TALES OF THE LAST MESSENGER

Abidi (Hakima and Hadi Remember Imam Husain, 2019, etc.) shares traditional tales from the life and teachings of Muhammad in this debut collection of Islamic stories for children.

In these 67 tales, Abidi uses events from Muhammad’s life to teach simple lessons about God, morality, and how to deal with life’s adversities. Over the course of the stories, a thirsty kitten, searching for water in the streets of Medina, Saudi Arabia, is allowed to drink from the Prophet Muhammad’s wudhu bowl; an old woman, who makes her living spinning wool at her wheel, offers the prophet a lesson in the proof of God’s existence; and a nomad challenges Muhammad to a camel race—and beats his undefeated racing camel. In “The Curious Little Girl,” the author details how a small girl named Umm Khalid, while visiting Muhammad’s house, noticed a birthmark on the prophet’s back and went to touch it. The fact that the prophet allowed this is highlighted as proof of his kindness and respect for women and girls. Each story concludes with a “Read to Succeed!” section, which explains the tale’s meaning. Abidi uses simple, accessible language that’s suitable for adults to read to children, or for kids to read themselves: “There once was a young man who had not been on good terms with his aunt for quite some time. He loved his aunt, but because of a minor argument long ago, they had stopped talking to each other. Ever since that argument, he had not paid her a single visit!” Some stories are more entertaining or illustrative than others, but they generally provide good lessons for children of the Islamic faith. The lovely illustrations are highlights of the work, presenting a colorful, stylishly textured, and multiracial view of Muhammad’s Arabia.

A well-constructed, beautifully illustrated set of Islamic children’s tales.