No Lamp in the Cave: Three Islamic Short Stories

These powerful and evocative stories, which will delight and inspire both Muslims and non-Muslims, focus primarily on the compassion and forgiveness which God extends to humans and asks humans to extend to each other. Two of the stories cleverly approach events in the Holy Prophet’s lifetime from entirely different perspectives -- with the author being mindful not to attribute to the Prophet anything not found in the most reliable ancient sources -- while the third story has a modern setting, a mystical approach and a surprising twist. These beautifully written short stories can be devoured quickly and will leave you with a pleasant after-taste.

Professor Joel Hayward is a New Zealand-born scholar, author and poet who holds two academic leadership positions within Khalifa University. He is both the Director of the Institute of International and Civil Security and the Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is a defence and security studies scholar who joined Khalifa University as a full Professor of International and Civil Security in 2012, after having enjoyed a fellowship at the Cambridge Muslim College.

His career highlights include having being Dean of the prestigious Royal Air Force College for five years and head of a King's College London academic division for six years. He is the author or editor of many works of non-fiction. He is also very active in the literary arts, and has written regular columns in emel and other Islamic magazines and published much fiction and poetry.

His first collection of short stories, Jenny Green Teeth and other Short Stories (Totem Press) appeared in 2003. The Evening Standard described it as "Superb. ... Deep, brooding and intense. ... This is storytelling, and New Zealand fiction, at its best." Southern Ocean Review's book reviewer wrote: "This is a stunning book of short stories, for their sheer variety and depth, and also strength of language. The 'fable' aspect of the title story is compelling and real, not that I will give away any of the plot here! 'My Own Grave,' about the Terrace End Cemetery is scary. It is strange that dead people are treated as so real, but that is the stuff of exciting storytelling. Hayward writes with an eye to truth and justice and historical accuracy. It is up to us to know what to do with writing as superb as this. Can we learn?" Jenny Green Teeth is now available in Kindle format.

Professor Hayward maintains a small website at joelhayward.org