Book review: The story of Elephant

The story of Elephant is a unique pop-up and play book based on the well-known and much-loved surah Al-Fil, the story of the elephant from chapter 105 of the Noble Qur’an. It is a beautiful book with hand-drawn illustrations, interactive flaps, a children’s colouring map, press-out activity and quiz.

Published by Shade 7 Publishing Limited 

Written by Hajera Memon 

Illustarted by Anisa Nachett

The story of Elephant is a unique pop-up and play book based on the well-known and much-loved surah Al-Fil, the story of the elephant from chapter 105 of the Noble Qur’an. In 570 A.D. Yemen , the tyrant ruler Abraha leads his army of elephants to destroy Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala’s House, the Ka’ba, which is built by our beloved Prophet Ibrahim Alaihes Salam and his son Ismael alaihes salam in the holy city of Makkah. Armed with only supplications (dua), the leader of the Arabs relies on his faith and trust in Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala to save the Ka’ba and discovers some amazing miracles along the way.

It is a beautiful book with hand-drawn illustrations, interactive flaps, a children’s colouring map, press-out activity and quiz. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book with my three children (all under 7). Surah Al-Fil is my favourite childhood surah. I still remember when my dad told us the amazing story for the first time. I believe through this beautiful book I can help my children to cherish the story of the elephant forever insha Allah. The first page has a prologue which consists of an Ayah from Surah Ibrahim (14:35) teaching us the beautiful dua Prophet Ibraham Alaihis Salam made after he finished building the Kaba with his son Prophet Ismael Alaihis Salam.

The story starts with a small introduction on how Abraha became the ruler of Yemen and built a church to compete with the Kaba. It continues with how Abraha sent the army of elephants to Mecca and captured 200 camels belonging to Abdul Mutalib - leader of the Quraysh (who is also the grandfather of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihe Wa Sallam), and the response (in English and Arabic) of Abdul Mutalib when he was called to see Abraha. The story also includes the dua Abdul Mutalib made to Allah, how Mahmud the elephant would keep sitting down when he was ordered to attack the kaba, and the flock of birds defeating the army of the elephant.

The story concludes with a page about how Allah protects the Ka’ba to this day, and how that year is known as the year of the Elephant and that Prophet Muhammed Sallallahu Alaihe Wa Sallam was born in this year. At the end the author summarizes three points we learn from this Surah, about answering of duas, Allah's protection, and the importance of controlling our anger.

Shade7 publishing is doing a fantastic job. We need more interactive books like this for our precious children. The book is a perfect gift for any occasion. To learn more about the book, do watch these two videos.

Book review: Normal Calm

Normal Calm written by Hend Hegazi is the story of how rape impacted Amina and her family’s lives. The subject of the book is an issue that transcends many cultures such as West African, Asian, and so forth besides Arab ones. Though Muslims are not immune to the statistical average of one in three or one in four women being sexually assaulted in her lifetime, this is a topic seldom touched upon in the greater Muslim community.

Amina is an Arab American woman attending one of the best universities in the US. During the spring of her junior year, Amina is raped by one of her friends, making her essentially unmarriageable in the eyes of her parents and, possibly, the entire Arab community. Eventually she falls in love with Sherif, but his reaction to her rape proves him to be unworthy. Deciding to forgo love, Amina focuses on her career. When her best friend introduces her to Mazin, however, she sees in him only good qualities. He is successful, kind, generous...but she feels no love for him. When Mazin asks for her hand in marriage, Amina struggles with the idea of settling for a man she does not love. Knowing that he, too, may abandon her when he learns of her rape is another burden she continues to bear.

Normal Calm is the story of how rape impacted Amina and her family’s lives. The subject of the book is an issue that transcends many cultures such as West African, Asian, and so forth besides Arab ones. Though Muslims are not immune to the statistical average of one in three or one in four women being sexually assaulted in her lifetime, this is a topic seldom touched upon in the greater Muslim community. It is inspiring to see Hend Hegazi as a Muslim author writing about this sensitive issue.

The struggles in this book are unfortunately very realistic. She expressed openly what is often considered taboo in Arab and Muslim cultures in general. Situations like these need to be highlighted so they can be tackled head on. The book was very engaging because it's very realistic as it addresses a hidden problem that some Muslim women struggle with but not often discussed. These sorts of novels are needed as it can provide a source of therapy for those who have underwent similar situations and can bring hidden situations like this to light which is the first step in resolving these traumatic issues. I hope more Muslim authors follow her example. 

