If the Oceans Were Ink by Carla Power Summary
Overview of If the Oceans Were Ink
A Pulitzer finalist exploring Islam through friendship, "If the Oceans Were Ink" follows journalist Carla Power's year studying the Quran with Sheikh Akram Nadwi. Praised by Fareed Zakaria as "the conversation that needs to be taking place around the world."
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Key takeaways
A Friendship That Defies Categories
What happens when a secular American journalist sits down with a conservative Islamic scholar to study the Quran? In a world quick to draw battle lines between East and West, Muslim and non-Muslim, religious and secular, Carla Power's friendship with Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi shouldn't make sense. Yet their year-long journey through Islam's holiest text reveals something far more interesting than conflict: the messy, beautiful complexity of faith in practice. Power, raised Jewish-Quaker and shaped by feminist ideals, found herself spending weekly sessions in Oxford cafes with a man who seemed her opposite in every way. But the Sheikh defied easy labels. When asked if he was Salafi, liberal, or conservative, he simply replied, "I'm not this, I'm not that. I'm just Muslim." This refusal to fit neatly into boxes would become the theme of their entire relationship-and perhaps the most important lesson about understanding Islam in our polarized age. Sheikh Akram's independence had a way of unsettling people on all sides. He'd stand before conservative congregations and declare that prayer caps were merely South Asian custom, not Islamic requirement. He'd tell traditional audiences that women could cut their hair short based on examples from the Prophet's wives. These weren't provocations for their own sake-they emerged from his meticulous research into Islamic history, which revealed a faith far more flexible than modern practice suggested.
Between Worlds: Power's Journey and the Sheikh's Complexity
The Village, the University, and Scholarly Independence
The Quiet Dignity of Exile and Submission
Women Who Shaped Islamic Thought
Living the Questions Without Easy Answers
What Remains When Words Run Out
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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