New Children's Books Publications

As a parent, I am often in search of new and exciting books for children. My son started out as an avid reader, absorbing just about any book that I put in front of him, but as he grew older, his taste became more selective. As a resut, I have found myself searching through endless shelves of library books, browing countless online bookstores and perusing multiple suggested reading lists for anything that I can find that might pique his interest. Unfortunately, I have often come up empty handed, and it is especially more difficult to find Islamic reading materials for children that does not have to be shipped from overseas.

I am therefore pleased to share that Creative Education and Publishing has published several childrens books on various topics and reading levels. Some of the titles are: Community Service, Sarah and the Doll, How Do We Thank Allah and Kindness To Animals.

My own first attempt at children's book writing entitled Sameerah's Hijab and The First Day of School has also been published by Creative Education and Publishing and is available for purchase with the above mentioned titles on the Mindworks Publishing website.

Sister Fatimah Ibrahim has also written a book which will be part of a series of books similar to the Nancy Drew mysteries but with a science element included. The first installment, YaYa and The Mystery Squad includes science experiments that children can enjoy for themselves and will soon be available for purchase here.

Some books that have brought my son hours of enjoyable reading which I hope may do the same for your children are:

The Majic Treehouse Series

Nate the Great

Arthur

and The Majic School Bus

Happy Reading and I hope you find these books beneficial!

The Mindworks Family

Remembering Malcolm X

Surah 29:23 Those who reject the signs of Allah and the meeting with Him in the Hereafter,- it is they who shall despair of My Mercy: it is they who will suffer a most grievous Penalty.

The one thing that we all have in common on this earth is our own mortality. Some of us are aware of it and some of us try not to think about it. As a Muslim, Islam instructs us to be mindful of our mortality and that such mindfulness is a virtue that helps us to remain humble and to do good. The Holy Qur’an says in Surah 2 Ayat 28, “How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.”

I have found in my own efforts to be mindful of my mortality that there are many things to be grateful for and to celebrate as I fulfill my journey. I’ve come to understand these opportunities for gratitude as signs from Allah, subhanu’wa ta’aala. The signs in nature, in expressions of love and compassion, in the triumph of justice and dignity.

One such sign that I am thankful for is the life of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz also known as Malcolm X. I first read The Autobiography of Malcolm X in high school and was extremely moved by the story of his life. I did not fully understand all of the political and religious under-currents at the time, but I could sense the importance and significance of his existence.

It wasn’t until I had accepted Orthodox Sunni Islam after college that I began to comprehend the reach of his legacy and his role in understanding the state of Africans and the African Diaspora in the modern world today.

Reading Growing Up X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Betty Shabazz: A Remarkable Story of Survival and Faith Before and After Malcolm X by Russell Rickford provided additional insight into El Hajj Malik El Shabazz the man and revealed details about his family and family life that have made him more real and less a cultural icon, an invaluable realization because his lifestyle and transformation can thus become an ideal that can be modeled and built upon rather than held at a distance and admired from afar.

Thankfully there are several grassroots organizations and groups continuing his legacy and in the struggle for human rights. In addition, many scholars have written books that keep his vision alive in modern conversations for implementing change. Books by the likes of Michael Eric Dyson, Jan Carew, William Strickland and George Breitman are a few that I know of and that I have personally read and benefited from. Below are a few links for more information about the life and legacy of our beloved brother El Hajj Malik El Shabazz.

The Official Site of Malcolm X
The Malcolm X Project
Malcolm X Research Site

Black History Month:Yes We Can!

“Yes we can!”

It just resonates and so easy on the ears. I haven’t gotten tired of repeating it in all these many months since the beginning of Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign. And now it becomes almost prophetic and spiritual when I hear it spoken. Not only could he, but he did! Barack Obama is now officially the 44th President of the United States of America!

And if his inaugural speech is a gauge, it’s been worth the wait. Not only are we “a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers” but also, “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.” I don’t know about you, but I am encouraged! May it only get better!

In the wake of the exhilaration the 44th Presidential Inauguration and its Balls came the National Prayer Service. I enjoyed watching immensely despite the fact that Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s Hardball and the infamous Pat Buchanan went the way of Fox News and used the prospect of a Muslim woman participating in the service as an opportunity to cast a shadow upon Muslims and President Obama.

The most impressive speaker for me was the Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins of the Christian Church in the United States and Canada. From her inclusion of the Cherokee wisdom about the two struggling wolves inside each of us to how she seamlessly worked mentioning the consensus of Muslim scholars in the dominant/shared peace loving values in Islam when she said, “Well, according to Isaiah, summed up by Jesus, affirmed by a worldwide community of Muslim scholars and many others, it is by facing hard times with a generous spirit: by reaching out toward each other rather than turning our backs on each other.” There were so many inspirational moments to her sermon that I’ve included a link; you can click here to read it in its entirety.

It goes without saying that Black History Month is very special for African Americans this year, almost as though all of the collective struggles of the past are beginning to bear fruit in the present. Black History Month has come to be a re-affirming of the full humanity that has at times been denied to me, and this year has a special place in my heart because of the sign that perhaps all that my people have gone through has not been in vain; that the legacy of our country need not be so tainted.

We are our brother’s and sister’s keepers. We do and should matter to one another and must do all that we can to guide, help and care for one another. To borrow once again from the Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, “You yourself, Mr. President, have already added to this call, "If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child... . It's that fundamental belief - I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper - that makes this country work."”

Happy Black History Month all with many, many blessings!