Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Abdullah Al-Jasser launched the book by giving a copy to Hamza Abbas, editor in chief of Gulf Madhyamam daily.
The book is published by the Kerala-based Islamic Publishing House (IPH), the only Indian participant at the fair. This is the second time IPH is taking part in the show.
“Last year there was big demand for ‘Ya Allah’ as all the Arabic and Malayalam copies of the book were sold out during the fair,” said Abdullah Manham, public relations manager of IPH.
Surayya (former name Madhavikutty), born to an aristocratic Hindu family, embraced Islam toward the evening of her life, on Dec. 11, 1999. She was short-listed for the Nobel Prize on the strength of her poetry collection “Summer in Calcutta.” She had received several honors including the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, the Asian World Prize and the Indira Priyadarshini Award.
The writer, who died last year, told the media she wanted to make Islam a religion of the new millennium. “I will tell the people the virtues of this religion. I would like to share the happiness I have got after embracing Islam,” she said. “I don’t think I am late in my choice. Yet this is a new birth. I don’t need freedom. I am not a feminist.
When one realizes that a religion gives the refuge that one is seeking, why would anyone turn aside?” she asked. Manham said “Ya Allah” was translated into Arabic by K. Moidu Moulavi, an Islamic scholar. He said a large number of people including Arabs had visited the IPH pavilion during the last three days.
The visitors included Saudi students and university professors, who were looking for books on India in Arabic. The stall displays 200 selected titles, mainly books on Islam in English and the Kerala language of Malayalam.
“Ya Allah” is the only book in Arabic.  “During the last year IPH published 30 new books and we have brought all these new titles. We have also brought some books published by other publishing houses including short stories and books on personality development for general readers,” Manham told Arab News.
He said visitors were expecting books in different Indian languages in our pavilion, being the only publishing house from India. He commended the Ministry of Culture and Information for its “marvelous” organization of the fair.
In her book Surayya expresses her ardent love of God.
She wrote: “Ya Allah, forgive me, my Lord, even in the serene vicinity of mosque. My voice turns bitter, as of a weary lover. How long more, my Lord, is the waiting, for this Surayya, the hapless, who has fathomed the profundity of love, to reach you, the formless, to learn the ecstasy of another embracing.”