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Muslim Parents: Do you like these books?


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We are not Muslim, and I am searching for some quality picture books about Islam. What do you think about these books? Do you have any reservations about them? Are they respectful toward Muslims?

 

Muhammad by Demi. Is the visual portrayal of Muhammad considered acceptable?

 

Saladin by Diane Stanely

 

Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta 1325 to 1354 by James Rumford

I'd be interested in any other recommendations!

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We really liked Saladin and we have Traveling Man (and will be reading it in the next week or two). We also really liked Arabs in the Golden Age.

 

P.S. I have Book Notes for Traveling Man if you'd like to look at them. They are on the A Mind in the Light blog below under Book Notes.

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I'm conflicted about Demi's book. I think it is wonderfully done, but from a Muslim perspective, I wish that no prophets had been depicted in the illustrations. Also, I think the depictions of al-Buraq (the winged steed) and the angels are a bit problematic. However, they are definitely beautiful and the illustrations are true to old Persian miniatures. The text I think is well done and respectful.

 

I really like the other two you mentioned.

 

We've recently read Time to Pray by Maha Addasi (we got it from the library) and while not brilliant, it is an insight into a girl learning to pray that may give another perspective about Islam. There is also Zaki's Ramadhan Fast which similarly gives a child's "day in the life."

 

You may also want to look at What About Me? It's a nice tale of wisdom based on an old Sufi story.

Edited by Bayt ul-Hikmah
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First let me say that I am not Muslim. I am culturally Christian- born and raised in the Bible belt. My dh is culturally Muslim- Shia Sayed born and raised in Iran. All this to explain that we are coming from a different place.

 

This semester our son is reading My Little Lore of Light. This book was written and published by Sufi Muslims and does contain faceless representations of the prophets. Just to give you an idea of the kind of thing we were looking for, last semester our son read The Beginner's Bible.

 

HTH-

Mandy

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If your goal is to build common ground rather than to contrast and point out differences, I wanted to add that My Little Lore of Light is nice because it is in chronological order and therefore (since the stories are told in the same order) it is easier to see similarities to the Christian Bible.

 

HTH-

Mandy

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Speaking of Ibn Battuta, I highly recommend the IMAX movie Journey to Mecca.

 

I am not sure exactly what you are looking for, but if you're looking for historical books from that period, the second two are good choices, but these are not so much books "about" Islam.

 

I also don't think books aimed at religious education for Muslim children are the best for non-Muslims to learn about Islam, so I have to respectfully suggest the OP not get into those so much.

 

I also like Maha Addasi's books (and Ned Gannon's illustrations), but again, these are not really textbook types to learn about Islam as a religion as a whole. "The White Nights of Ramadan" is a nice book about one family, though Ghazi's Ramadan and Hoyt-Goldsmith's Celebrating Ramadan are more robustly informative.

Edited by stripe
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Thank you all so much!

 

And your responses have helped my clarify in my mind what I am looking for. I see now that I have three criteria:

 

Picture books - the kind that appeal to older children and adults.

 

Content that will either (1) help my non-Muslim child understand our Muslim friends and Muslim culture or (2) teach about interesting Muslims from history such as Saladin or Ibn Battuta.

 

And I want books that, were I to show them to a Muslim friend, her response would be positive. At the very least, I wouldn't want her to cringe:)

 

Again, thank you!

Edited by Penguin
clarity
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Thank you all so much!

 

And your responses have helped my clarify in my mind what I am looking for. I see now that I have three criteria:

 

Picture books - the kind that appeal to older children and adults.

 

Content that will either (1) help my non-Muslim child understand our Muslim friends and Muslim culture or (2) teach about interesting Muslims from history such as Saladin or Ibn Battuta.

 

And I want books that, were I to show them to a Muslim friend, her response would be positive. At the very least, I wouldn't want her to cringe:)

 

Again, thank you!

 

Thanks for posting this query -- those are the things I am looking for as well.

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Thank you all so much!

 

And your responses have helped my clarify in my mind what I am looking for. I see now that I have three criteria:

 

Picture books - the kind that appeal to older children and adults.

 

Content that will either (1) help my non-Muslim child understand our Muslim friends and Muslim culture or (2) teach about interesting Muslims from history such as Saladin or Ibn Battuta.

 

And I want books that, were I to show them to a Muslim friend, her response would be positive. At the very least, I wouldn't want her to cringe:)

 

Again, thank you!

(bolding mine) Culturally Islam is practiced differently in different places. There will, of course, be cultural differences between Somalia and Saudi Arabia and Turkey and Iran, so there will be differences in the Muslim cultures in those countries. Whether a Muslim friend cringes or not may also dependent on whether she was raised Sunni or Shia. Also, some Muslims consider Sufis to be Muslim and some do not. Sufi practice varies wildly with some groups even allowing non-Muslim participation. The differences are just as vast as those in the Christian community.

 

FWIW- Islam for Children by Ahmad Von Denffer may help you and your children better understand some basic Islamic practices and beliefs and may help with your #1. It is a book that I have used with my little guy. Rumi was an interesting, famous Sufi, Persian poet and Demi also has a book about him. We enjoyed this book. This may fall under your #2.

 

HTH-

Mandy

 

I wanted to add that my dh doesn't cringe at books. Sometimes he laughs and/ or disagrees, but I can't say that I have ever seen him cringe. You will probably get those responses from someone no matter what you choose.

Edited by Mandy in TN
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Hoyt-Goldsmith's "Celebrating Ramadan" is about Ramadan, but it includes lots of information, mostly in sidebars, about Islam in general, and the family profiled is ethnically mixed and so is their community. I thought the focus on one boy was quite a successful technique. It didn't feel overly universal, and it showed the way one family has incorporated traditions from at least three different cultures.

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Cringes would happen if there were depictions of prophets, angels, that sort of thing.

I cringe at other things, personally. (Making something up here) Like, "Aisha's parents are proud that, starting next week, she won't be going outside. Modesty is very important to Muslims."

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I was talking about books also. I cringe at oversimplifications like, "If you make this dua, you'll never have a bad dream," or imply that good behavior results in candy gifts.

 

The books aimed at the general audience that have made me cringe involve a child who lives in a mostly Muslim community in a mostly Muslim country referring to everyday normal things (like the sound of the adhan) as "strange."

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I just finished transcribing a 1963 children's book list (not all posted yet though) and they recommended Allah, the God of Islam by Florence Mary Fitch.

 

I just googled and found the Kirkus Review from way back, italics are mine:

 

Miss Fitch has made a remarkable contribution to not only children's literature, but inter-faith understanding in her previous books: One God which is the story of the three great religions of America, and Their Search for God in which the religions of the Orient are discussed. This book, concerned with the beginnings, contributions and beliefs of Mohammedanism, again shows evidence of careful scholarship and most important, a hearty respect for the diverse paths by which men worship. Christian and Jewish children as well as their parents will be interested in the close relation of the teachings of Mohammed to the teaching of Moses and Jesus. Indeed the great religious leaders of the Old Testament and Jesus are honored as Prophets, of which Mohammed is the last, the ""seal"" and ""people of the Book"" were given special privileges by the order of Mohammed. The author reviews the life of Mohammed, the teachings and beliefs centered around the Koran, practices of prayer, fasting, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and other acts of faith, the ""Holy Wars"", Laws, Moslem social structure, culture and the arts, and Islam today. The spread of Islam, the Crusades, and the religious clashes today are treated with tact and above all, a strong emphasis on positive values and a common humanity. Handsome format with plenty of excellent photographs to catch the young reader's eye. This series is a must for everyone.
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