One verse a week, a lifetime of insight: Inside Aliyah Umm Raiyaan's Living with the Qur'an

Getting published as a Muslim author in Britain is no easy feat. Getting an Islamic book published as a Muslim author in Britain by one of Publishing's Big Five — well, for many, that is what dreams are made of.

But for Aliyah Umm Raiyaan, founder and CEO of Solace UK, a charity organisation that supports Muslim revert women in difficulty, it was a dream turned into reality when Penguin Books approached her to write a guided Ramadan journal, Ramadan Reflections, which was published in 2023 and quickly became a Sunday Times Bestseller.

Two years later, Aliyah Umm Raiyaan has two more books under her belt — The Power of Du'a, published last year, and the highly anticipated Living with the Qur'an, out this month. 

While The Power of Du'a teaches readers how to perfect the art of making prayer and supplication while speaking to your Lord, Living with the Qur'an navigates the other side of that relationship — how Allah speaks to you via the Quran.

"The two go hand-in-hand," Aliyah tells The New Arab.

The success of her first two books is evidence that there is room — plenty of room — for Islamic books in the British publishing industry, something she says her publishers have finally recognised.

"They realised that reading is a big part of Muslims' lives; the first word to be revealed [in the Qur'an] is the word iqra' or read," she shares.

"They said that as a result of the success of my books, they're realising that faith books in general are something they've missed and they're looking into that a lot more now."

A yearlong journey 

Aliyah Umm Raiyaan's books satisfy the growing demand among British Muslims for Islamic literature that speaks personally to them, and what sets her work apart is her talent for creating Islamic 'heart softeners' — writing that moves readers and gently nurtures their connection to the faith.

She jokingly protests that she is much firmer in Living with the Qur'an than she was in her first two books, but her compassionate approach to the faith remains clear in this latest book. She also admits that out of the three, this has been the hardest one to write yet.

"I felt a huge sense of responsibility," she shares.

"You are writing about the words of the Creator of the Heavens and Earth, and that is no small feat. I wanted to get it right, and at times I felt out of my depth. With The Power of Du'a, it was easier because this is you bringing your raw, unscripted, vulnerable self to your Lord. But with this [latest book], it is about living with His perfect, unchanged, preserved words, and I needed to write about that. The weight of it was huge."

The result is a 300-page guide split into seven parts and 52 chapters — one for every week of the year — with the idea being that you read one chapter a week.

Each chapter focuses on a single Quranic verse and explores an associated theme, before Aliyah shares one of her own life experiences or those of other Muslims interviewed for the book.

Through each real-life story, we discover how certain Quranic verses speak directly to people, guiding them through trials and tribulations.

In some extreme cases, like the shocking story of Babar Ahmed, known for being the UK's longest serving prisoner to be held without trial, the Quran literally saved their lives.

Each chapter ends with journalling prompts and exercises that ensure you truly learn something from each week's theme and put it into action.

The hope is that by the end of your year-long journey with Living with the Qur'an, you will have re-established your relationship with Allah's divine text.

With many of us leading lives that move at 1000mph, our masaahif, our physical copies of the Quran, sometimes become ornaments on our shelves rather than divine life guides.

In Living with the Qur'an, Aliyah teaches us to stop treating the Quran like a guest, waiting for perfect conditions before picking it up.

The book also challenges the misconception that if we are just 'regular' Muslims, we can't have a proper understanding of the Quran.

The weekly split of chapters helps with this; by focusing on the meaning of just one or two Quranic verses over the course of a week, you take the time needed for tadabbur or reflection, and you live by those verses.

"We have to remember that the Quran was revealed upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to everyone: believers and disbelievers, the sinners and the righteous and the old and the young," Aliyah explains.

"So, it's not a book that's only reserved for those who are righteous and pious. If we frame the Quran as a compass, a guide, a book where we can find ourselves and our story, then we will feel inclined towards it. The moment we see it as something far-fetched from our reality, when our reality is actually in it, we won't want to approach it. We'll feel like it's not speaking to us in our lives. So, I think it's how we frame it."

Finding solace

By the time I finish reading Living with the Qur'an, I have had a crude awakening: when it comes to picking up my mushaf, I have been making excuses.

And for months, I have been looking for remedies for my mental health in meditation, books about hygge and full-body massages, when all along all I needed to do was read the Quran.

Living with the Qur'an has come at the perfect time in my life. Aliyah is not surprised when I share this with her.

"The Quran is absolute food for your soul," she says.

"You cannot truly live life unless you live with it. And you'll only realise that when you begin to taste the sweetness and benefits of it. I've gone through my own trials over the last three years that have been really tough, and I have been trying to keep my head above water," she shares.

"I am a mum, and my kids are growing up, and I am trying to support them as they move into adult life. I am also writing book four, which will be quite different to the others. But through it all, it is my relationship with Allah that anchors the Quran and me — because you can't know Him unless you are interacting with His words."

Living with the Quran: A yearlong journey to falling in love with Allah's words by Aliyah Umm Raiyaan is published by Rider Books, an imprint of Penguin, and is out on December 4, 2025.

Yousra Samir Imran is a British Egyptian writer and author based in Yorkshire. She is the author of Hijab and Red Lipstick, published by Hashtag Press

Follow her on X: @UNDERYOURABAYA