Islamic Fiction

Over the last several days, I've had an on-going online discussion with fellow writers about Islamic fiction. What is it? Is it allowed?

I was amazed to hear secondhand reports about those who consider Islamic fiction to be lying. The stories aren't real, and neither are the characters, but the storylines illustrate what it means to be a Muslim. Stories can convey ideas much more easily than sermons or essays. When I was a child I learned the parables in the Bible. No one ever insinuated that Jesus was lying. He used the familiar to explain higher concepts.

I consider Islamic fiction to be a mirror. I give back to the reader the inages I carry. They may be somewhat distorted, because they have been filtered through my own perceptions. That can be said of anything ever written by man or woman.

Is Islamic fiction allowed? I don't see why not. To read stories about people who face the samr vhallenges I do, and see how they confront their problems. This is uplifting and reassuring. Why would there be harm in it.

Anything new is initially resisted. Islamic fiction is not exempt. But I envision the day when my granddaughter will write a story, freely and without doubt. I hope she will look at her grandmother and my colleagues as pioneers.