About Us
Breezes of the Elect is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the beauty of our Islamic heritage through book publishing, via our Zanzabil Publishing label, and teaching traditional drumming, singing and poetry, solely with the intention of increasing in love of the Prophet ﷺ.
Primarily, we are dedicated to revealing the treasures of classical Arabic poetry to the non-Arab, English speaking world. Through the original Arabic script, clear translations and melodic recitations, we aim to open the door to timeless qasāʾid and the spiritual treasures they contain, through our books, events and retreats.
By emphasizing the elegance of the Arabic language, the science of tajwīd, and through the blessings of spiritual gatherings, we aim to foster deeper love, knowledge, connection and obedience to the Prophet ﷺ.
We invite you to step into a world where each poem becomes a gateway to spiritual renewal, explore our collection, and connect with sacred poetry.
After six years of production, revisions and updates we finally released our first publication in Ramadan 2023, which is now the first book in the Breezes of the Elect series. What began as a compilation of qasāʾid that we loved to sing in our gatherings, gradually grew into a book that offers seekers everything they may need from a songbook.
Since the launch, and by the grace of Allah, the response surpassed our expectations and confirmed that there was indeed a need for a book of this kind.
We can only thank everyone who has supported us on this journey so far and pray that Breezes of the Elect becomes your companion on the path to Allah, and we pray that Allah blesses and benefits you by it. Amīn.
What We Do
Breezes of the Elect Works Across Three Key Areas:
Book Publishing
Beginning with Breezes of the Elect, our books are designed for lovers of poetry and seekers of knowledge.
Events
We organise and perform in gatherings of praise primarily across the UK. All details are shared on our Instagram page.
Teaching
We teach the traditional arts of drumming, devotional singing and poetry through immersive retreats and short courses.
Who We Are
Umm al-Khair
Umm al-Khair is a singer of praise poetry and holds an ijāza (certification) in Qur’ān recitation. She is a teacher of Tajwīd, Inshād (singing praise poetry) and the daff drum. She regularly sets up gatherings of remembrance in honour of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ where poems from all over the Islamic world are sung.
Ayman Muhammed
Ayman is best described as a poet and creative across various fields, including photography and graphic design. He played a key role in the production and promotion of Breezes of the Elect and also teaches English language poetry. His first poetry collection is forthcoming.
Book Publishing
We publish our own books under the name of Zanzabil, which is an amalgamation of the Arabic word zanjabīl, meaning ginger and the word Salsabīl, which is the name of a spring in Paradise in which a drink mixed with ginger will flow.