The rape itself is not graphically depicted. Amina deals with it in a fairly pragmatic way, deciding to go straight into a group therapy programme so that she can get the support to finish her university studies. Amina reveals her ordeal to her close friends, her family but she finds it very hard to talk about her experience with potential spouses. 
Amina did not consent to losing her virginity, yet unfortunately in her community she is simply seen as no longer a virgin and therefore no longer marriage material. This creates a slippery slope for Amina: should she compromise her own integrity for people who essentially already have questionable values? Difficult situations necessitate strong support from family and friends. However, Amina’s mother’s reaction was very difficult to read. We hope that our family will support us through hardships, especially those inflicted on us by someone else. Interestingly, one of Amina’s strongest supporters is her non-Muslim best friend. The character, Kayla, is a great inclusion in the story. I liked the way the author, Hend depicted Amina’s da’wah towards her best friend. There is so much to learn from this beautiful novel.

Normal calm is a great read. I would highly recommend reading this beautiful book. If you would like to find our more about the author, you can visit her blog:  http://hendhegazi.wordpress.com/ 

Ali and Sumaya

Imanimation studios

http://www.aliandsumaya.com/index.html

Ali and Sumaya is an animated step by step guide to learn how to perform salah (prayer). Little Sumaya doesn’t know how to pray but her friends do. So she fells left out. Her big brother Ali teaches her how to pray properly. I love the way the animation is done. No musical instrument has been used. The Qur’an recitations are done by children.  Meanings and transliterations are also given with the Arabic verses.  This guide also teaches how to do wadu (ritual purification), what can invalidate wadu and sunnah duas after wadu, salah times, adhaan (call to prayer), Dua Qunoot and some beautiful supplications we can do after salah. There is also a quiz section for children to benefit from.  Children can learn at least 8 surahs (Surah Fatiha, Surah Ahad, Surah Al-Falaq, Surah An-Nas, Surah Al-Kafirun, Surah Masad) from the Quran through this guide. There is also a short booklet provided with the cd to practice the verses and duas with children.

My three kids are all under five. I thought they may not appreciate this guide that much but Alhamdulillah they actually love watching Ali and Sumaya. Sometimes they even bring their own small prayers mats and copy Ali and Sumaya. Even I have benefitted from the cd in terms of adding some more duas during the salah, Alhamdulillah. I would highly recommend this animated guide for your little ones.

Book review: A picnic of poems in Allah’s green garden

A collection of 30 poems to keep the young and ‘young at heart’ entertained for hours, mashAllah. These poems cover a number of topics including: Motherhood, Daily prayer, Baby siblings, Life on a farm, the Animal Kingdom, Bullying, Mosques, Ramadan, Appreciating nature and more. The book comes with an audio CD to sing along to these joyful but educational poems.

Written by Dawud Wharsby

Illustrated by Shireen Adams

Published by Islamic Foundation

A collection of 30 poems to keep the young and ‘young at heart’ entertained for hours, mashAllah.

These poems cover a number of topics including: Motherhood, Daily prayer, Baby siblings, Life on a farm, the Animal Kingdom, Bullying, Mosques, Ramadan, Appreciating nature and more. The book comes with an audio CD to sing along to these joyful but educational poems.

Although it is recommended for ages 5+, I have read the book to my children aged 3 and 4 and Alhamdulillah they enjoy the poems. My son’s (4) favourite is ‘Lorry, cycle and feet’ and my daughter loves ‘My father’s beard’ and my favourite is “Rose” which is quite an inspiring poem for us grown-ups Alhamdulillah.

Just to give you a glimpse of the book, one of the poems is given below. It’s a great book as a Ramadan or Eid gift. Enjoy the poem!

Ramadan is on it’s Way

Ramadan! Ramadan!

Ramadan is on its way!

I’ll fast with my whole family.

Cant’s wait for the first day.

We’ll wake before the sun,

then fast just as Allah has asked.

Ramadan is on it’s way.

Ramadan! Ramadan!

I’ve been waiting oh so long,

for you to come and test me out,

see how I’ve grown so strong.

I’ll show you how kind I am,

to every one I meet.

I’ll fast just as Allah has asked.

There’s no food could be as sweet!

Little explorers: The Muslim kid's magazine

LE is a children’s magazine which is published every other month to stimulate the young minds of our children as well as teach them the true teachings of Islam in a fun and interactive way. http://www.littleexplorersmagazine.co.uk/

According to the LE team, the purpose of the magazine is to nurture our children into good Muslim citizens who make a positive contribution to the society in which they live.

