Big Little Steps breaks down a woman's journey to Islam in big little pieces. Grazia Middle East

This is a book full of heart. New Muslims and those who are newly committed to their religion will find much useful information conveyed with common sense and compassion. Dr. Ingrid Mattson, London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College (Canada)

Big Little Steps is a holistic and feminine take on the ins and outs of Islam, written by a young French lady. It is an easy to understand and useful guide to anyone wanting to become Muslim, especially brave women! I wish I'd had a book like this when I embraced Islam in 1995. Kristiane Backer, author of From MTV to Islam

Big Little Steps is a heart-warming journey of an intelligent woman seeking the peace of Allah. Full of practical advice and insightful thoughts, this is one book that every Muslimah should be talking about. Quake Books

Mathilde weaves her own personal story of conversion to Islam, into this accessible manuscript in which personal anecdotes mix with more formalistic descriptions of religious practise. Dr Myriam Francois, taken from the preface

Vorwort
Kube Publishing Ltd.

Autorentext

Mathilde is a French thirty-something woman who has lived a life filled with faith and spirituality since a young age. She embraced Islam in her last year of high school in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, at the age of 18.

Klappentext

Big Little Steps is the culmination of one woman's pilgrimage towards religion. From an atheist family upbringing through an exploration of Christianity to finally embracing Islam, Mathilde Loujayne converted in 2022 and has since crossed paths with women from all walks of life on a spiritual journey to discover Islam from a feminine perspective. Fuelled by a desire to find the right words to explain to her mother her choice to embrace Islam, this guide was born. 

Through Mathilde Loujayne's personal experiences - grief, high school, moving abroad, work, marriage, and motherhood -  in this book she addresses women's common concerns as they take the big, little steps towards finding a balanced lifestyle and a glowing heart in Islam.

This is a guide she wished she had when she took her first steps as a New Muslim. She began writing it in an attempt to explain her life choice to her mother and has finished writing it as a personal discoure on contemporary issues for New Muslim Women as she invites them to participate in global sisterhood. 

This book is intended to empower women with Islamic values. To welcome them into a universal family beyond borders. To call them towards a simpler life, where their physical and spiritual needs are harmonised, and to address common concerns as they take the Big Little Steps towards finding a balanced lifestyle and a glowing heart in Islam. 

Zusammenfassung

“A ‘self-help’ book for Muslims, which seeks both to inspire Muslim women, but also to educate those outside the faith” – Dr Myriam Francois Since her conversion to Islam in 2002 Mathilde Loujayne has crossed paths with women from all walks of life on a common spiritual journey to discover Islam from a feminine perspective. Fuelled by a desire to find the right words to explain to her mother her choice to embrace Islam, this guide was born.

Through Mathilde Loujayne's personal experiences - grief, high school, moving abroad, work, marriage, and motherhood - she addressses women's common concerns as they take the big, little steps towards finding a balanced lifestyle and a glowing heart in Islam.

Leseprobe

Wherever you are in your journey of faith, I’ve got you covered.

I am not an Islamic scholar – I am a woman of faith with more than fifteen years of experience in the Muslim community. I have simply made the effort to dig deep into research to be sure I’ve made the right choice for myself. Now I want to pass on this knowledge, since Islam encourages us all to help each other.

As a Muslim, I am very aware of how our religion is sometimes negatively perceived, which is inflamed by those who choose to willingly, or ignorantly, distort Islamic teachings, and commit terrible acts of violence and oppression against women, non-Muslims or those deemed “not Muslim enough”. However, I don’t discuss this any further in the book as this is not what this book is about.

My mission is to share what I’ve learned over the years, backed up by beautiful verses from the Quran and narrations of the Prophet Mohammad. I want to unearth what Muslim women have achieved in many fields over the centuries. I also want to shed light on the way women were treated before the Quran was revealed, and how ground-breaking Islam was. I want to share miracles found in the Quran and how it conveys to us a way of life that can help us heal from within.

I’ll take you through all things related to faith, well-being, community, women and, when you’re ready, prayer. Assuming that you might not be an Arabic speaker, I’ve kept all Islamic terminology in English rather than Arabic for a smooth reading experience. I’ve also included a glossary of the most commonly used terms and phrases for your convenience, and a list of my favourite books that I recommend you read if you want to carry on with your research.

This book is not about me: I’ve written it for you and to form a community of like-minded women. My story is merely one of many. So be your own soul teacher – feel free to mark your personal comments and questions in the margins and to seek answers on your own.

Last but not least, I say a little prayer for you. I pray that God guides you on your journey, whatever it may be. What might seem like one small step for you may be one giant leap towards God’s infinite love. As He reaches out to your heart, I ask you to open your mind.

Inhalt

Introduction - Epiphany **Chapter 1 - Faith
** Who is God?
Understanding Islam
The five pillars of Islam
Chapter 2 - A Way of Life Fasting benefits for the body
Natural medicine
Praying: a physio-spiritual practice
Beauty secrets
Animal welfare
'Bon appetit! Bismillah'
Mental health
Chapter 3 - Womankind The creation of (wo)mankind
The role of women in a muslim society
Women's rights
Modesty
Chapter 4 - Prayer The sweetness of faith
Ablutions? Enlighten me
The Mosque
Get connected: special occasions
Chapter 5 - Togetherness Soul sisters
Citizens of the world
Let the festivities begin!
Death
Love
Leap of faith
**Terminology
Notes
References
Index
**