The circle turns and the glorious days of Hajj return again, alhamdulillah, full of blessings for those fortunate enough to go on Hajj, and full of blessings for the rest of us staying at home too….these days magnify our good works, demonstrating yet again the magnanimity of Allah Mighty and Majestic.

A mother on a homeschooling list I belong to asked if anyone had a skit dealing with the story of Hajar, may Allah be pleased with her, and Zam Zam. That put me in mind of the very happy memories I have from being in the classroom these past years and doing activities with children to develop a love and yearning in them for the truths of their tradition.

A skit has its difficulties sometimes…it seems that children are not to be allowed to play the parts of the Prophets, or the Companions, which is always a little hard, because playing roles is how young children learn best. I pray that someday I might have the opportunity to talk in depth with a fiqh master about these subjects. Perhaps, since there is a big difference between a classroom or household of small children trying to grow and learn and a “theater company” of adults portraying roles for show rather than for play, there could be a different ruling…only a gingerly asking, since I am not a scholar of fiqh.

For the meantime there are always several ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. One of those ways is replacing a skit with a group storytelling. Then each child is memorizing small parts of the story, as well as hearing the other parts over and over again as the performance is rehearsed. And for those skittish about having their kids “perform” I say that nothing else really drives stories and images home to the heart like challenging oneself to get them ready to communicate with an audience. It is really hard work and a great occasion for children to rely on Allah and ask Him to perfect their intentions.

So for anyone looking for material for using with children, whether simply to read to them or organize a special event at school or at home, here is a script for a group storytelling. It is in three parts; if it seems long, you can just use part 3 especially for the hajj season. You can divide up the lines however you like depending on the ages of your children and how many there are. You can practice all together sitting in a circle, and when the children have learned their lines you can arange them however you like in the space you are using, sitting or kneeling or standing still, ar even sometimes walking.

Or you could just usethe script for reading aloud to them.

In any case, working out a rhythmic chant for the refrain, and finding a tune for the little song might give lots of enjoyment. I have my own tune, but can’t sing to you over the net, so unless you are a sister and you call me, you are on your own!

I’d be so happy to know if it was of benefit for you, so please write and let me know!

SAYYIDINA IBRAHIM, THE FRIEND OF ALLAH

Ya Allah, teach us the truth of his life, that we may learn to please You and be pleasing to You.

Part 1

(Refrain, sung or chanted, repeated the same way each time:)

La illaha ilAllah Ibrahim, Khalil Allah

“Whoever enters the Station of Sayyidina Ibrahim will find security.” (Qur’an 3:97)

Ya Sayyidina Ibrahim! Peace upon you! Allah gave you wisdom when you were just a child, like me.

We want to tell your story, so that its meanings and lessons will grow in us.

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

As a boy, Sayyidina Ibrahim hated the statues of wood and stone.

He went to his father in his workshop.

“What are these statues  you are carving, Father?” you asked. “Do they benefit you?”

“Our fathers worshipped them,” the old man said proudly.

“Nay, Father! Worship Allah who is Lord of the heavens and the earth.”

Sayyidina Ibrahim hated moon and star worship.

He tried to teach his people. “The moon sets. I love not that which sets. The stars set. I love not that which sets. The sun sets. I love not that which sets.”

He stood up to King Nimrod.

“Allah gives life and causes death.”

But the said, “No! I give life and cause death!”

“Then,” Sayyidina Ibrahim said, “Make the sun rise in the west!”

The king was angry! “Who is this man? Throw him out!”

Sayyidina Ibrahim smashed the idols, so they threw him in the fire. Allah said, “Oh fire! Be cool!” And it was. It was like a garden inside.

Jibreel came to help. “May I bring you something? May I do anything?”

“I rely on Allah alone,” Sayyidina Ibrahim said. And Allah was pleased. May He be pleased with us!”

A man said, “What a big fire!”

A woman said, “It’s burning!”

A girl said, “We can’t get near it!”

A grandfather said, “It’s white hot!”

A grandmother said, “Ow! My face is burning!”

A little boy said, “Look! It’s a garden inside!”

The people were surprised.

Then, Sayyidina Ibrahim stepped out of the fire. “I love my father, but I love Allah more. I will leave him. I will leave my homeland for the sake of Allah.”

