When Sherry Jones Speaks Out *

I Wrote My Novel to Honor Islam

Sherry Jones

For the sake of objectivity in coverage, IslamOnline.net’s Art and Culture team approached the writer and invited her to an interview where she can express her own point of view and clarify many questions that were raised .

Unfortunately, she said that her publishers have asked her not to speak before the book is published (next month in UK). Instead, she sent us this column where she speaks about The Jewel of Medina and the motives behind writing it. However, Jones has graciously promised us an interview after the novel is published.

We present this column to give our readers a chance to get to know Jones's own feelings about her debut novel that has stirred controversy even before being published.

By Sherry Jones

I wrote my novel, The Jewel of Medina, to honor Islam.
 
I wrote it to honor Aishah bint Abi Bakr, the youngest and most beloved bride in the Prophet Muhammad's harem, a remarkable woman of intelligence, wit, and strength who helped shape the destiny of one of the world’s great religions.
 
I also wanted to honor Islam's Prophet, Muhammad, by portraying him as a kind, gentle, wise, and pious leader who respected women and granted them rights they had never possessed before; who gave away all he owned to the poor; and who admonished his followers to walk the peaceful path, to fight in self-defense only.

I knew that some people would dislike my book. After all, The Jewel of Medina portrays Muhammad as a real man, and Aishah as a real woman, complete with weaknesses, temptations, and flaws. Some believe that both were perfect, even though Muhammad said in the Qur'an that he was a "mortal man."

So when I learned only a few days ago that my book was being published in Serbia, I was impressed. BeoBook, a small publishing house in a country that had seen much strife, was more courageous, it seemed, than Random House, one of the biggest publishers in the world. Fear of a hypothetical terrorist attack by radical Muslims had caused Random House to back out of publishing The Jewel of Medina only a few months before it was supposed to debut.
 
But I was saddened on Aug. 16 to hear that BeoBook publisher Aleksandar Jasic had halted publication of The Jewel of Medina because of protests from some in the Serbian Muslim community. And, to be honest, I was confused. Did these Muslims, after reading my book, really think I had "degraded" Muhammad and Aishah?
 
I'd thought I was doing the opposite. My intentions were to celebrate these great historical figures while dispelling misunderstandings about Islam.
 
For instance, in my research I found compelling arguments that Muhammad did not have a sexual relationship with Aishah while she was a young girl. I was excited to share this information with people who think Muhammad was a pedophile. The Muhammad I came to know would have waited until Aishah was physically and emotionally ready before having intercourse with her. He does so in my book, waiting until she is 14.

Also, my book explores what really might have happened in the famous "affair of the necklace," when Aishah strayed from her caravan, then  rode into Medina with another man. According to my research, she was accused of adultery, but a revelation from God declared her free of guilt. My novel, too, exonerates Aishah, but only after she has been tempted. In this way she becomes a true heroine, one who learns from her mistakes and matures into a more devoted wife and more devout Muslim.
 
Almost everything in my novel has already been written in the 29 books I read -- in the hadith, or the Qur'an, or in non-fiction books by scholars. None of those books inspired the kind of outrage that The Jewel of Medina has withstood (even though virtually no one has read my novel yet). I see this controversy as a testament to the power of fiction.
 
I know that power. Novels can give the gift of empathy, helping us to understand those who are not like us by placing us inside their hearts and minds. I began my novel as a tribute to Aishah and to all the women who played crucial roles in the forming of the early Islamic community. As I read, and as I wrote, I developed a keen empathy for these women, and a respect for Muhammad.

The Jewel of Medina is not meant to be the definitive version of Aishah's life, or of Muhammad's character. It is only my interpretation of history, based on my research, experiences and imagination. I do not fear the consequences of publishing this book, because I believe that anyone who reads it will discern, and perhaps share, my admiration for Muhammad; his cousin and son-in-law, Ali; Aishah; her sister-wives; her father Abu Bakr, and so many other fascinating figures from Islamic history.
 
For that understanding to occur, though, people need to read The Jewel of Medina. Someday soon, I hope, people will be able to do so -- and then, to sit down and discuss the book and its ideas. Writing is, after all, a dialogue between the writer and the reader. How illuminating it would be for us all if the reader's voice could be included in this conversation. Perhaps we might learn a few things -- not only about Islam, but about one another.


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* This article was first published at Blic Online in English. It is republished here with kind permission from the author.