Alhamdulillah I have been reading this beautiful magazine with my children since Ramadan 2010. When I received the first issue, I was quite impressed by the quality. At that time, my son was only two and a half years old and my daughter was 15 months but they enjoyed flipping through the magazine! I love the way the images are done mashallah! It just shows that we can indeed create an interesting magazine for children without images with eyes. In 18 months, the content of the magazine has almost doubled. Now it has more articles and activities. My children really love reading the magazine with me. We are really lucky to have Little Explorers for our precious children.

It is very important for our children to read magazines which they can relate to. I would highly recommend this magazine to all parents home and abroad insha-Allah. Trust me you won’t regret subscribing to this wonderful magazine for your precious ones insha-Allah! May Allah swt reward the team behind this wonderful project, ameen.

Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes and how she came to tell them

The book is attractively presented, with good quality binding on the hardback edition and well printed colour plates. You certainly will feel that this is a book your child will be able to grow up with and pass on to his or her own offspring as a treasured heirloom insha-Allah.
Teaching three young goslings how to swim, fly and waddle nicely isn’t easy. Boo, Lucy and small would much rather play games, chase butterflies or splash about in puddles. So in between lessons, Mother Goose starts to tell them rhymes- happy rhymes, sad rhymes and silly rhymes, rhymes for waddling in time, rhymes for flapping their wings and rhymes to lull them asleep. Now all Mother Goose’s rhymes have been gathered together in one beautiful volume for everyone to enjoy. The exquisite illustrations by the brilliant Axel Scheffler make this uniquely fresh and entertaining collection truly a book to treasure. Axel has enjoyed particular success with his collaborations with Julia Donaldson, including the award-winning classic The Gruffalo.
The volume itself is attractively presented, with good quality binding on the hardback edition and well printed colour plates. You certainly will feel that this is a book your child will be able to grow up with and pass on to his or her own offspring as a treasured heirloom insha-Allah. The book has eighty eight rhymes to keep your children quite occupied. My three children all under five love this rhyme book. I would highly recommend this book for your little ones. Enjoy the rhymes!

Siratt LifeBook 2012 (1433-34)

Website: www.siratt.com

Email: info@siratt.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/siratt

Every year I keep a diary and try to write my thoughts down almost every single day. I love reading them later especially at the end of the year, sometimes feeling good with what I have achieved throughout the year Alhamdulillah and sometimes feeling sad thinking how I could have done more but missed the chance to do so. Since 2010 I have been using Siratt LifeBook and mashallah never looked back.
Every year the LifeBook is just getting better Alhamdulillah. In the beginning it has some very inspiring and thought-provoking chapters on belief, conviction, spirituality, self-esteem, positivity, self-analysis which are worth reading again and again, Alhamdulillah. This year Siratt LifeBook has incorporated numerous exciting ideas and concepts, devised by Productivemuslim.com, to facilitate a practical approach to optimise ones daily productivity. Some of the other features include beautiful verses from the Qur’an, weekly hadith, weekly ‘did you know?’ to inform and remind of Muslim Contributions to civilisations, Islamic months calendar, prayer timetable, wonderful images of mosques around the world and so on. In their own words, “This LifeBook’s specific aim is to assist the reader in achieving its aspiration of ‘Living Islam’ in a wholesome sense. It is intended to be an inspiration for the reader as well as a practical guide and diary.”

For us Muslims, having a productive life is an essential part to fulfil our ultimate purpose in life, serving Allah subha ta’ala and gain His Pleasure. I would strongly recommend the Siratt LifeBook. Trust me, you will love using this very practical diary, insha-Allah! May Allah subhana ta’ala help us in living every single day of our life in a more rewarding and fulfilling way and earn His Ridwan, ameen!

Ten Friendly Fish

Debbie Tarbett

(Illustrator)

Hardcover: 24 pages

Publisher: Little Tiger Press (1 Mar 2008)

Language English

It was given to my son as a present. My children (3 and 2 years) love this book and it is often presented to me to read in the evenings. Because the fish are 3D, they can touch them and play with them while I read the story. It helps them learning to count as well as learning about different sea creatures. Insha-Allah, we are going to get a couple more of the Debbie Tarbett books for them. They had this book for about a year and still love it and keep coming back for more. All in all a very enjoyable and educational read for 2-3 year olds. The 10 fish are solid and raised and one disappears with each page turn. The only problem is the pop page at the end is not as sturdy as rest of the book and you have to be careful with it if you don’t want it to be torn after few uses. Our one is already damaged a bit. But overall it’s a good book to have.

