At the Sharjah International Book Fair, a book like no other honours a life cut short
'She won’t be here to sign her book,' her family says, 'but her imprint remains'
Sharjah: At this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair, a book is quietly drawing readers in — not just for its words, but for the story behind it.
‘Ma Qabl Al Noor’ (‘Before the Light’), a book exploring the historical and cultural landscape surrounding the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the dawn of Islam, is now on display.
However, its author, Dr. Meera Murad Al Bloushi, a young physician from Kalba, Sharjah, is absent.
She passed away nearly a year ago, leaving behind not only a promising medical career but also a profound body of scholarly work.
Born in 1996, Dr. Meera's life was marked by accomplishment and compassion. She graduated with a degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Sharjah and went on to work as a resident physician in anesthesiology and intensive care at Rashid Hospital, part of the Dubai Academic Health Corporation.
She also held a master's degree in quality and safety in Healthcare Management from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
But her talents extended beyond medicine. Dr. Meera was a passionate student of Islamic history and the life of the Prophet.
‘Ma Qabl Al Noor,’ the book she completed shortly before her tragic death, delves into the socio-political climate that shaped the early days of Islam — a subject close to her heart.
On a fateful day, Dr. Meera was en route to her duties at the hospital when a reckless driver took her life. She was only 26. Her passing left her family and community in mourning, but their grief transformed into a quiet force, determined to ensure her work lived on.
Her father, who gifted the completed manuscript to the Sharjah International Book Fair, oversaw the book’s publication, ensuring that his daughter’s voice would echo through its pages.
In the halls of the Expo Centre Sharjah, her absence is palpable. Visitors leaf through her words, many unaware of the loss that shadows each page. “She won’t be here to sign her book,” her family says, “but her imprint remains.”
They hope that, through every reader touched by her insights, ‘Ma Qabl Al Noor’ will serve as an everlasting charity, a beacon of knowledge illuminating her legacy.