Sometimes Allah wants something from us, and we can’t understand why. But Sayyidina Ibrahim said, “Yes!” He said, “Yes!” He said, “Yes!” He said, “Yes!” And Allah was pleased with him. May He be pleased with us. May we learn to say, “Yes!”

La illaha illAllah, Ibrahim, Khalil Allah.

PART 2

La illah illAllah Ibrahim, Khalil Allah

When Sayyidina Ibrahim was very old, he loved his wife Hajar and his son, Ismail.

They were very happy. But Allah wanted something and he said, “YES!”

Allah wanted him to leave Hajar and Ismail at a holy place in the desert.

La illaha ilAllah Ibrahim Khalil Allah

Sayyidina Ibrahim, you took them to the desert. When you started to go away, Hajar said,

“Sayyidina Ibrahim, where are you going? Where are you going? Where are you going? Sayyidina Ibrahim, has Allah asked you to do this?”

“Yes,” he answered.

And Hajar said, “Then we will rely on Him.”

Sayyidina Ibrahim prayed and prayed for them. “O Allah. Give them fruits! Send them people who will love them!”

Hajar ran back and forth between Safa and Marwa seven times. She was frightened. The baby was crying. She was praying.

Then she saw the Angel Jibreel. He kicked the sand and the waters of Zam Zam gushed out!

Hajar ran to the water. She drank some. She gave some to her baby. She washed her face, and her baby’s face. She made a deep place in the sand for the water to make a pool.

Birds came to share the water. “Caw, caw, caw,” they sang.

Far far away, people saw the birds. One man said, “Look! Birds! There must be water!”

His friend said, “Let’s go and see!”

They went across the wide sands to the well and saw Hajar and Ismail. Allah made them want to help them.

From miles around other people came to the well of Zam Zam. They began building the city of Mecca.

Ismail and Hajar were the beginnings of the city of Mecca!

Sayyidina Ibrahim, you didn’t want to leave your family in the desert, but you wanted what Allah wanted, and so you said, “Yes” to Allah. And Allah gave so much in return!

It’s always that way. We take one step towards Allah, He takes ten steps towards us!

Sometimes Allah wants something from us, and we can’t understand why. But Sayyidina Ibrahim said, “Yes!”

He said, “Yes!” He said, “Yes!” He said, “Yes!”

And Allah was pleased with him. May He be pleased with us. May we learn to say, “Yes!”

Mecca is a city of peace, alhamdulillah.

Mecca is a city of peace, alhamdulillah.

Mecca is a city of peace, alhamdulillah.

Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah.

(It isn’t difficult to make up a tune for these lines, that everyone will sing together.)

PART 3

La illah illAllah Ibrahim, Khalil Allah

One day years later, Allah asked Sayyidina Ibrahim for something else, something much harder. He asked him to sacrifice his only son Ismail.

He went to see Ismail. The boy was working with a hammer and a chisel.

He said, “As salamualaykum ya Ismail.”

“Wa alaykum as salam, Father.”

“Ismail, I have something…..I have…..I have something to tell you.”

“What is it, Father?”

“I have seen in a vision….”

“Father, what is it?”

“I have seen in a vision that I am to sacrifice you, Ismail.”

Ismail was silent. He didn’t move, not even an eyelash. Sayyidina Ibrahim stood near him and put his hand on his back. After a moment, he asked,  “What do you say, Ismail?”

Ismail felt Allah making his heart very strong. He stood up straight and tall and took a deep breath.

He said, “Do what Allah wills, Father. InshaAllah you will find me one of the patient ones.”

They went out together to a large, flat rock. Sayyidina Ibrahim sharpened his best knife. Sayyidina Ismail lay on the ground with his head on the rock. They both  prayed and prayed.

But they say that when Sayyidina Ibrahim brought the knife to his boy’s neck, it wouldn’t cut! He threw the knife. It clattered to the stone. It cut the stone, just like cheese!

Then they heard a voice. “We reward you! Sacrifice this ram instead, and may peace be on you both!”

Allah sent a fat black ram with big horns. They cut it and gave meat to the poor.

Sayyidina Ibrahim, Allah gave you and your sons and your grandsons the gift of prophethood. Many prophets came from you!

For five thousand years, people have praised you, and remembered you,

and tried to be like you,

and named their sons after you.

and this is ‘Eid al Adha. Alhamdulillah!

La illah illAllah Ibrahim, Khalil Allah.