Children book: Toddle Waddle

Julia Donaldson (Author), Nick Sharratt (Illustrator)

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books (1 Jan 2010)

Language English

There's a hullabaloo at the seaside when a toddler takes his friends on a stroll to the end of the pier.

With jaunty rhymes and bright, bold pictures even the youngest child will love this simple, playful story.

About the Author and illustrator:

Julia Donaldson is today's most popular picture book author and a multi award-winner. Her books include the modern classic THE GRUFFALO, THE PRINCESS AND THE WIZARD and ONE TED FALLS OUT OF BED.

Nick Sharratt is the prize-winning illustrator of many books for children of all ages. His other picture books with Julia Donaldson include CHOCOLATE MOUSSE FOR GREEDY GOOSE, HIPPO HAS A HAT and ONE MOLE DIGGING A HOLE. Nick lives in Brighton near the seaside and the famous pier.

My children absolutely adore this book. I don’t know how many times I have read this book to them. Almost every night this is one of the books they bring to me to read for their bedtime. My son is 3 years old and my daughter is 2 years old. Both of them have already started guessing some words from the book even before I read it loud. They really love the bright and bold pictures. They enjoy spotting all the detail in the brightly coloured illustrations. In my opinion, this book is really good for children and great for helping their early phonic awareness of rhyme.

Book review: The excellence of knowledge

The excellence of knowledge: The virtue of Salaf over the Khalaf

Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali

Daar us-Sunnah Publishers

Alhamdulillah I have loved reading this book. It is very important for us to know what sort of knowledge is beneficial for us as our life is too short to waste in gaining knowledge that is not going to benefit us in any way. What scares me more is the possibility that I may end up reading something which will affect my faith (creating doubts, confusion) and ruin my chance to gain closeness to Allah (SWT). There is a beautiful supplication at the start of the book which I hope can help us in gaining beneficial knowledge, insha-Allah.

The prophet (SAW) said, “Allah! Benefit me by what You have taught me, teach me what will be of benefit to me and increase me in knowledge.” [Tirmidhi # 3393 and Ibn Majah # 3833]

I just tried to quote from the book a bit so that you can have an idea about the book. It is a must have book for any library, mashallah. It’s not really a thick one so you may be able to finish reading it in one or two days, insha-Allah.

In the Qur’an, Allah (SWT) sometimes mentions knowledge in a praiseworthy way referring to beneficial knowledge and at other times in a blameworthy way referring to knowledge that is not beneficial at all. He (SWT) taught us a beautiful dua in the Qur’an. “And say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (Surah TA Ha 20:114) It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that only learned amongst His servants do truly fear Allah (SWT).

According to Imam Ahmed (May Allah have mercy upon him), the foundation of knowledge is the fear of Allah (SWT). Therefore, the foundation of knowledge is that knowledge which leads to fearing Him, loving Him, drawing close to Him, taking comfort with Him and ardently desiring Him. Then this is followed by knowledge of the rulings of Allah (SWT), all that He loves and is pleased with. Whosoever realises these two types of knowledge, he has found beneficial knowledge, he has attained beneficial knowledge, a fearful heart, a content soul and supplications that are responded to.

Our beloved messenger Muhammad (SAW) has taught us a beautiful dua in this regard: “Allah! I take refuge with You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that has no fear, from a soul that is never content and from an invocation that is not responded to.” (Muslim#2722)

The author argues that the beneficial knowledge is to strictly follow the text of the Book (the Qur’an) and the Sunnah, to understand their meaning and in order to do so, confine oneself to what has been reported from the companions, the successors and their successors in matters to do with the Qur’an, hadith, the lawful and the prohibited, asceticism, softening of the heart, gnosis and other things.

“Awza’i said, ‘Knowledge is that which the companions of Muhammad (SAW) conveyed, anything else is not to be considered knowledge’.” This is also stated by Imam Ahmed.

Our salafs used to be very careful with their dealing with people. They refrained from excessive argumentation and debating, they did not do so because of ignorance and inability, rather because of knowledge and the fear of Allah (SWT). Those who came after them, who did speak much and went to great lengths in widening issues, did not do so because they had knowledge that the salaf did not, rather due to love of speech and lack of scrupulousness (wara’).

Some of the Salaf said, “When Allah SWT desires good for His servant, He opens for him the door of action. When Allah SWT desires evil for His servant, He locks the door of action and opens instead the door of disputation.”

