
By Azra Hoosen

Durban book launch.
Distinguished South African Islamic scholar, academic and author Dr Fatima Hendricks launched her spiritually uplifting book Forgive Me: 70 Ways to Ask at the Suleman Lockhat Auditorium in Overport, Durban, last weekend.
Dr Hendricks moved the audience with one fundamental question: Where is Allah in my life?
The evening began with the sweet recitation of the Qur’an from the author’s young son and moved into a layered program of spiritual remembrance and reflection. Brother Abdul Malek’s melodious praises of Allah in Arabic, Zulu and Chichewa echoed through the auditorium.

The launch of Please Forgive Me became a sacred gathering – one-part literary celebration and one-part spiritual awakening. A heartfelt introduction by Hendricks’ daughter, Iman Sulaiman, and chair for the evening, Maryam Patel, unveiled Hendricks as not just an author, but as a woman of resilience, reflection and revolutionary love.
Originally from South Africa, Dr Hendricks’s academic and spiritual journey spans continents and callings: She is a scholar-practitioner with over 25 years of experience working in health, leadership and education in SA, Saudi Arabia & the USA. With a doctorate in Occupational Therapy and multiple postgraduate qualifications in Islamic Studies, Information Management, International Education and Business, she is now preparing her PhD in Religious Studies.
“I have spent the last 3 decades investing in my own student scholarship; honing my thinking and writing skills, engagement and curiosity around people and their lives. Islamically my journey has been filled with curiosity from a young age,” she said.
More than her credentials, Hendricks is also a survivor of Guillain-Barré Syndrome and cancer – experiences that deeply inform her writing and worldview. She spent 30 days on life support and over a year in recovery while living in Saudi Arabia. “I couldn’t move. I was completely paralysed. I spent four months in hospital and 18 months in rehabilitation. I mention this because when something drastic happens, we truly return to seeking nearness to Allah, and with a yearning to be close to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW),” she said.
During her illness, Hendricks returned to South Africa. Reflecting on that time, she said:
“We often carry delusions of grandeur, but when something significant happens, it strips us down and all that’s left is us sitting with Allah. The more I asked, ‘Where is Allah in my life?’ the more I realised how absent He was. I called out to Allah in the hospital for help to turn my life around. That illness was my wake-up call,” she added.
According to Maryam Patel, chairperson of the evening: “Fathima draws on spiritual practices for health and well-being and shares her journey with many others, from whom she continues to learn.”

Written over four years and seeded during the isolating silence of COVID lockdowns, Please Forgive Me is described by the author as “intimate”. It is a series of whispered conversations with Allah, drawing from the teachings of her mentors and the wounds of her own life.
Hendricks reminds readers that forgiveness is never far: “Just one breath, one conversation with Allah away.”
She emphasised a strong theme in the book – Love. “Not the commercialised, sentimental kind. but love as a verb. Love as obedience. Love as remembrance. Love that is revolutionary,” she said.
According to Patel, what makes Hendricks stand out is her unique voice. “Where many writers may focus solely on intellectual analysis or personal narratives, she grounds her work in classical Islamic thought, while ensuring that it remains deeply personal and spiritually resonant. Her writing doesn’t just aim to inform; it reaches the heart,” she said.
Patel believes this kind of storytelling is essential. “In today’s fast-paced world filled with noise and constant distraction, many of us find ourselves searching for something deeper, something that brings us back to who we truly are. These heart-centered stories nourish the soul, offering peace, introspection and a renewed sense of direction,” she added.
All proceeds from the book sales went toward humanitarian aid for Palestine, a powerful reminder that faith, art and activism can be woven together.
She posed a soul-piercing question to the audience: “Each of us is only given a limited number of breaths. What will we do with the dash between our birth and our death?”