Sunday 2 June 2019

[Review] My Reflections On Life (1): Sheikh Ishaak Nuamah’s hack nuances

For the record, I used the words "hack and nuance" just to rhyme with the learned Sheikh’s names. His book presents as many facts as it presents nuance – the real sense of the work.

A personal context before I delve into the contents. It is the second time I have read the book in under a year since I bought it. I’d bought it in 2018 Ramadan when the Sheikh visited the Cantonments Police mosque for Quran exegesis.

For anyone reading Sheikh Nuamah, you could look forward to brutal frankness, a well-sourced piece of work and above all use of contemporary instances and simple language to drive home his message.

All these and more were embedded in the pages of a book that set out to share perspectives of his life experiences. Whiles at it, he builds on a solid foundation of religion, strengthens it with academic citations and the life experiences play the perfect décor.

A small drift again, I have recently read “The Education of a British-Protected Child” by Chinua Achebe. Which book like Sheikh’s shares the celebrated author’s life experiences. Certainly, Sheikh with 28 books under his belt has, like Achebe, has gleaned enough to share.

Of course, not exactly a biography but the book sets us out with a historical recall of the near-deadly circumstances around which the young Ishak Ibrahim Nuamah was born – deep into the chaotic post-independence politics of Ghana.

Sheikh Nuamah delivers a sermon at Cantonments mosque (Jan. 2019). A cover page of the book under review.
Whenever the author sets out to write his biography, undoubtedly he has written a good chunk of his birth year and young life as he struggled through school. He praises his father’s plan of dedicating a son to propagating the Islamic gospel.

Another key takeaway is of the fact that many people play differing roles in who a person becomes. In his case, the teachers his father got to tutor him, those that advised his father to do all it takes to keep him in school, Sheikh Appiedu and co – May Allah grant them the good of their efforts.

As above stated, the reflections are heavy on religion – severally quoting the Quran and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Mohammed) to illustrate and to buttress key points. The Quran is also cited in the area of human biology with backing from science.

The instance practicality is of vintage Sheikh Nuamah when he uses relatable examples to drum home his points. Beyond reflections, the examples are a cause for personal inflection and deep retrospection.

The author bridges the past and the present with relative ease. Dissecting and unpacking how the two epochs relate. Parts of the publication are heavy on academic citation especially the area dealing with stress and tribalism.

In summary, My Reflections On Life [1] as I see it helps an individual to relate effectively to their physical, mental and emotional, academic and religious outlooks within socially accepted confines with the author only piecing together a narrative.

With the author’s promise of releasing a new volume each year, I feverishly look forward to the second volume of these reflections. I relish the other areas he will zone in on, social media and technology may feature… May the efforts of the author be blessed, ameen.

Book Title: My Reflections On Life (1)
Chapters / Pages: Three / 122 (A total of 15 reflections)
Author: Sheikh Ibrahim Nuamah
Book Type: Paperback
Publisher: Dezine Focus

Publication Date: 28 Ramadan 1440 = June 2, 2019

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