Amatullah's Books

A man came to AbudDarda and said: I have come to you from the town of the Apostle of Allah, peace be upon him, for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him). I have come for no other purpose.

He said: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say:

If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.

The month of Ramadan has left us but hopefully the lessons and mannerisms learned have not. As the fall weather approaches many of us find ourselves indoors and inactive. One thing I have found beneficial during this time of year is to catch up on my reading. The above hadith is relevant to gaining Islamic knowledge but its primary message goes beyond that. As was stated the one who seeks knowledge through travel Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. There are other sayings such as ‘go in quest of knowledge even unto China’ or ‘we gain knowledge from the cradle to the grave’. The point is that we should never stop learning and we should be selective in what we learn.

Usually the goal of reading is to perfect a skill, understand a particular topic or to just read for fun. Many of us began reading using what are known as primers. These books are designed to help the reader with basics of a language whether it is English, Arabic, French etc. The letters of a language are the key to opening the door to understanding. Once the basics have been grasped, there is no limit as to how much one can learn.

When parents begin teaching their children they usually read aloud to them, pointing to the words and adding emphasis where necessary. Toddlers will grasp the idea of a story and pretend to be reading when they are alone with their favorite book. They love books with illustrations and have been found to make up their own story from the pictures alone. When a child shows interest in reading it is the responsibility of the parents to accommodate them. Sounding out letters and helping them build a vocabulary are the steps I used when my son was a toddler.

Today there are so many books, Islamic and non Islamic for our youngsters to read and learn from. For Muslims we must be aware what our children are reading and what they are learning. Books written by Muslim authors usually carry healthier moral content and encourage sound values. There are some non Muslims who have a moral compass and produce literature that is decent. If we want our children to be good readers we must demonstrate by reading also. Keeping a library of various texts and sitting and reading in front of them is an example that is priceless.

There were two occasions that were very inspirational for me this year. This summer while visiting relatives, I noticed the reading skills of their children. They were five and seven years old but they read like fifth graders. Their diction was above average and their expression was marvelous. I couldn’t help but be astonished at their skill level and understanding. It was obvious that they were encouraged to read beyond what was expected of them. One of the children was following the mother around while reading g a book. Today in this electronic age where all that matters is your game level, I feel optimistic about our children's future.

The other event was a conference workshop where two authors were discussing their books. One author wrote fiction for teenagers and the other was an inspirational writer. Both of them inspired me to continue on my quest to write for a broader market. What I learned from them is that the market for books for our Muslim youth is sparse and in need of more Islamic based literature that they can identify with. Themes that center on being Muslim in this society give our youth a voice that goes beyond their home and schools. Most of the literature that is available for young people is tinged with sex, drugs and illicit behavior. This stuff sells but we must give our youth better alternatives. An audience member suggested the book is “Ask Me no Questions” by Marina Budhos. The book is a narrative of a 14 year girl whose father was taken into custody shortly after 9/11 during the US government’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. It is written for 7th – 10th graders yet it should also be read by adults in order for them understand how this war on terror is affecting our children. Such narratives are far and few between but they are there. An author also pointed out that publishers will try to manipulate manuscripts by ‘spicing it up’ with inappropriate terminology.

Our task is great but we must pursue the higher ground for our children’s sake. Supporting Muslim authors and Muslim book sellers will help us save our youth and grow a strong community.

With knowledge man rises to the heights of goodness and to a noble position, associates with sovereigns in this world and attains to the perfection of happiness in the next. Prophet Muhammad(SAW)

Acquire knowledge. It enables its possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is an ornament among friends, and an armour against enemies. Prophet Muhammad(SAW)