The first book borrowed at Madinah Library was a children’s story. A young reader pulled it down carefully, hugged it tight, and carried it to the desk. Around them, parents and grandparents whispered, “This is what I wish I had when I was growing up.”
On Saturday 23 August, Brisbanes Madinah opened the doors to its newest initiative: Madinah Library. More than 120 people attended the launch, and over 60 books were borrowed in the first morning alone.
The library began with an observation many share but few put into words: Muslims in Australia love books, but don’t always see themselves in them.
“We loved reading,” said community organiser Ms Rehana Bibi, who first brought the idea forward. “But we rarely saw ourselves in the stories around us. Unless you were already connected or well-read, books by Muslim and diverse authors stayed hidden. Madinah Library was created so our children, and all of us, can find those voices easily, on a shelf that feels like home.”
The launch programme celebrated more than new shelves. Guests heard a book review by Humza Hajee Aboo on Imam al-Haddad’s Mukhtasar Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din; a 22-page summary of Imam al-Ghazali’s Revival of the Religious Sciences. In just a few pages, it distils timeless lessons on faith and the inner life, showing how classical works still speak to today’s readers.
The morning also featured a moving spoken word poem by Ms Faatimah Carim, reminding the audience that words can carry memory, resilience, and hope.
For younger readers, story time was a highlight, while others enjoyed henna and morning tea as they browsed the shelves.
Many were struck by how fully realised the space felt.
“I didn’t expect it to feel so much like a real library,” said one attendee. “The look, the atmosphere; everything is beautiful.”
The project was supported by Brisbane Madinah and the National Zakat Foundation, with months of work poured in by volunteers: painting walls, building shelves, stamping books, and cataloguing titles late into the night.
The collection spans fiction, memoir, children’s stories, and spiritual works by Muslim and diverse writers from around the world, including classics such as The Road to Mecca and The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Madinah Library is located within Brisbane Madinah, a community space powered by the National Zakat Foundation in Underwood.
The centre provides Brisbane Muslims with a learning and social hub through educational, spiritual and community programmes.
Yet Madinah Library is not just about access to books; it represents something deeper. It is part of a growing recognition that belonging in Australia is not only about prayer spaces, food, or cultural festivals, but also about literature: the stories that reflect our lives, the books that preserve our questions, and the joy of discovering ourselves on the page.
The library will open twice a week, Mondays 6–7 pm and Thursdays 10–11 am. Membership is modest, designed to keep the shelves sustainable, with concessions available to ensure accessibility for all.
“This is more than a room of books,” Ms Bibi said. “It’s about rediscovering the joy of reading, and ensuring our voices and our children’s voices are part of the stories that are told.”
If you’d like to visit, Madinah Library is located at 3 Ferguson Street, Underwood. You can follow the journey and updates on Instagram: @madinahlibrary
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