A Jordanian doctor managed to get into Gaza to work at a hospital there. This is what he said in an interview: He never heard a complaint. The bloodied Gazans were saying, “This is for Allah. We are doing this for Allah.”  A woman looked at her son’s dead, washed body, and said “When he was born I prayed he would die a martyr, and now he has.  Alhamdulilah.”  He said a grace came over them, a patience, that  allowed them to pull together and embrace what was happening to them.

This is the legacy of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him peace. This is the success he promised to those who are willing to acknowledge

they didn’t create themselves,

cannot maintain themselves,

cannot avoid their death, and

have been created to praise something larger than themselves.

Coming soon: A Mercy to the Worlds: The Coming of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him peace

[audio http://nuralqasas.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/mercy-new-sample.mp3]

Listen! [audio http://nuralqasas.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/bowl-of-baraka.mp3]
On Thursday night Nasreddin Hodja’s wife boiled wheat berries and rice with a pinch of salt in the soup kettle,  a few handfuls of white beans in the little copper pot, and a few handfuls of  chickpeas in the black pot. She had done this  all her life on a Thursday of Muharram, first as a little child barely able to see into the kettle and later as a young woman trying it out for the first time alone, and finally now, as an almost-old woman grateful to still have the health and strength to run a kitchen.

Two hours later when the beans were soft and the wheat looked thick and creamy, she drained the beans and chickpeas and mixed them into the wheat. She stirred in swirls of golden honey. She flung in handfuls of big yellow raisins, tiny black bird-raisins, chopped apricots, chopped figs, chopped dried peaches and cherries she’d hidden away from summer, and a couple of chopped fresh apples. She lobbed in a few cups of sugar and two vanilla pods, slashed and scraped. She stirred and boiled until she knew the sugar was dissolved, put the lid on the kettle, dragged it off the fire, and went to bed.

In the morning she  chopped bowls of walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds, toasted a handful of pine nuts and a handful of sesame seeds, and stirred them into the pudding in the kettle, which was still warm.  She grated three lemons and threw the rind in with a cloud of ground cinnamon. She opened two pomegranates ripe to bursting and drizzled the jewel-red seeds over the top. Last, she poured in rosewater, gave a final stir and tasted it.  “Ah, magnificent! Alhamdulillah.”

She filled bowls and bowls, for her upstairs neighbor, the imam’s family in the mosque, the storekeeper down the hill, the old lady living alone down the road, the beggar who always sat at the door of the mosque, the family of twelve children beside the shop. By the time she was finished taking it all around, it was dinnertime, so she set the table with a big bowl of the last of the ashura in the middle.

Hodja came home right on time for dinner. He wolfed down his pilaf and eggplant without interest, eager to tuck into that bowl of ashura, as he had done all his life, first as a babe in his mother’s arms, later as a naughty schoolboy snitching spoonfuls on the sly, and finally now, an almost-old man grateful for the health and strength to be able to work.

As much as he’d have wanted to, he just couldn’t empty that giant bowl. Full and grateful, he left the table, kissed his wife on the head, and went off to the mosque for the night prayer. She cleared the table and scraped the last of the ashura into a smaller bowl, covered it, and put it in the cupboard.

In the middle of the night,  Hodja woke up tossing and turning. He got out of bed, stole down the stairs, opened the cupboard, took that little covered bowl and two spoons, and went back up to bed. He lit a candle at the bedside.

“Wife! Wake up!”

“What are you doing, Hodja?”

“Wake up! Help me eat this! I’ll sleep much better with it in my stomach than in my mind!”

I’ve always felt that it is fruitful to speak to very young children, even infants, about what I am doing for them, or what is happening around them, or what is coming next, throwing out the idea “they can’t understand.”  And I have observed that children who are engaged in this way behave differently as a result of it.

And I have been told on several occasions that even very small children choose to listen to my stories again and again, even though I can’t imagine how they could possibly “understand” the story.

So I wasn’t entirely surprised to read this note from a friend, although it made me really happy and grateful, and I was glad she gave me permission to put it here.

I just wanted to share with you something I think is amazing I’ve been playing the Miraculous Happenings CD for a few days straight and noticed that my daughter has actually memorized parts of the story, and she is only 18 months old!!

Fortunate little girl!

We know that a fundamental developmental factor in language acquisition is

listening.

A child  is listening already in the womb. In fact, if a child is born deaf, he will very likely not go on to speak, even if there is no physiological problem with his voice, without sophisticated equipment and help.