Ibn Mas’ud (RAW) said, “Sufficient knowledge is it that one fears Allah SWT and sufficient ignorance is it to be deceived of Allah SWT.” Others said, “Whoever fear Allah SWT is the scholar and whoever disobeys Allah Him is the ignoramus.”

Our beloved prophet (SAW) advised Ibn Abbas (RAW), “Be mindful of Allah SWT, He will be mindful of you. Be mindful of Allah SWT and you will find Him in front of you. Know Allah SWT in times of ease and He will know you in times of hardship.” (Tirmidhi)

The sign of knowledge that is not beneficial is pride, arrogance and conceit. Such a person seeks high position and ranking in this world and competes for it. He loves debating to show off his knowledge! It is reported from the prophet (SAW) that whoever seeks knowledge for this purpose, ‘for him is the Fire, the Fire!’(Ibn Majah)

In summary, the author concludes, in these corrupt times, it is very important for us to stick to the Salafs. Regardless of whether it be in the foundation of the faith or its subsidiary issues, the tafsir (Exegesis) of the Quran, the explanations of the hadith, asceticism, matters which softens the heart, points of benefit and wisdom, exhortations – whatever the Salaf spoke. And we should try to avoid excessive debating and argumentation.

I hope the review helps and it’s not too long!

You can also read the book online at http://www.kalamullah.com/excellence-of-knowledge.html

Na'ima B. Robert : Boy Vs Girl

Boy vs girl is a story of a twin brother and sister, Faraz and Farhana written by a very talented sister Na'ima B. Robert. I was eager to get hold of the book as soon as possible and alhamdulillah I loved reading it. I think it's a must for every teenager and their parents and anybody who is interested in helping the young Muslims to be better in deen and dunya, insha-Allah. It can also be read in educational institutions and youth book clubs to discuss the issues it raises, in details. The author has mentioned briefly the common issues our youth have to face on a daily basis i.e. peer pressure, lack of communication and understanding between parents and teenagers, identity crisis, lack of Muslim role models, racism, prejudice, cultural baggage, ignorance of the faith etc. The close relationship between the brother and sister is really beautiful mashallah. Thinking about my own kids, I make dua to Allah swt to bless my children with that sort of a relationship insha-Allah. I lost my brother when he was three and a half and this story reminded me of my sweet brother who was always very close to me.
Farhana and Faraz want to be better Muslims. They want to implement the Islamic regulations in their day-to-day lives. However, due to the societal pressure around them, they are struggling to reach to their destination. Even families and relatives can be a big obstacle in getting closer to Allah swt. Needless to say, how damaging peer pressure can be!

One of the inspiring role models in the story is auntie Najma, a university educated, niqabi sister who is aware of her rights and responsibilities and trying to live her life according to Allah swt's guidance. She is very independent-minded but at the same time behaves wisely around the relatives who are following their age-old culture and deluded in thinking that this culture is based on Islam. I know how it feels to be in that sort of situation when you are trying to follow the Qur'an and the sunnah but most of the people in the community think that you are just a rebel and trying to deny your so called 'glorious heritage'. Auntie Naj is also aware of what the youth are going through on a day-to-day basis unlike the most Muslim adults. That’s why the kids felt that they can talk to their auntie without being judged or ridiculed. Unfortunately they couldn’t do the same with their parents which again is a very common scenario in our community.

Na'ima has also mentioned the hypocrisy among the community. Unfortunately lots of Muslim youths are engaged in drugs, gangs and girls/boys and so forth and in most cases, the families do not even have a clue of what their children are up to. We need to understand that for the youth it's not easy either living in a society where some values and norms are very contradictory to our faith. And to make the matter worse, most of the Muslim parents are leading a life based on their respective cultures and traditions, and not the real Islam. This leaves the youth confused and creates an identity crisis. As the young generation of Muslims in the West, how do we define ourselves? Are we Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Somalis or just British? Or are we just Muslims who are happen to be here? These are not easy questions to answer. Our youth desperately need our understanding and support. As parents we need to be aware of all the problems they are going through and help them without the judgemental attitude we seem to have. Lots of adults also show rather an apologetic attitude thinking if they say too many (!) positive things about their faith they may get chucked out from this country. It just proves that deep down we are still a community of economic migrants and unfortunately we still haven’t moved on.

