Nearly five years ago, in Tarim, Yemen

I found myself preparing to leave the valley I had come to love. Before I left, I asked the scholars there what I should carry with me, what work I should continue once I was gone.

“Connect children’s hearts to the Awliya, the saints of Yemen.”

At first, I wasn’t sure how. But as I sat with that advice, I realized I had been living in a land overflowing with stories — real, vibrant stories of the Awliya, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whose lives were filled with wisdom, sacrifice, and faith.

These stories existed in Arabic, told from scholar to student, generation after generation. Yet children outside Yemen, especially English-speaking ones, rarely had access to them.

And I knew children love stories. My own children devour adventure books, just as generations have done with authors like Enid Blyton.

So the answer was clear: I would write.

The Research Journey

With the blessing and guidance of Sayyid Habib Umar bin Hafiz, who gave me a list of ten Awliya to focus on (and a prayer for the path ahead), I began.

I spent five months in the valley of Hadramawt — researching, walking in the footsteps of the saints, visiting the masjids where they prayed, the homes where they taught, and the places where they now rest.

It was a journey of learning and awe, of listening to scholars and piecing together stories that had shaped a whole land and beyond.

From Tarim to Istanbul

When I later moved to Istanbul, I began the task of turning those notes into children’s books.

A year into writing, something unexpected happened: a publisher reached out to me. We spoke, and soon after, I signed my first deal.

But I quickly discovered that writing stories and crafting good stories were not the same thing. So I took time to study the art of storytelling — what makes a story exciting, what keeps a young reader turning the page, how adventure and history can blend seamlessly.

It meant rewriting drafts, again and again, until they finally came alive.

The Long Rewrite

It has been four years of drafts, rewrites, and relentless learning.

There were moments of doubt, moments of discovery, and always the quiet reminder of that advice in Tarim: connect children’s hearts.

Now, at last, I’m here with the first book in what will be a 10-part historical adventure series.

It feels both humbling and exhilarating to finally share it with the world. This isn’t just a book for children — it’s an invitation into a world of courage, faith, and history, told through the eyes of four siblings on extraordinary adventures.

And the journey has only just begun.