Her favorite part of her book is,

“For every hit, for every injury, for every heartbreak, I ran to the Sustainer for sustaining me. Not once did He forsake me. This whole narration is about Him, not about what happened to me.”

“I describe myself as a very impatient human being,” Nisha admits, “yet I was given no choice but to be patient. I learnt it the hard way, but the fruits of patience are truly phenomenal.”

“After experiencing disappointment upon disappointment, I was taught emphatically that this place is for striving alone – not for gratification and fulfillment of desires,” Nisha shares.

“If it comes your way, Praise Him and thank Him for it. And move on. The time here is the most precious commodity. Fill it with all that is good with Justice and Wisdom.”

She shares that it wasn’t challenging to recall some of the abuse, but that she was worried about exposing the privacy of her loved ones. She had to walk a fine line in her storytelling, making sure not to overstate or oversimplify anything.

“Only very few of the family members knew and were very skeptical,” Nisha shares. “I was dissuaded from continuing which made it more difficult and challenging. But then they all came on board after seeing my seriousness in seeing it through.”

Nisha explains that while some friends encouraged and appreciated her efforts and gave her the needed support to continue, they were all surprised that she really went ahead and published the book despite her deep misgivings about it.

The truth is that she didn’t “decide” to publish the book. It was ordained.

Even with the criticism and lack of familial support, Nisha considers herself her own worst critic. “I did not like the way it shaped out eventually,” she laments.

“The editors that worked with me did not really understand the way I wanted it to be narrated. They ended up stealing the spontaneity and beauty that I wanted there.”

Nisha worries that she did not do justice to the project because she gave credence to others’ opinions. However, life goes on and she considers it all part of the learning process that she wants to pass on to others.

“The teachings of the Quran are addressed to humanity, not Muslims, and as a carrier of this message, my responsibilities are heavier,” Nisha explains. “I tried to live by it and convey it by living it, all the while realizing my deficiencies and capabilities.”

She grew from the experience even while admitting that the publishing process of the book reminded her of many of her failings and flaws. “It threw more light on myself, and made me more determined to live the idealism I have written about.”

And while she has no intention of writing another book, she is considering publishing another edition of the same title, this time the way she likes it.

However, Nisha’s readers are completely fulfilled with the final version as written. One of the best complements Nisha received was an Amazon review: “This book made me realize the extent of devotion to God a human being can aspire to,” the reviewer wrote.

“As an independent high achieving person, taking everything for granted, at first it was hard for me to comprehend the sacrifices the author chose to make throughout her life. However, the more I read, the more I respected her strength and choices for the bigger picture and greater good that emerged. What a gift to be grateful to Him and always be able to count His numerous favors. When we are knocked down to our knees by our loved ones who just never change – what a gift to be able to love and care for such people in our lives. Unbelievable!! It’s a prophetic legacy and very few can claim to live it.”

The most important message that Nisha hopes people walk away understanding after reading her life story is that, as a Muslim, she believes that her responsibility to herself, her surroundings and the people around her are most important.

She would never want to forget, or overlook that, even in a minor way. “Islam is about a million things and more,” Nisha says. “The Light in the Quran is for eternity, and by it we will be rewarded and adjudicated.”

Nisha feels she’s ultimately accomplished what she set out to do: remove misconceptions of Muslims and their religion. “If I have even partially succeeded,” Nisha says, “I will be happy.”