The other characters in the story are quite interesting too. These characters are quite common in our societies. For example, Shazia comes from a religious family and is expected to wear hijab but she lacks the conviction. Although she knows that her dad is right, she is not that convinced that she needs to wear it as she thinks she is ugly! Once again it reminds me of the lack of confidence and self-esteem among young girls. Even lots of hijabi girls suffer from low confidence in their appearance and hence, we see so many of them wearing so much make-up and jewellery with their eye-catching, figure-hugging hijab to compensate! Sometimes I feel so annoyed looking at these girls, thinking what’s the point of wearing hijab, when everything else that they are wearing is in contradiction to the cloth on their head??? Being super skinny or leading a lifestyle to reach size zero is another scary trend on increase even in Muslim community! Let’s admit it; we are part of this society and the changes in this society will affect us too. We are not living in a cocoon, which some of our parents can afford to live in but we cannot.

Guys like Skrooz (whose real name is Khalid) is another interesting character which I bet can be found quite a lot in our society. They enjoy bullying and terrorising people and that’s how they find satisfaction and a sense of achievement?! He shows resentment towards the bad things in the society but at the same time he does not show any remorse committing crimes. He spends time with 'gora' (white) girls but makes sure his sister doesn’t get involved in any relationship as he believes that will damage the ‘honour’ of his family! He even dreams of marrying a decent girl to start a family! There are so many poor girls from the Indian sub-continent who unfortunately get married to this sort of messed up boys with the ‘blessing’ of their parents and lead a life of hell for the rest of their lives! I can’t help but blame the parents who are stupid enough to think that a girl from another society (who is completely unaware of this future husband’s past) can change the life of their bad son when they couldn’t do it themselves!

Ahmed Ali is another good role model mentioned in the story who is a Muslim graffiti artist. I think I know where the author got the inspiration from :-) I love the work of Mohammad Ali as it’s really fascinating mashallah, and he can be a great role model for the youth Insha-Allah. You can find out more about him on his website http://www.aerosolarabic.com/v2/index.php

Overall, this is a very good book to read. I am sure you will enjoy reading this book, insha-Allah. I hope Na’ima writes more books insha-Allah. We really need writers like her to help the community to raise a good generation of Muslims, insha-Allah.

You can find out more about the author at http://www.naimabrobert.co.uk/
I am a big fan of her magazine ‘SISTERS’ mashallah.
Her book ‘From my sister’s lips’ is another great book mashallah which I loved reading. Hopefully I would like to do a review of the book in future insha-Allah.
Na’ima is also doing quite a lot for the youth mashallah. Have a look at her recent blog http://muslimteenauthor.blogspot.com/

A Muslim girl’s guide to life’s big changes

Author: Rayhana Khan
Ta Ha Publishers Ltd

Written from a ‘big sister’ perspective, this book explains briefly all the issues young Muslim women may face in their life. The author encourages the young girls to remember her advice as an older sister who has been through what they are about to experience: ‘Stop, think and question all that you do in your life.’ She talks about school life, basic knowledge of Islam, hijab, behaviour, socialisation and the physical changes girls will experience from the age of nine onwards. There is a small quiz section to test how safe our Muslim identity is. She also explains in details how to take care of our bodies as women.

An excerpt from the book:

“The most simple but most effective thing you can do at any time is to pray to Allah (SWT). Be proud to be Muslim and stand up for your beliefs. Remember your aim is to please Allah (SWT) not your friends. Islam is about respect, kindness and decency. You should keep clean, dress decently, keep good company and speak good language. This is what makes you beautiful - the kind of person you are and how you treat people - not the way you dress and your accessories. You should try to learn what is in the Qur’an and the hadith and follow it.”

The book is quite easy to read and you will be able to finish reading in an hour or less. Mothers should try to go through the book as well as it can give them some idea of what young girls may be going through and they can discuss issues with their daughters. As the author has just touched upon very briefly about the issues faced by Muslim girls, it is important for parents to elaborate on the issues and try to help daughters to make the right choice during their transition from childhood to adulthood.

The Alchemist

Written by Paulo Coelho
HarperCollins publishers
ISBN 0-7225-3293-8                              

This book was given to us (me and my significant other) as a wedding gift and we managed to finish it quite soon as we really enjoyed the story. This is a fiction story which is about an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and then into the Egyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him. It’s a fascinating story which gives us the essential wisdom of listening to our heart and above all, following our dreams! Although I am not really fond of fiction that much, I have really enjoyed reading this one. The author here talked about ‘personal calling’ by which he meant God’s blessing. It meant the path that God chose for us on Earth. He talked about the obstacles that we may encounter while trying to fulfil our dreams. The story has taught me something very important about life. I believe that the life of every one of us is unique and special and it’s a journey towards Allah SWT and through the journey we gain wisdom.