The  very first word of the Masnavi, the phenomenal work of Mevlana Jelalludin Rumi is

listen.

One of my favorite songs growing up was:

Listen, listen, listen

to my heart’s song.

Listen, listen, listen

to my heart’s song.

I will never forget you, I will never forsake you.

I will never forget you, I will never forsake you.

The poet Caroline Forche wrote,

We are listening, help us to understand.

Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said,

“Be an ear.”

InshaAllah.

MEHDED MARYAM SINCLAIR

Nur al Qasas, The Light of the Spoken Word

When you hear, you’ll see

For anyone willing to increase their knowledge about the situation in Gaza, here’s a good place to go: http://masudblog.com/ particularly if you are an American citizen and puzzled by the recent US Congressional Resolution on Israel. And Allah knows best. The best way to keep the people of Gaza in your prayers is before dawn and in groups.  And we must keep digging into our pockets.

MEHDED MARYAM SINCLAIR

Nur al Qasas, The Light of the Spoken Word

When you hear, you’ll see

The greedy and power-hungry vice-regent Abrahah

intends to divert the world’s pilgrims

from the Kaaba, the House of Allah, in Mecca,

to the cathedral his slaves have built for him.

But when the cathedral’s spires finally slice the brilliant Yemeni skies

and the magnificent doors are opened,

the throngs Abrahah has been boasting about do not arrive.

In a rage, he vows to destroy the Kaaba,

but Allah, the Causer of all causes, has other plans.

True happenings, stranger by far than fiction, demonstrate that if He says, “Be!” it is,

it surely is.

This telling of the events behind the Chapter of the Elephant of the Glorious Qur’an was chosen for Second Prize in the Islamic Foundation’s 2005 Writing for Children competition.  The audio Cd was produced in Amman in 2006 and the illustrated book was published by the Foundation in 2007.

THE CD Audio sample: 
[audio http://nuralqasas.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/elephant1.mp3]

Miraculous Happenings in the Year of the Elephant CD

A review from one of our readers:

“MashaAllah! My children still listen to your retelling of the Year of the Elephant and love it!”  Roxanne Umm Sahla, (KUWAIT)

Reviews from Amazon.com:

“My husband and I purchased the audio recording of this story when our daughter was about 15 months old and I played it almost every day for a few weeks. It was the first recorded story that I ever played just for her and I wasn’t sure how she would react. She LOVED it! Even though she was too young to understand the content of the story, she would obviously be paying close attention to the sound effects and the voice of the storyteller. She would bounce up and and down to the beat of the drums, and repeat “Allah!” whenever she heard it being said in the story. Playing the story would almost immediately quiet her if she was feeling cranky and put a big smile on her face especially as she “danced” to the drumbeats. Now, as a 20-something-year-old adult, I have to say that I was a bit surprised by how much *I* really enjoyed the story! I am not ashamed to admit that I actually cried during my first listening of the story because of Mehded’s vivid descriptions and storytelling style. A few of the more dramatic points in the story got me quite emotional! I read the book after listening to the story many times and was mildly disappointed by the illustrations because I had already developed very detailed images in my mind of the whole story.”  Umm Hamza (UAE)

“Even very young children love the language and walk around repeating parts of it as they listen…the best language instruction you could ever give a toddler.”  Abu Yusuf, (AMMAN)

THE ILLUSTRATED BOOK:

Miraculous Happenings in the Year of the Elephant, published by The Islamic Foundation, 2007

Reviews from Amazon.com:

“great for allowing young readers to review and retell the story in their own voice…  a fine example of a beautiful Islamic story in very descriptive and well-written English–definitely a must-have book for one’s growing children’s library. Additional positive aspects of the book and recording include the fact that they teach the reader/listener about the history tied to a chapter of the Qur’an and about reliance on God when facing any difficulty. PLUS the story is very well researched and has been checked by reliable scholars. Overall, Miraculous Happenings in the Year of the Elephant–both the book and recording–are great tools for developing your and your child(ren)’s love for reading stories and storytelling, while learning about Islam and developing love for God and the Prophet Muhammad at the same time.”  Umm Hamza, (UAE)

“a beautiful hard-cover book, one your children will want to read again and again with or without the CD, improving their grasp of well-written English along the way.”  Abu Yusuf, (AMMAN)

You can order the book from Amazon.com or .UK

You can order the book and the CD from The Islamic Foundation, www.islamic-foundation.org.uk

MEHDED MARYAM SINCLAIR

Nur al Qasas, The Light of the Spoken Word

When you hear, you’ll see

Coming Soon! A Trust of Treasures

Long ago,the universe was humming praises for its Creator,
But there was no one to stand still and listen, and say “Ahhh.”
The stars were whirling and glittering in the night sky,
But there was no one to be dazzled by them and discern their patterns.
The moon was waxing and waning in its orbit,
But there was no one to measure its phases or count their days by it.

