In 2017 he published his third poetry collection, "Poems from the Straight Path: A Book of Islamic Verse". Abdal Hakim Murad, the British sheikh and scholar, praised it: "Hayward's new collection reveals remarkable range and skill. He stalks his quarry indirectly, startling the reader when he reveals his target. Sacralized by an Islamic incense this is a new and strong English poetic voice." Rafey Habib of Rutger's University likewise praised the book: "In a world where the very word 'Islam' has become the site of intense, loud-voiced, and often violent ideological struggle, the poetry of Joel Hayward offers a world of calm but powerfully poetic reflection on a cluster of themes that lie at the heart of Muslim experiences today. Hayward evokes exquisitely the process of creation, the qualities of God, and the characteristics of His prophet … The decline of the Muslim world community and the hypocrisy of religious fanatics are graphically described using dramatic twists and verbal irony. Hayward powerfully portrays the hijacking of Islam, again in striking imagery." Reviewing "Poems from the Straight Path", the UK magazine "Passion Islam" wrote that "Hayward’s journey of exploration, transformation and illumination forms the beating heart of this moving collection of poetry." It called the book "a timely and important work that reveals the struggle and profound insights of someone bridging cultures and faith traditions."