I’m blessed to be born into a Muslim family. But at the same time, I’m also guilty for not knowing about my religion in-depth. Although I try to stick with the basics such as prayers, fasting, and charity but somewhere in my heart I have unsettled chaos that I’m not following Allah the way a good Muslim should do.
One day I and my friends were crossing Stadium Commercial Lane 4, Phase 5 in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and we came across an amazing bookstore known as Da’wah Books.
We decided to give it a visit. As I entered, I felt that I’d landed on a peaceful corner of earth.
The place was a book paradise. Every title was arranged on the bookshelf with elegance. The store was as clean as a crystal. And all around me were diverse book titles that I’d never heard before.
The outlet arouses the divine in me.
Out of curiosity, I asked the representative about the insights and we sat for a conversation.
He told me:
“We started Da’wah Books in 2008 with the mission to spread knowledge about Islam. It’s inspired by the last sermon of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) which says:
“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don’t know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listened to me directly.”
Da’wah is an Arabic word which means invitation, so we invite people to read and understand Islam through our books.”
Ok, then with how many books did you start?
“It was started with only 100 titles in hand. Now, the bookstore has expanded to 3000+ titles and new collections are added all the time.”
All of these books are authentic books which means they only sell what’s firmly grounded in the Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
So, do you serve in Pakistan only?
“Till before the pandemic, Da’wah books shipped orders to all corners of the world. However, we are not accepting International orders at the moment. We will resume it after the pandemic, In-shaa-Allah.”
Most of our books are imported from the USA, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, UAE, and Turkey. That’s why you’d find some books at a high price. But never mind as the knowledge you seek from the books will always be superior to the money you invest.
Their collection includes:
- Easy to understand English and Urdu translations of the Qur’an
- Hadith Collections
- Beautiful and inspiring account of the life of the Prophet ﷺ
- Biographies of men and women that changed the course of history
- Self-help books from an Islamic perspective
- Guidance for matters of the heart
- Books that address atheism and agnosticism
- Stories of converts to Islam and more
Even if you have recently started knowing Islam, you will find books that are helpful for early adopters such as Who is Allah, Why should we pray, and a guide to Salat.
I also asked about their best-selling books and those are:
- Translations of the Qur’an
- The Sealed Nectar (The life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)
- Revive your Heart – Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan
- Prayers of the Pious – Omar Suleiman
- Reclaim Your Heart – Yasmin Mogahed
- The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage of Atheism- Hamza Tzortzis
- The Ideal Muslimah – Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi
- Psychology: The Islamic Perspective – Dr Aisha Utz
- You can be the Happiest Woman in the World- Dr. ‘A’id Al-Qarni
- Don’t be Sad – Dr. ‘A’id Al-Qarni
- The Prick of a Thorn: Coping with the Trials and Tribulations of Life – Dr Aisha Utz
- Getting Married the Islamic Way – Saheeh International
And the best part?
They have some amazing reader’s stuff such as amber colour bookmarks, mugs, shopping bags, stationery bags, wudhu socks, and more.
They have the process of in-depth qualitative analysis of the books before making them available for sale.
Being an Islamic business, they don’t welcome payments through credit or debit cards. Instead, they prefer cash on delivery in Pakistan while in other countries they allow payments through Western Union or bank transfers.
Da’wah books launched its website in 2012 to stay connected with its readers even online. They are one of the few bookstores in Pakistan that adopted the digital channel right before the time. And after the pandemic, the online orders have increased multifold.
I also asked them if people in Pakistan prefer books in the gadgets-driven era, on which he said:
At Da’wah Books we meet so many book lovers that it’s hard for us to believe that people don’t read anymore. We get orders from every corner of Pakistan, from people of all ages, both men and women, for books in English and Urdu.
However, we do realize that with the recent phenomenon of a screen in every hand, people are losing the temperament for reading. Attention spans have reduced drastically. But when people find books that are relevant to their lives, that solve their problems, that provide answers to their questions, they do give reading a try. And once they start, it is not easy to stop because books have an appeal that screens don’t.
I found it true because I also keep my phone aside when I have an interesting read around.
So, if you’re a struggling Muslim like me and keeps questioning people about Islam, the existence of God, faith then Da’wah Books is your go-to store. Their books are written in contemporary language and help make Islam a living reality for today.
After observing so many titles at the store, I realized there’s a lot to learn about Islam. Why am I still surviving on the basics?
At that moment, I promised myself to read Islamic books frequently to learn everything about religion.
And for this, I’ll always choose this authentic bookshop Da’wah Books.
If I wouldn’t be in a rush to reach home on time, I would have spent more hours there.
They not only treat you well at their store but are also open to online orders. You’ll feel the same on their website.
Their doors are always open to booklovers and truth-seekers. Explore their collection, challenge preconceived ideas and start your journey towards the right path.
I prefer books and diaries more than phones and Facebook. Soulfully connected to Pakistan. And I passionately believe that I can change the world through blogging.
