The Dua Journal - Quran Reflection

Author: Umeda Islamova and Ashley Bounoura
Publisher: The Dua Journal
Pages: 186
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-692-13648-5

About the Journal: The Dua Journal with Qur'anic Reflection is a beautiful, hardcover reflection journal that is not only meant to be written in, but kept as a keepsake for years to come. The design features the beautiful pastel violet colored, cloth-bound hard cover, an elegant gold embossed title, and a black satin ribbon for easy place-keeping. This journal is designed to help you take control of your iman goals and tap into your connection with Allah and His word with open-dated pages for daily reflection without the pressure.

Inside this journal you will find: 80 total days of reflection. 40 days with one open-dated reflection page per day, as in the original. One "rabbana" dua found in the Qur'an in simple English on each reflection page.  A chance to check in with each of your life areas, from work and family to deen and personal development. 40 days of Qur'anic verses with explanation (tafseer), broken up into 4 separate themes. Guided questions for Qur'anic reflection. Suggestions on how to use each section for maximum benefit. A list of the benefits of gratitude. Best practices for making dua, and a  master list of duas. Plus a three-step foolproof guide to staying consistent with your reflection.

Authors' Note: Assalamu aleikum. I am often asked how I came up with the idea of The Dua Journal. In honesty, I’ve put together a product based on few others that inspired me. And I put it to meet a demand both I and the community as a whole has, and that is the need to reflect on ourselves, our lives, and Allah. We have a need to be centered, to be positive, and be deeply connected to Allah. I enjoy reading dua translations online, in books, and on my adhan app. They inspire me, remind me, motivate me and deepen my spirituality. I wanted to create a system for myself to look at the duas on a consistent and frequent basis. I needed a way to make the duas visible, accessible, and effortless to get to. I have been journaling for as long as I can remember. I love reflection, introspection, clarity and know that writing is the catalyst to that process. I’m also a big fan of goal-setting, intentional-living, and progress. And I wanted to put together something that would bring all of these things together with the duas. My goal with The Dua Journal is to provide a resource for spiritual development and bring people closer to Allah. I aim to remove negative feelings such as shame, fear, and guilt and instead remind the ummah (or the Muslim community) of love and mercy of Allah. My interest is in making dhikr (or awareness and remembrance of Allah) an easy and natural feat.
Kindest of regards,
Umeda

Salaam alaikum. Being a translator and linguist by education and trade, I have always loved words. Whenever I start learning a new language, there is always this rush of excitement. As I begin to learn new words and structures, gain the ability to piece together phrases on my own, the new language begins to take over my brain. All day I find myself turning over words in my mind, experimenting with sentences. I think, dream, breathe, and live this new language. Of course after a couple of weeks the excitement would fade, and my language learning would be relegated back to a set hour or two each day.  Then, when I converted to Islam in late 2014, I found a passion that has not faded yet. Since the very first book I opened about Islam, I have not been able to curb my desire for learning more and more about this beautiful faith. And, as I continued learning, I felt a strong urge to share all of this with my fellow sisters in Islam. This is why I was thrilled to join Umeda here at The Dua Journal in her mission to empower Muslim women through dua, reflection, and gratitude. I firmly believe in using our presence on this earth to spread positivity, share our struggles and give encouragement, and share the beauty of Islam with others. That is exactly what The Dua Journal stands for, and I am honored to be a part of that.
With warm wishes and duas,
Ashley
theduajournal.com