and married, but he then started researching other religions in seeking the truth and discovered Islam. He brought a Qur’an to me one day and said that he had become a Muslim, had taken shahadah, and explained that I had the right to choose if I wanted to accept Islam as well. He gave me the Holy Qur’an and asked me to read it for myself and to pray about it to see if this is something that I would want to accept. When I read this book, it was more than an epiphany.  I cannot explain it.   – This is my Shahadah story. 

Janette Grant took shahadah on April 29, 1998, and she is very blessed to have become a Muslim. After being in Islam she feels humbled in having been guided and gives thanks to Allah. According to her, Islam answers many questions in her life very easily. Every Ramadan she learns something new, and is grateful that Allah has guided her to Islam. She says it is delightful being a Muslima.

 As mentioned in Al-Qur’anul Kareem,

Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture [i.e. the Jews and Christians] nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allah selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the processor of great bounty (Quran Surah al-Baqarah 2:105).

Wallahua’lam

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