Soon to be released by Kube Publishing, part of the Islamic Foundation, Markfield, England.  This  book, beautifully illustrated by Angela Desira, tells the story of Creation in  a new and surprising way and clarifies the role of men and women as  caretakers of the finite earth and everything on it, while bowing down to the eternal Creator in love and awe and gratitude.

MEHDED MARYAM SINCLAIR

Nur al Qasas, The Light of the Spoken Word

When you hear, you’ll see

My apologies for those who’ve had difficulty getting over to box.net to hear the sample of The Bowing of the Stars. Now the sample is available from this site, no need to migrate over to box.net. Have a listen!  [audio http://nuralqasas.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/bowing-sample-11.mp3]

Abdul Majeed has requested a silght adjustment to my reporting of his dream. In the dream he memorized the surah and then Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him peace, embraced him. You can read more details below in the post for 12/27!

MEHDED MARYAM SINCLAIR

Nur al Qasas, The Light of the Spoken Word

When you hear, you’ll see

A project of love, begun a little over twelve years ago in Istanbul, and completed this year  in Amman with the generous help of renowned tafsir scholar Sheikh Ali Hani and his trusted translator Sohail Hanif, and the painstaking editing of Sam Ross.  A double audio CD, English telling 1 1/2 hours,  Qur’anic recitation of Surtul Yusuf 30 min. The short nasheed interludes are sung by the girls of Dar al Zahra in Tarim, Yemen. The artwork is by Mukhtar Sanders.

Give a listen:
[audio http://nuralqasas.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/bowing-sample-11.mp3] 

Here are some comments:

“An entrancing performance like this is a unique treasure, a wonderful resource for teaching children about the prophets, developing their linguistic capabilities, and inspiring their love and devotion for Allah with vivid images that will nourish them from within.” Inayet F. Sahin, M.Ed. Curriculum Theory and Development

“My four-year old son Dawoud and I were spellbound by this telling, dazzled by the grandeur of the story. For the first time I felt the beautiful reality of the Prophet Yusuf, the magnificence of his personality. The next day, Dawoud retold all of the part we had heard to his father. He still wants to listen again and again and his understanding grows each time.” Heba Salem, Amman, Jordan

“Phenomenal, mashaAllah.” Sam Ross, Qasid Institute, Amman

“The work is unparalleled in the purity and clarity with which it expresses the emotions and events.  One feels one is really there beholding the various happenings.” Sohail Hanif, Sunnipath, Amman

“Qur’anic narrative mentions the most important details relating to the primary lessons of its stories, and the rest of the details are left out; left for the reader to imagine the events that might have transpired in-between the lines, an imagining that is aided by context, common sense, and the many subtle hints in the Qur’an. For one to fill in these gaps and contemplate on them is part of interacting with Qur’anic stories and at times is essential to full understanding of the lessons that are to be learnt.

I have checked this telling relying on five different works of Qur’anic interpretation. The details filled in from the very able imagination of the author completely accord with the spirit and soul of the story to help the listener, especially the child, appreciate the wonder and miracle of the surah. None of the details contradict any Islamic value and many can be found in the copious literature of Qur’anic exegesis.

I believe it is an excellent contribution to much-needed literature that invites the reader to truly absorb and enter the world of the Qur’an. The beautiful writing style of the author corresponds nicely to the magical and compelling style of the Qur’anic original.

And Allah alone gives success.”    Sheikh Ali Hani, Amman, Jordan

“My children and I were enthralled. This account will stir your soul and stimulate your mind. I recommend it most sincerely to anyone, young or old, who loves to hear of the lives of our prophets and draw lessons from them.” Fowzia Bora, UK

MEHDED MARYAM SINCLAIR

Nur al Qasas, The Light of the Spoken Word

When you hear, you’ll see