A Blessed Olive Tree: A Spiritual Journey in Twenty Short Stories

I really enjoyed this book. These are great short stories based on Islamic teachings. I have always loved stories with a moral with them. However sometimes in past I have found the stories unrelatible. This is not the case her.The stories are great, my favourite are the story about the concert. This is a great twist that a lot people reading it can relate to as well a see much of themselves in. It also hit some home truths about belief. Then the be your own superhero. Ofcourse that one hit a cord with me.Great hidden messages in these stories, perfect for teaching younger readers, and reminders for older readers. Great range of stories as well, old, modern, witches to superheroes a great short story collection.

Zain delights the reader with a series of short, readable, and profoundly moving stories centered on Islamic themes. The storylines are not only creative but are also subtly rooted in wise teachings. I am confident that readers of all ages will enjoy and learn from this book.

I bought the book to use for my class alongside an RE unit on Islam. Some of the stories were great and linked very well to the topic but some others, I felt we’re not quite appropriate and not as engaging either

A Blessed Olive Tree is a collection of 20 short stories that all have the central concept of Islam. Methaphors have been used to explain concepts of Islam and Spirituality. The stories give a lot of advises and messages. The readers are most likely to recommend this Masterpiece to others after reading it. My Favourite Stories were House of God, Living in the moment, Spiritual Guide and Kumari.Another thing I loved about the book is that it does not contain any controversial material which is common in books in the Religious discourse.I loved that the writer did not compromise on the Faraiz of the Deen just to get across the message of Spirituality. The graphics drawn in the book are beautiful and drawn nicely.The footnotes at the end of the stories are very nicely written. The content of the footnotes is knowledgeable and very helpful for average readers who dont understand methaphors very well.In Short its an Interesting, Enjoyable and Knowledgeable Read with a lot of Advises and Messages to take away for the reader.

This is one of the must reads! A book which is enjoyed by the children, cherished by the young adults and exalted by the adults.Written in a simple but very powerful style, the book is both interesting and enlightening.

Didn’t find it that interesting however that’s just my opinion

Mixed feelings for this one..A couple stories I LOVED, others I just didn't connect with.

If you’re looking for an easy read and something that’s kind of light hearted, I highly recommend this book it has 20 stories. Each one is completely different but all of them have a spiritual underline in a spiritual aspect. I love even reading this book with other people, and seeing with their our point of view is to the stories that are told because every single person has a different point of view from what the short stories mean.

Based on the word "story" in the title, I was expecting standard plotted stories based on a few standard themes. Boy was I surprised.What I got instead was a series of parables addressing fascinating motifs through unique approaches. Some of the parables adopt perspectives most people would not have thought of, and some simply answer big questions in more informal prose than you'd find if you searched in a non-fiction treatise. That the topic was very current, concerning the Sufi approach to Islam, made it a more engaging read.Some great subjects covered:1. What does the prevalence of mere ritual do to a religious adherent?2. How, physically, can we conceive of virtue?3. How do we reconcile our belief in immortality with serious tragedy?4. Can virtue be re-conceptualized to account for the benefits of its punishing practical costs?Some parables that particularly interested me were:1. Noor2. Return3. The Boat4. The Witch5. God Wants You to Be a Superman (Funny ending!)I enjoyed reading this.

This book reminds me the short stories I use read or listen to with a lesson of life semi islami lessons but this book has this creative take where we can take out islamic lessons according to quran and sunna also there are other references as well which is great source.

A refreshing book! Soothing deep tales of spirituality. If you are looking to enjoy a book that hits just the right inner spot of your soul then this is it. Wish he would write more; can’t wait for the next book of short stories!

This is a book of stories, written simply yet eloquently, that view our life in a refreshing spiritual perspective. There is purity and universality in the author's view that make these stories easy to relate for everyone. They offer a glimpse into an alternate way of interpreting life, which is pure and true.I believe all readers will greatly enjoy these stories. Younger readers would specially like to gain such a positive and wise view of looking at things.