Muslim Child

By Rukhsana Khan and Patty Gallinger

Muslim Child is a collection of short stories, poems and prose that examines the world through the eyes of Muslim children. Each story represents a tenet of Islam in a way which is both entertaining and enlightening. Non-fiction sidebars help to explain and amplify the Islamic references. Some stories are centred around the major Muslim celebrations such as Eid and Ramadan, clarifying the customs and traditions. Another story is about a child getting separated from his parents while on the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Others show Muslim children in non-Muslim societies struggling with the beliefs or practices of their religion such as the dietary restrictions or the early morning prayer. Some of the stories are funny, some are touching, but all are compelling tales of children learning and growing within their culture. With this collection, author Rukhsana Khan provides insight for children into everyday Muslim life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dundurn
• Release date: Nov 1, 2001
• ISBN: 9781459717169

Rukhsana Khan

RUKHSANA KHAN is an award-winning author and storyteller. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, she is an expert on books with international and Muslim themes. She has presented at schools and communities across Canada and the US, as well as at the 2006 ALA Conference in New Orleans and the 2008 IBBY Congress in Denmark. Her book, Wanting Mor won the Middle East Book Award. Rukhsana lives in Toronto with her family.

Book preview

Family

MUSLIM CHILD

by Rukhsana Khan

Muslim Child

Child of Peace

Child of War

From a far-off distant shore

What do your black eyes see?

My eyes are not only black.

Sometimes they are blue as the sky

Or green as the tropical sea

Or brown as the trunk of a palm tree

And every shade in between.

My skin can be black as molasses

Or as pink as the blush on a rose

As golden as freshly made honey

Or dark copper brown as a penny

And every shade in between.

I am the richest of the rich

And the poorest of the poor

As famous as famous can be;

A general's child, pampered and bored

A soldier's child, orphaned by war

And every rank in between.

I come from many countries

Speaking many languages

But with one set of beliefs.

I believe in Noah and Jesus and Abraham

Muhammad and Moses and in God who sent them

And in every messenger in between.

(God bless them.)

So then,

Muslim Child

Child of Peace

What do your bright eyes see?

I see that we're each a piece in

the puzzle of humanity.

I'll try to understand you

If you'll try to understand me.

SURAH AL-FATIHA

(THE OPENING)

Chapter One of the Quran

1.

In the Name of God the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

2.

All praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds (All realms of existence).

3.

The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

4.

Lord of the Day of Judgement.

5.

Thee alone do we worship; and unto Thee alone do we turn for help.

6.

Guide us to the straight way.

7.

The way of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned, nor of those who go astray.

FAJR

(CANADA)

Wake up, lazybones! Jamal sat up and rubbed his eyes. His sister Seema stood in the doorway. Didn't you hear Abi calling? It's time for Fajr. "

Jamal glanced at the clock. Four-thirty in the morning.

As soon as Seema was gone, Jamal flopped back down. The mattress hugged his tired body, massaging his aching muscles. He felt so cozy. He wished he could bring the sink to his bed, make wudu and pray lying down.

Jamal, his father called, are you up?

Jamal bolted upright. Yes, Abi.

Pulling back the covers, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He took a deep stretch as a yawn passed through him. The pillow beckoned. He ignored it and tested the bare wood of the floor with his big toe. Snatching it back, he shivered.

He should just get up. The sooner he prayed, the sooner he could go back to sleep.

Seema was back. Get up right now, or I'm telling.

Abi: Arabic word for my father

Fajr: first prayer of the five daily prayers. It is offered before sunrise.

wudu: washing performed before prayer

Okay, okay. I'm up, he muttered under his breath. "It's so hard being Muslim."

Seema heard him. I'm telling! You don't want to be Muslim!

I didn't say that! I just said it's hard, you know, getting up in the middle of the night to pray.

Seema sneered at him. Don't you know that prayer is a gift? God doesn't need your prayer, you do. With that, she left again.

If that were true, thought Jamal, why didn't he feel any better after he prayed? Was there something wrong with him?

Jamal made his way to the bathroom. Turning on the light, he staggered as it pierced his eyes. Groping around till he could see without squinting, he looked at the toilet. Naw! He didn't have to go. It would waste too much time.

Seema poked her head through the doorway. Too late he wished he'd shut the door. And don't forget to make wudu properly. Remember, prayer is the key to paradise, and wudu is the key to prayer.

Yeah, yeah. Get lost.

Seema turned red. I'm telling Abi…

Okay, sorry. Now let me make wudu.

Seema started to say something, but changed her mind and left.

Jamal began wudu. He washed his hands three times. Rinsed his mouth three times. Cleaned his nostrils three times and washed his face three times and his arms up to the elbows, three times. Wetting his hands, he passed them over his hair and cleaned his ears, inside, outside and behind them.

Muslim: a Muslim follows the way of life called Islam. More than one-fifth of the world's people are Muslims.

Finally he heaved his right foot into the sink and washed between his toes and up to his ankle three times. Then he did his left foot.

Now he was ready to pray. He dried himself as best he could and went down to the living room. Seema was already praying her sunnah.

Standing solemnly on his prayer mat, he raised his hands to his ears and said, "Allahu Akbar. God is Great." Then

Reviews for Muslim Child

[sabdelaz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another Creative children's book by Khan, talks about Islam, and gives some stories as sample scenarios of what happiness to Muslim children realistically around the world. I would recommend it for third graders especially, this book also contains a recipe and facts about religion, culture, and being an American. It had many stories so its like a series entirely in this book which should be read that way and not all at once.

[sadams30 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is geared toward children with stories and poems about the Islamic faith, including daily ritual and complete with a pronunciation guide for Arabic. Good for presenting this information to younger groups of kids.